It’s crazy to think that Jay-Z’s first album sold under 50,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number 23 on the Billboard.
Since then, from ’96 to his last release, Everything Is Love with Beyonce, Hov has dropped 13 solo albums four collabs, one live album five compilations, one soundtrack and two EPs.
Hov has the second most number-one albums of all time (14), just tailing The Beatles, and holds the number one spot for most consecutive number-one studio albums with 11. He’s also one of the best-selling rappers of all time .
From his monumental debut album, Reasonable Doubt , to 2018’s Everything Is Love , here are the rankings for Jay-Z’s first week album sales.
Note: you can also check out our rankings for Jay-Z’s best-selling albums of all time .
Reasonable Doubt – first week album sales
Released: June 25, 1996
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Priority
First week album sales : 43,000
Billboard 200 position: 23
Singles: “Dead Presidents”, “Ain’t No Ni**a”, “Can’t Knock the Hustle”, “Feelin’ It”
Features: Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O and The Notorious B.I.G.
Everything Is Love (as The Carters) – first week album sales
Released: June 16, 2018
Label: Parkwood, Sony, Roc Nation
First week album sales: 123,000
Billboard 200 position: 2
Singles: “Apeshit”
Features: Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Offset, and Ty Dolla Sign.
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 – first week album sales
Released: November 4, 1997
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 138,000
Billboard 200 position: 3
Singles: “(Always Be My) Sunshine”, “The City Is Mine”, “Wishing on a Star”
Features: Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, Babyface, Foxy Brown, Sauce Money, Too $hort.
Unfinished Business (with R. Kelly) – first week album sales
Released: October 26, 2004
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Rockland, Jive
First week album sales: 215,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Big Chips”, “Don’t Let Me Die”
Features: Memphis Bleek, Foxy Brown, Twista, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh.
The Best of Both Worlds (with R. Kelly) – first week album sales
Released: March 19, 2002
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Rockland, Jive
First week album sales: 223,000
Billboard 200 position: 2
Singles: “Honey”, “Get This Money”, “Take You Home with Me a.k.a. Body”
Features: Beanie Siegel, Lil’ Kim and Devin the Dude.
4:44 – first week album sales
Released: June 30, 2017
Label: Roc Nation
First week album sales: 262,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “4:44”, “Bam”, “Family Feud”
Features: Frank Ocean, Damian Marley, Beyoncé and Gloria Carter.
Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life – first week album sales
Released: September 29, 1998
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 352,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Can I Get A…”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”, “Money, Cash, Hoes”, “Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)”
Features: Memphis Bleek, Big Jaz, DMX, Too Short, Ja Rule, Amir, Foxy Brown, Kid Capri, The LOX, Beanie Sigel and Sauce Money.
Collision Course (with Linkin Park) – first week album sales
Released: November 30, 2004
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Machine Shop, Warner Bros., Def Jam
First week album sales: 368,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Numb/Encore”
Features: N/A
The Blueprint – first week album sales
Released: September 11, 2001
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 427,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Jigga That Nigga”, “Song Cry”
Features: Eminem.
American Gangster – first week album sales
Released: November 6, 2007
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 425,861
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Blue Magic”, “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…”, “I Know”
Features: Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Nas.
Watch the Throne (with Kanye West) – first week album sales
Released: August 8, 2011
Label: Def Jam, Roc Nation, Roc-A-Fella
First week album sales: 436,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “H•A•M”, “Otis”, “Lift Off”, “Ni**as in Paris”, “Why I Love You”, “Gotta Have It”, “No Church in the Wild”
Features: Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé and Mr Hudson.
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter – first week album sales
Released: December 28, 1999
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 462,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)”, “Things That U Do”, “Anything”, “Big Pimpin'”
Features: Amil, Beanie Sigel, Mariah Carey, Juvenile, Memphis Bleek, UGK, Dr. Dre.
The Black Album – first week album sales
Released: November 14, 2003
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 463,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Change Clothes”, “Dirt off Your Shoulder”, “99 Problems”
Features: Pharrell Williams.
The Blueprint 3 – first week album sales
Released: September 8, 2009
Label: Roc Nation, Atlantic
First week album sales: 476,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
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”
Features: Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, J. Cole and Alicia Keys.
Magna Carta Holy Grail – first week album sales
Released: July 4, 2013
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Universal
First week album sales: 528,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Holy Grail”, “Tom Ford”, “Part II (On the Run)”
Features: Justin Timberlake, Nas, Rick Ross, Frank Ocean and Beyoncé.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse – first week album sales
Released: November 12, 2002
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 545,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, “Hovi Baby”, “Excuse Me Miss”
Features: Faith Evans, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Rakim, Truth Hurts, Beyonce, Sean Paul, Big Boi, Killer Mike, Twista, Kanye West, M.O.P., Beanie Siegel, Scarface, Young Chris, Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Young Gunz, Peedi Crakk, Pharrell.
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia – first week album sales
Released: October 31, 2000
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 557,789
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, “Change the Game”, “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”
Features: Beanie Sigel, Pharrell, Memphis Bleek, Scarface, R. Kelly, Freeway.
Kingdom Come – first week album sales
Released: November 21, 2006
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
First week album sales: 680,000
Billboard 200 position: 1
Singles: “Show Me What You Got”, “Lost One”, “30 Something”, “Hollywood”
Features: John Legend, Beyoncé, Usher, Ne-Yo.
