With the impending sales battle between Kanye’s Donda ( which moved 372,000 in its first week of sales ) and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy , there’s been a lot of talk about hip hop first week sales numbers.
So we took a look back in history at the 50 biggest first week album sales of all time – featuring multiple albums from Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye, Snoop Dogg and more.
Nas – I Am…
Released: April 6, 1999
First week sales numbers: 470,000
Singles: “Nas Is Like”, “Hate Me Now”
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3
Released: September 8, 2009
First week sales numbers: 476,000
Singles: “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, “Run This Town”, “Empire State of Mind”, “On to the Next One”, “Young Forever”, “A Star Is Born”
The Notorious B.I.G. – Born Again
Released: December 7, 1999
First week sales numbers: 485,000
Singles: “Dead Wrong”, “Notorious B.I.G.”
J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only
Released: December 9, 2016
First week sales numbers: 492,000
Singles: “Deja Vu”, “Neighbors”
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Released: November 22, 2010
First week sales numbers: 496,000
Singles: “Power”, “Runaway”, “Monster”, “All of the Lights”
Juice Wrld – Legends Never Die
Released: July 10, 2020
First week sales numbers: 497,000
Singles: “Righteous”, “Tell Me U Luv Me”, “Life’s a Mess”, “Come & Go”, “Wishing Well”, “Smile”
Drake – More Life
Released: March 18, 2017
First week sales numbers: 505,000
Singles: “Fake Love”, “Passionfruit”, “Free Smoke”, “Portland”, “Glow”
OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Released: September 23, 2003
First week sales numbers: 510,000
Singles: “Hey Ya!”, “The Way You Move”, “Roses”, “Ghetto Musick / Prototype”
Dr. Dre – 2001
Released: November 16, 1999
First week sales numbers: 516,000
Singles: “Still D.R.E.”, “Forgot About Dre”, “The Next Episode”, “The Watcher”
Snoop Dogg – Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told
Released: August 4, 1998
First week sales numbers: 520,000
Singles: “Still a G Thang”, “Woof”, “Slow Down”
T.I. – King
Released: March 28, 2006
First week sales numbers: 522,000
Singles: “What You Know”, “Why You Wanna”, “Live in the Sky”, “Top Back (Remix)”
Jay-Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail
Released: July 4, 2013
First week sales numbers: 528,000
Singles: “Holy Grail”, “Tom Ford”, “Part II (On the Run)”
OutKast – Stankonia
Released: October 31, 2000
First week sales numbers: 530,000
Singles: “B.O.B”, “Ms. Jackson”, “So Fresh, So Clean”
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Released: February 13, 2015
First week sales numbers: 535,000
Singles: “Preach”, “Energy”
Travis Scott – Astroworld
Released: August 3, 2018
First week sales numbers: 537,000
Singles: “Butterfly Effect”, “Sicko Mode”, “Yosemite”, “Wake Up”
D12 – D12 World
Released: April 27, 2004
First week sales numbers: 544,000
Singles: “My Band”, “How Come”
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse
Released: November 12, 2002
First week sales numbers: 545,000
Singles: “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, “Hovi Baby”, “Excuse Me Miss”
2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
Released: November 25, 1997
First week sales numbers: 549,000
Singles: “I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto”, “Do for Love”
Jay-Z – The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
Released: October 31, 2000
First week sales numbers: 557,789
Singles: “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, “Change the Game”, “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”
Puff Daddy – No Way Out
Released: July 22, 1997
First week sales numbers: 561,000
Singles: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”, “I’ll Be Missing You”, “It’s All About the Benjamins”, “Been Around the World”, “Victory”
2Pac – All Eyez on Me
Released: February 13, 1996
First week sales numbers: 566,000
Singles: “California Love”, “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”, “How Do U Want It”, “I Ain’t Mad at Cha”
T.I. – Paper Trail
Released: September 30, 2008
First week sales numbers: 568,000
Singles: “No Matter What”, “Whatever You Like”, “Swing Ya Rag”, “What Up, What’s Haapnin'”, “Swagga Like Us”, “Ready for Whatever”, “Live Your Life”, “Dead and Gone”
The Game – The Documentary
Released: January 18, 2005
First week sales numbers: 586,000
Singles: “Westside Story”, “How We Do”, “Hate It or Love It”, “Higher”, “Dreams”, “Put You on the Game”
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Released: April 14, 2017
First week sales numbers: 603,000
Singles: “Humble”, “Loyalty”, “Love”
Eminem – Relapse
Released: May 19, 2009
First week sales numbers: 608,000
Singles: “Crack a Bottle”, “We Made You”, “3 a.m.”, “Beautiful”
Wu-Tang Forever – Wu-Tang Forever
Released: June 3, 1997
First week sales numbers: 612,000
Singles: “Triumph”, “It’s Yourz”, “Reunited”
Drake – Take Care
Released: November 15, 2011
First week sales numbers: 631,000
Singles: “Marvins Room”, “Headlines”, “Make Me Proud”, “The Motto”, “Take Care”, “HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)”, “Crew Love”
Drake – Nothing Was the Same
Released: September 24, 2013
First week sales numbers: 658,000
Singles: “Started from the Bottom”, “Hold On, We’re Going Home”, “All Me”, “Pound Cake”, “The Language”, “Too Much”, “Worst Behavior”
2Pac – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Released: November 5, 1996
First week sales numbers: 664,000
Singles: “Toss It Up”, “To Live & Die in L.A.”, “Hail Mary”
DMX – Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
Released: December 22, 1998
First week sales numbers: 670,000
Singles: “Slippin'”, “No Love 4 Me”
Jay-Z – Kingdom Come
Released: November 21, 2006
First week sales numbers: 680,000
Singles: “Show Me What You Got”, “Lost One”, “30 Something”, “Hollywood”
Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty
Released: July 14, 1998
First week sales numbers: 681,000
Singles: “Intergalactic”, “Body Movin'”, “The Negotiation Limerick File”, “Remote Control / Three MC’s and One DJ”
The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
Released: March 25, 1997
First week sales numbers: 690,000
Singles: “Hypnotize”, “Mo Money Mo Problems”, “Sky’s the Limit”
50 Cent – Curtis
Released: September 11, 2007
First week sales numbers: 691,000
Singles: “Amusement Park”, “Straight To The Bank”, “I Get Money”, “Ayo Technology”, “I’ll Still Kill”
DMX – …And Then There Was X
Released: December 21, 1999
First week sales numbers: 698,000
Singles: “What’s My Name”, “Party Up (Up in Here)”, “What These Bitches Want”
Various Artists – 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Released: October 29, 2002
First week sales numbers: 702,000
Singles: “Lose Yourself”, “Rap Name”, “Wanksta”, “8 Mile”
Nelly – Nellyville
Released: June 25, 2002
First week sales numbers: 715,000
Singles: “#1”, “Hot in Herre”, “Dilemma”, “Air Force Ones”, “Work It”, “Pimp Juice”
Drake – Scorpion
Released: June 29, 2018
First week sales numbers: 732,000
Singles: “God’s Plan”, “Nice for What”, “I’m Upset”, “Don’t Matter to Me”, “In My Feelings”, “Nonstop”, “Mob Ties”
Eminem – Recovery
Released: June 18, 2010
First week sales numbers: 741,000
Singles: “Not Afraid”, “Love the Way You Lie”, “No Love”, “Space Bound”
Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Released: November 5, 2013
First week sales numbers: 792,000
Singles; “Berzerk”, “Survival”, “Rap God”, “The Monster”, “Headlights”
Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle
Released: November 23, 1993
First week sales numbers: 806,858
Singles: “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”, “Gin & Juice”, “Doggy Dogg World”
Kanye West – Late Registration
Released: August 30, 2005
First week sales numbers: 860,000
Singles: “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, “Gold Digger”, “Heard ‘Em Say”, “Touch the Sky”, “Drive Slow”
Eminem – Encore
Released: November 12, 2004
First week sales numbers: 871,000
Singles: “Just Lose It”, “Mosh”, “Encore”, “Like Toy Soldiers”, “Mockingbird”, “Ass Like That”
50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’
Released: February 6, 2003
First week sales numbers: 872,000
Singles: “In da Club”, “21 Questions”, “Many Men (Wish Death)”, “P.I.M.P.”, “If I Can’t”
Kanye West – Graduation
Released: September 11, 2007
First week sales numbers: 957,000
Singles: “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, “Stronger”, “Good Life”, “Flashing Lights”, “Homecoming”
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV
Released: August 29, 2011
First week sales numbers: 964,000
Singles: “6 Foot 7 Foot”, “John”, “How to Love”, “She Will”, “It’s Good”, “Mirror”
Drake – Views
Released: April 29, 2016
First week sales numbers: 1.04 million
Singles: “Hotline Bling”, “One Dance”, “Pop Style”, “Controlla”, “Too Good”
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
Released: June 10, 2008
First week sales numbers: 1.05 million
Singles: “Lollipop”, “A Milli”, “Got Money”, “Mr. Carter”, “Mrs. Officer”
50 Cent – The Massacre
Released: March 3, 2005
First week sales numbers: 1.15 million
Singles: “Disco Inferno”, “Candy Shop”, “Just a Lil Bit”, “Outta Control”
Eminem – The Eminem Show
Released: May 26, 2002
First week sales numbers: 1.32 million
Singles: “Without Me”, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, “Superman”, “Sing for the Moment”, “Business”
Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
Released: May 23, 2000
First week sales numbers: 1.78 million
Singles: “The Real Slim Shady”, “The Way I Am”, “Stan”, “I’m Back”, “Bitch Please II”
