NEWS: First Week Sales For Fabolous' "The Young OG Project" [Update: Final Numbers Arrive From Billboard]

First Week Sales For Fabolous' "The Young OG Project" [Update: Final Numbers Arrive From Billboard]

Fabolous moves just under 100k in the first week out.

Fabolous has sort of made a tradition out of dropping projects on Christmas day, and this year was no different with his new album The Young OG Projecthitting iTunes on December 25th.

The '90s inspired album seems to be doing well out the gate, and HitsDailyDouble arrives with some first week sales for the album today. Whereas Billboard has been counting a mix of sales and digital streams, this number from HDD appears to be just sales, and so it could be updated slightly once Billboard reveals their stats.

Nonetheless, HDD reports that Fab moved 72,000 units opening week, which will likely land him within the top 10 of the Billboard 200. 

Did you cop The Young OG Project? Initial thoughts? Share in the comment section below.

On a related note, it appears J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive moved another 105,000 copies in its third week out, which beats Nicki Minaj's second week out with The Pinkprint, which moved 104,000.

[Update: Final Numbers Arrive From Billboard]

As we expected, we get a slightly updated number for Fabolous' The Young OG Project with Billboard revealing their stats. Loso actually did 71,000 units, which didn't quite get him in the top 10, but he is rounding out the top 12 at #12.

As for J. Cole and Nicki Minaj, when we bring digital streams into the mix, The Pinkprint actually outdid 2014 Forest Hills Drive this week. Billboard reports from Neilsen SoundScan that Nicki did 156,000 units total, with sales of just 105,000. J. Cole did 120,000 units total, with sales of 104,000.

NEWS: Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint" Debuts At #2 On Billboard

Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint" Debuts At #2 On Billboard

Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint" debuts at #2 on Billboard with 244,000 units.

The numbers are in, and Nicki Minaj's The Pinkprint comes in at #2 on Billboard with a total of 244,000 units. Nicki's third studio album sold 194,000 physical and digital copies, making it #3 in actual albums sold behind both Taylor Swift's 1989 (#1) and Pentronix's That's Christmas To Me (#2), however, under Billboard's new scale that counts in digital streams, Minaj placed second behind Taylor Swift. 

The Pinkprint outperformed prognosticator projections which originally had the Young Money emcee at around 165,000 sales with an additional 15,000 coming from album streams. 

Still, Minaj's third album falls short of the first week sales of her sophomore release, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which debuted at #1 with a total of 253,000 albums sold in it's first week. 

Have you picked up a copy of The Pinkprint? Let us know what you think of the new album, and read our review of it here.

[via Billboard]

NEWS: J Cole’s ’2014 Forest Hills Drive’ Has Largest First Week Sales For A Hip-Hop Album In 2014

J Cole’s ’2014 Forest Hills Drive’ Has Largest First Week Sales For A Hip-Hop Album In 2014

Cole World. J Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive has had the largest first week sales for a hip-hop album in 2014, and it’s not even close. The album that previously held the crown was Rick Ross’s Mastermind, which moved 179,000 in its first week. Cole’s album doubled what Mastermind did in its first week, moving a whopping 361,000 units of his third studio album. In addition to having the largest first-week sales for a hip-hop album this year, 2014 Forest Hills Drive broke a Spotify record as well, according to his record label.

2014 FHD was streamed 15.7 million times in it's first week! Breaking One Direction Spotify record of 11.5 million. Congrats @JColeNC!

— Dreamville (@Dreamville) December 17, 2014

 2014 Forest Hills Drive has the highest selling debut week for a hip-hop album since Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2, which sold 792,000 in its first week. What makes the amount of sales particularly notable is the fact that no one knew about the album until about a month ago; there was little promotion and no radio singles. Congratulations to Cole and his fans.

There is only one other rap album in the Top 50 this week: Eminem’s Shady XV album, a compilation of his Shady Records artists, which grabbed the No. 39 slot by moving 16,406 copies.

Outside of the rap world, K. Michelle lands her second Top 10 album with Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart, which grabbed the No. 6 spot this week with 83,404 sales. Most interestingly, the album contains a song titled “Drake Would Love Me.” Mary J. Blige’s The London Sessions dropped to No. 23 this week after debuting at No. 9 last week. To round things out, Chris Brown’s X grabbed the No. 37 spot this week, moving 16,794 copies.

Despite the amazing sales that 2014 Forest Hills Drive put up this week, its reign as the highest-selling debut week for a hip-hop album may only last a week. Nicki Minaj’s The Pinkprint dropped this week, and the numbers will be out next week. The album will undoubtedly give Cole’s album a run for its money for the best debut week sales title. Do you think Nicki will take the crown for 2014? Hit the comments below.

1. J Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 361,120

6. K. Michelle, Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart?, 83,404

23. Mary J. Blige, The London Sessions, 25,604

37. Chris Brown, X, 16,794

39. Eminem, Shady XV, 16,406

NEWS: Nicki Minaj "The Pinkprint" First Week Sales Projections

Nicki Minaj "The Pinkprint" First Week Sales Projections

If the projections are accurate, The Pinkprint could potentially join Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded as Nicki's only two albums to debut at number one.

Nicki Minaj is leaving her mark with The Pinkprint.

Her third solo album was released yesterday (December 15), and it appears the project is flying off the shelves. According to Hits Daily Double, The Pinkprint is expected to sell between 155,000 to 165,000 in its first week.

Although the estimated figure is less than what her previous album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, sold during its first week (253,000 copies), the projection still places The Pinkprint among the highest selling Hip Hop albums of the year.

Minaj's debut, Pink Friday, sold 375,000 copies in its first week, according to Billboard.

Both Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and Pink Friday have been certified platinum.

If the projections are accurate, The Pinkprint could potentially join Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded as Nicki's only two albums to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts.

To date, Rick Ross' Mastermind has the highest first-week sales for a Hip Hop album in 2014, with 179,000 copies sold.

For additional Nicki Minaj coverage, watch the following DX Daily:

NEWS: J. Cole's "2014 Forest Hills Drive" Debuts At Number One On The Billboard 200 (Well Deserved)

J. Cole's "2014 Forest Hills Drive" Debuts At Number One On The Billboard 200

J. Cole's "2014 Forest Hills Drive" officially has the biggest opening week in hip-hop this year.

Rick Ross, move over -- J. Cole just topped your first week sales record for 2014. Rozay's Mastermind moved 179,000 units in its first week back in March, but now his tally's been handily topped by that of Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The official numbers just came in, and it looks like Cole sold a whopping 361,120 copies of his new project.

Topping early projections by almost 100,000 units, Cole has finally unseated Taylor Swift at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. This is even more impressive when you consider that we didn't even know about the album a month ago, and the fact that there was basically no marketing around 2014 Forest Hills Drive.