Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/5/08

The King amongst kings is back. T.I. [click to read] shocks many, not only going gold within one week, but taking the number one spot by a sound margin. Paper Trail [click to read] beat out #2 debut Jennifer Hudson by over 300,000 units, as Atlantic Records' flagship artist reminds fans that while he's not performing quite as strongly as Lil Wayne's first week on the charts, he's well beyond perceived competition Young Jeezy, The Game and Nas, in commercial viability.

As Ne-Yo remained in the Top 10, and Joe debuted there last week, Robin Thicke [click to read] entered the charts at #3. The Interscope singer's Something Else sold well over six figures of units in its premier week. Following that, mainstays in Hip Hop crowded near the bottom of the Top 20. Young Jeezy [click to read] and his Recession [click to read], The Game [click to read] and his LAX [click to read] were split by Lil Wayne [click to read], whose Tha Carter [click to read] took #14, between their respective #12 and #18 positions.

Murs' [click to read] presidential campaign did not lead the Los Angeles rapper to the top. However, Murray found his strongest debut in his career, cracking the Top 50. Murs For President [click to read] entered the charts at #43, making the release Warner Brothers' best Hip Hop showing since Talib Kweli's Ear Drum [click to read]. The release just edged out DJ Khaled's [click to read] We Global. Khaled stayed relatively docile since last week, with many believing that the right single can still propel him near the Top 25 again.

With less than a month on the charts, LL Cool J may soon be leaving the Top 100. The icon emcee's Exit 13 found its place at #88 this past week, at just under 75,000 units sold.

Z-Ro stayed on the charts, holding close rank with the previous week. The Rap-A-Lot Records veteran's Crack may be one of the most overlooked independent releases of the year. T.I., who also found the charts a third time with 4,000-plus units of a specially-made Best Buy greatest hits EP, brought his land full-length back out with him, as T.I. Vs. T.I.P. [click to read] scrapes the bottom of the Top 200, over a year later.