50 Cent’s debut album Get Rich Or Die Trying will claim the number one position on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart this week. The album moved over 872,000 units in the four days between its release last Thursday (Feb
6) and the closing of the chart.
“The people that might wish I do bad are shocked,” 50 Cent told AllHipHop.com in an interview. “I’m already doing better than people would expect me to do.”
After moving over moving such units of his Get Rich, the Queens rapper has shattered a record for the most albums sold for a debut artist. Snoop Dogg previously held the record with Doggystyle (802,0000), but 50 broke the record even with a truncated sales period, according to MTV.com.
In comparison, the rapper’s debut has sold more than most first week sales than all of his peers, save Eminem. 50’s achievement has eclipsed hefty debuts by Jay-Z, DMX, Nelly and Puff Daddy despite being a commercial upstart.
The 26-year-old’s first album, Power of the Dollar, was shelved by Columbia Records and eventually fell victim to bootlegging. And, even though Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP moved 1.76 million its first week, it was the Detroit rapper’s second album.
Despite his street promotion, bootlegging has not seemingly adversely affected Get Rich as it easily assumes the number one slot from the Dixie Chicks.