Kanye Outsells 50 Cent

[GodPigeon]

Kanye West's "Graduation" (Def Jam) easily leads the star-studded class of Sept. 11 releases, posting The Billboard 200's largest sales total in more than two years. Nielsen SoundScan will show West's album moved 957,000 during its first six days when the tracking service refreshes its charts tomorrow morning (Sept. 19).

 

Also pumping album volume are 50 Cent's "Curtis" (G-Unit/Interscope), which will lock down the No. 2 slot with 691,000 sold. Kenny Chesney's "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" (BNA/Sony BMG Nashville) will bow at No. 3 with 387,000 copies.

 

The total for West's "Graduation" is the largest by any album since 50 Cent's "The Massacre" opened with 1.1 million copies in March 2005. West's own August 2005 album, "Late Registration," was the last album to surpass 800,000 copies when it began with 860,000.

 

While West beats 50 Cent in the celebrated clash between rappers, the real winners are music merchants. With the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack at No. 4 selling 133,000 copies, the top four titles alone account for 2.2 million units, more than all titles combined on last week's entire Billboard 200.

 

West's new album ranks 15th among all sales weeks since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking in 1991. The double punch provided by "Graduation" and "Curtis" also marks just the second time in that era that two albums have bowed in the same week with totals surpassing 600,000 copies.

 

The last such occasion was in September 1991, when Guns N' Roses' "Use Your Illusion II" led The Billboard 200 with 770,000 copies in the same week that the band's companion album "Use Your Illusion I" bowed at No. 2 with 685,000, a pair of numbers now beaten by West and 50's totals.

 

"Graduation" also rings up the largest week yet by a digital album download, starting with 133,000, beating the prior record of 102,000, set earlier this year by Maroon 5's "It Won't Be Soon Before Long."

 

50 Cent and Chesney will occupy the same ranks on Top Digital Albums as they do on The Billboard 200, the former with 58,000 downloads and Chesney's with 36,000. Nielsen SoundScan has been tracking digital sales since midway through 2003.

 

Chesney's overall total of 387,000 copies marks the largest sales week for a country album since the May 2006 arrival of Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way," which opened at 526,000 copies.

 

Billboard.com

 

HAHAHAHA ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

957,000 - Kanye West

 

691,000 - 50 Cent

 

Just goes to show, Real Hip hop will prevail. Ive Listened to them both and Graduation is nothing short of PHENOMENAL. While Curtis Mediocre at best.

[Wizard]

Hip-hop went to the south.

[BlackKnight]

I'm not a fan of either really but I'm surprised. I mean I knew Kanye had the mainstream appeal but moreso than 50 Cent? Interesting.

 

Still it'll take Eminem releasing a new album before I venture into that territory again (I hope he does btw).

[GodPigeon]

Hip-hop went to the south.

 

Im not really into Picking sides, but that isnt lyrically Possible in any way. Nobody "Listens" to alot of down south Hip Hop like that. Its all the Dances and whatnot that brings attention to 70% of those down-south artists. But when you mention an artist as actually being Lyrical, Chances are, they are going to menton an east coast artist. South only has Mainstream and not by Much. Crack dat is just..............

 

I'm not a fan of either really but I'm surprised. I mean I knew Kanye had the mainstream appeal but moreso than 50 Cent? Interesting.

 

Still it'll take Eminem releasing a new album before I venture into that territory again (I hope he does btw).

kanye put out 2 singles that held down a rugged fanbase as opposed to 50 who put out 6 and only 1 of them really grabbed anyones attention. My theory as to why people didnt by 50's new album is because so many people bought his second album, and were VERY disappointed at how horrible that album was. So they might have figured "he lost it, im not gonna spend money on another mediocre album" So they download it.

 

And Eminem used to be my Fav Emcee of all time, but he's shown that he just cannot do it anymore. 50 cent has fatigued his style so much, that he had to use a pre-written freestyle from back in the days to sell an entire album (No Apologies) Eminems Verse on 50 cent's album is sub-par and quite frankly, im very disappointed. I Hope Eminem can pull another great album. His next album is Titled "King Mathers"

[BlackKnight]

It's a rumour about the new title- he recently went on air to promote Curtis and said he might not even end up making a new album at all.

 

Still, I hope he does.

[GodPigeon]

It's a rumour about the new title- he recently went on air to promote Curtis and said he might not even end up making a new album at all.

 

Still, I hope he does.

Yea i read that too. We Need another Eminem Album =]

My only thing is, if the album isnt a good album like his others, its going to kill his legacy as one of the greatest in many peoples eyes.

[BlackKnight]

I really wasn't that keen on Encore so I'm hoping he brings out something great to remember him by.

[Devia Eleven]

I thought both were their worst anyways.

 

The only albums I liked from 50 Cent were Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre

 

Kanye West - College Dropout, great album.

 

I thought these two were rushed, they didn't seem to have as much substance as their previous albums.

 

And BlackKnight I love Eminem, I thought Encore was completely incredible, and I hope he makes another album and not some stupid Re-Up CD.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Devia Eleven

[GodPigeon]

Curtus = Trash but Curtis > Massacre

 

i also liked encore alot =]

[veristic]

*coughahemcough* Finding Forever - Common.

[GodPigeon]

*coughahemcough* Finding Forever - Common.

That Album Alongside Talib Kweli's Eardrum are Two instant Classics