Welcome to Chart Watch, the weekly column where we check out what happened, what is happening and what’s about to happen.
Sasha Baron Cohen and Marshall Mathers are the talk of the town days after they pranked everybody with some cheek-to-cheek action. Good thing Sasha has a movie coming out and Em’s got Relapse to promote. His new disc remains on the charts at number one selling 211,000 copies. Only next week will tell if letting a grown man dropping feathers and a wearing thong slowly descended from the heavens will positively or negatively impact sales. Oh and speaking of controversial figures that make Bill O’Reilly angry Marilyn Manson’s The High End of the Low entered the at number four. We didn’t even know he had an album coming out!
Greenday’s 21’st Century Breakdown, another rock opera in the style of their runaway success American Idiot, gets to hold the number two spot with 76,000 copies.
Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack comes in at number three.
The eccentric Lady Gaga jumps up three spots to five. I get Hannah Montana because the kids got to watch something, but Lady Gaga continues to mystify. Well apparently enough of her fans did get it because her debut album, The Fame, continues to sell.
Sadly, Redman & Method Man and Busta Rhymes fell out the Top 10 but maybe a push can get them and some more Hip-Hop back on the charts. Now I know it’s a recession and you’re probably not buying albums but if that’s just not enough Hip-Hop for you (can there ever be enough?) you might want to take a look at some of these artists. Get them off of itunes, Amazon, or actually go to the store. Find a mom and pop shop. Bestbuy still sells music. I hear Walmart still sells cd’s…somewhere in the back by the automotive gear and bathroom decor. If you find them let your friends know.
DROPPING THIS WEEK
The incomparable J Dilla continues to impress with a posthumous release J Stay Paid. Twenty five tracks by one of Hip Hop’s greatest producers arranged by Pete Rock. I don’t know how you can say you love Hip-Hop and sleep on this one.
Anthony ‘AZ’ Cruz returns with his ninth album Legendary. You like lyrics? You like the East Coast feel? You like substance? You like AZ. Get the album.
Guce takes the whole drug dealing/baking metaphor to a whole new level with his album Gucey Guce Doe Boy I Got That Cake Mix. I don’t know much about him other then the fact he is from San Francisco, has Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Young Dro, Mac Dre and Shawty Lo on his album, and has one of the most interesting album covers I’ve seen in a minute. Anybody that can make the Pillsbury Dough Boy look menacing is worth a listen.
Canada and the US make a connection with the new album from Marco Polo and Torae. Double Barrel pairs Polo’s hard hitting beats with Torae’s hard hitting lyrics. The album is supposed to pay homage to New York’s mid 90’s rap scene so if you’ve been missing that sound this might be for you. Plus it’s got Lil Fame of M.O.P, Sean Price, and Masta Ace.
Well that’s this week’s AllHipHop.com Chart Watch. Pick up a few out of the Top 10 and take a look at some of the other releases.