The Year In SALES: ChartWatch for December 29, 2009
Hope
everyone out there had festive holiday break. Before we move forward
into the New Year and close a decade let’s look back at the big sellers
in Hip-Hop this year.
Even
though I talked about him and that annoying voice last week, rap’s
great hope, Eminem, has the best selling Hip-Hop album of 2009.
The Detroit MC’s return album, Relapse, sold 1,533,184 which
puts Slim Shady at number one. If you haven’t had a chance to
pick up this album you can pick up Relapse: Refill which is the
holiday re-release of the album with seven extra songs. This paves
the way for Relapse 2 which is supposed to be a little more serious
than its predecessor. Like I said last week, I wasn’t looking
forward to Relapse 2 until I heard Em on Drake’s “Forever.”
It’s nice to see he hadn’t lost his edge. Plus there are rumors
about him signing Slaughterhouse, which is a welcome change considering their sales. (For the record, I like Slaughterhouse, but
apparently I and a few of my friends are the only ones who actually
bought the album.)
Next
up is a group that causes a lot of discussion because fans like to debate
whether they are truly Hip-Hop. Even I talked about them for the
first few weeks their album was on the charts. Roughly five months
later Will.I.Am, Fergie, and the other two guys continue to sell strong
with their latest album never dropping out of the top 50 since its release.
The Black Eyed Pea’s fifth album sold 1,440,895 copies on the strength of strong
singles like “Boom Boom Pow”, “I Gotta Feeling”, and “Meet
Me Halfway.” I’m willing to say they are a definitive part of Hip-
Hop…just not the part I listen to. No matter what is said about
them, the group had a successful year and is the second highest seller
for Hip Hop in 2009.
Next
up is Shawn Carter or Shawn Knowles-Carter if you believe the rumors.
Mock the man all you want because of talk of a possible name change
but the Marcy MC managed to grab the spot for third highest seller in
Hip Hop for 2009. Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 sold 1,337,192
copies this year which helped to at least lessen talk that the Mogul
MC had lost touch with “the streets” and Hip-Hop public. This
year Carter teamed up with Jada and Will Smith to produce a Broadway
play on the life of Fela Kuti, announced the death of Autotune (Thanks
Jay.), and had the whole world say “Why the F— is Lil’ Mama up
there?” Things look bright for the New York MC but you never know
what the future holds for Hip-Hop in the next decade. With former
friend and label mate Beanie Sigel (backed by the always determined
50 Cent) taking shots, every failed Autotune artist blaming the MC for
being removed from the culture, and even Gucci Mane taking jabs the
next year could bring some obstacles for Jay. We’ll see.
Here’s
an MC that had a hard year. He, however, just kept releasing music
and eventually it paid off. This is sure to get people talking
in the comments section, but Rick Ross comes in at number four.
The South Florida representative sold 401,000 copies of his third album
Deeper Than Rap
. This is on the heels of the buying publicfinding that Ross worked as a correctional officer, the original Freeway
Ricky Ross chastising the rapper for using his name, and a very public
feud with 50 Cent. The latter feud had resulted in a series of
songs and videos, most notably the release by 50 Cent of a p### involving
the mother of Ross’ child and another video where 50 Cent plays host
to more of Ross’ children their mother at Floyd Mayweather’s home.
That all sounds very damaging, and in most cases this would be a career
ending move for a Hip Hop artist. Ross, however, kept releasing
music and pushed his album to the fourth highest selling in Hip Hop
for 2009. Seemingly in response to the fact that nothing stuck
to him in 2009 the Miami MC is set to release Teflon Don in 2010.
This
next one is actually a surprise to me. I’m a big fan but didn’t
actually think he came in that high. Nonetheless, Jason Phillips,
who may be better known as Jadakiss, comes in at number five for top
selling Hip Hop for this year. The Last Kiss sold 342,000
copies setting up the MC for his 2010 release, Top Five, Dead or
Alive
, and a new LOX album, New L.O.X Order. It’sbeen a good year for Jada and the L.O.X with Jada beginning the year
off with a new association with Jay-Z and even recent rumors of the
LOX working with…P. Diddy. (I’m thinking the same thing you’re
thinking but I’ll keep it to myself.)
Next
up is an MC that has taught a new generation how to misspell fabulous.
(Even I have to say it in my head to make sure I spell it right.
Fabolous dropped his fifth album in 2009 and started a whole new trend…Twitter
beef. Whether clowning Joe Budden’s real girl or an imposter
T-Pain the Brooklyn MC offered fans plenty of comic relief. Oh
yeah, he also had an album featuring every major R&B artist with
even the slightest association to Hip Hop. Loso’s Way
sold 270,000 copies with the help of singles “Throw It In The Bag”
and “Money Goes, Honey Stays.” I’m not sure what Fabolous plans
on doing in 2010 but hopefully it involves Twitter.
Now
we have a funny one. It’s funny because this next artist has
been nominated for B.E.T. Awards (he actually won one), MTV Video Music
Awards, Soul Train Awards, and is even up for two Grammys. He
doesn’t, however, have an actual album. What he does have is
a string of mixtapes and an EP for sale of seven songs that are widely
available for free on a self released mixtape. Well, apparently
257,000 people wanted to pay because Drake managed to push that many
copies of his EP So Far Gone. That puts the EP (and the
MC) at the number seven position for highest selling Hip Hop albums
of 2009. It’s a safe bet that the Canadian MC, along with his
Young Money label mates, will have a successful 2010.
That
last one is funny because Drake hasn’t even really come out with his
debut album. This next group is funny because they are trying
to be. Saturday Night Live comedian Andy Samberg along with Akiva Schaffer and
Jorma Taccone form the group Lonely Island. If you don’t know
the names you probably recognize their songs like “Dick In A Box”,
“Lazy Sunday”, “J### In My Pants”, and the T-Pain assisted “I’m
On A Boat.” I don’t know whether to laugh at the fact that
a comedy group made the top ten or cringe at the fact that three guys
playing around managed to sell 246,000 copies of an album and beat out
a lot of other Hip-Hop artists. Lonely Island’s Incredibad
comes in at number eight for 2009.
I
let the Black Eyed Peas slide because (even though I don’t like their
music) I can recognize that they have (had) talent. Not so for
the next guy so I’m just going to make this quick. Flo Rida.
Number nine. 241,000 copies. R.O.O.T.S. (You know what…B.E.P
and Flo Rida are both on the G-Force soundtrack so maybe I’m being
too hard on the Florida rapper. Or am I being too easy on The
Black Eyed Peas?)
Let’s
finish off with Mr. Controversy himself, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
The Queens MC managed to continue his beef with Rick Ross and take a
couple of shots at Jay-Z all while releasing his fifth album Before
I Self Destruct. The album has been looked at as having lackluster
sales but has still managed 227,000 since its late-November release helping 50 claim
the number 10 spot. Even with the low sales numbers I doubt this
will put a damper on 50’s 2010 with the MC already prepping the release
of a new album.Oh, before I go…Lil Wayne and Young Money pushed about 140k their first week to hit the Top 10 of the charts. Mary J. Blige sold about 340k, landing her at the No. 2 slot for her debut.
Those
were the top selling albums of 2009 and this is the last ChartWatch of 2009. We considered highlighting the least selling acts of 2009, but decided against it. See you in the New Year.