Top Album Sales Analysis

[MIAMI4LIFE]

http://www.urbanconnects.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=380

We delayed the album analysis a couple of ticks so you can soak up the new digital perspective compliments of Dave House. Make sure you hit him up on the feedback. This week there is actually good news on the CD album home front as record sales jump up 15.7% from last week and are ONLY down 5.1% from the same time last year. We can safely say the kids being out of school for spring break played a role as well as more urban releases finally hit the market. For my music industry grinders remember to not only respect the hustle but respect the art form because these kids are not as dumb as you may think. If you can’t put something in the market that you can honestly say is special then keep your act in artist development mode until you can.

This Top Album Analysis report was brought to you by our “favorite” shock jock Don Imus as we bid him a hasty adios amigos! Now if we could only pay as much attention to the underlying causes as we do the symptoms of it (as in the Imus situation) we could actually see some real movement.

1/Various/Now 24 – We’ve taught Mainstream America not only terms like “Nappy Headed Hos” (where you think Imus got it from?) but also the Mixtape hustle. At first it’s all good until they realize they can do it themselves and we’re not needed anymore. “White Soul” is in full effect as Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Pussycat Dolls, Gwen Stefani, Robin Thicke and company take over the steering wheel. Don’t believe me then check the charts yourself. So here is Mainstream America's mixtape called the Now series which in its totality has outsold everything else in its path. In the long run selling out does more harm than good. 213,180 in its second week with 443,325 in the cut. If hip hop albums only dropped -7% in their second weeks we would do Death Row mid 90’s numbers.

5/Timbaland/Timbaland Presents Shock Value – Timbaland once again attempts to tackle the “Producer Curse” and comes through with 138,525 on the first week numbers. The only other beat smith in the game that has avoided the death trap has been Dre.

6/Beyonce/B’Day – Why not? This is not about the label moving forward and embracing any kind of new innovation in the technology world but about the old school execs getting every last penny they can scrape up doing what they know how to do the best…rehashing the same old corn beef, squashing it together, throw some A-1 on it and selling it as Filet Mignon. 125,974 suckas fall for the trick. How many Beyonce’s are there left in the game to be able to pull this tired stunt on. Oh yea they’re too busy trying NOT to come out and flop which would tarnish their pre-I Pod stellar track record.

8/Paul Wall/Get Money Stay – How many people even heard the first single on their radio? But he outsold Mims first week outing due to having an actual fan base. Unfortunately there’s not enough money at 1290 to have a meaningful “post album push” which means its nothing but downhill for the grill maker.92,510 first week.

9/Akon/Konvicted – No mixtapes. No e- street team. No email mp3 leak blasts. No message board drama. No blog fog. Just damn near perfect sonic ability and uniqueness. An amazing +12 this week with 74,643 additional passengers on the Akon Amtrak Express. Jump on or get ran the hell over fool.

13/Gwen Stefani/Sweet Escape – Quiet as kept but Interscope has reinvented itself shedding its G Code roots of the 90’s to the new Pop center of the universe. Gwen jumps up on the charts with a strong +38 this week with 58,671 sold, 1,128,913 total.

17/Young Buck/Buck the World – The expected second week free fall with a -61 with 55,364 this week. Second single will make or break this project.

19/Justin Timberlake/Futuresex/Love – A healthy +39 brings the vet 51,577 new custies this week. Three million in change as Jive preps R Kelly to pick up the slack when this train starts to slow down.

20/Joss Stone/Introducing Joss Stone – Mild -18 drop brings the England representer to 47,557 this week, 223,876 total.

21/Mims/Music Is My Savior – Yea this is why you’re here right now at UC…to see if the new kid will make that spectacular second week fall. Well Mims holds his own with a not so bad -41 this week with 45,740 sold bringing him to 123,589 in 2 weeks. The second single will determine whether or not he gets the Gold Medal.

22/Amy Winehouse/Back to Black – This is the dark horse in the race. Keep your eyes on her as her story has only begun to spread on a wide scale. 45,676 with only a -1 drop. 190,598 in 4 weeks holding down the Universal Republic side.

28/Lloyd/Street Love – Enjoys the CD sales resurgence with a +11 this week raking in 36,796 customers. There’s no excuse for this album not to go gold. 270,180 total.

33/Robin Thicke/Evolution of Robin Thicke – 32,648 this week as platinum is in site.

35/Rich Boy/Rich Boy – I’m sorry but street hip hop going platinum is a thing of the past for only a few remaining. The need for business innovation online within the urban community is at a crucial point now but everybody’s too busy chasing shine to see it. When they do it will be too late to get out of the way of the Mac Truck. 31,022 this week, 223,766 in 4 weeks.

40/Musiq Soulchild/Luvanmusiq – Gold is looking shaky as the Philly native scans 28,028 this week. 266,761 in 4 weeks

48/John Mayer/Continuum –This guy puts pressure on people to purchase his album. Watch as the white face takes front center in black soul. 22,417 this week, 1,593,587 in 30 weeks. Stamina Daddy

57/Lil Flip/I Need Mine – Dangerous -58 dip as the Houston native goes from platinum to the Asylum 150k playland. 18,308 this week.

64/Young Jeezy/Inspiration: Thug Motivation – 1,000,761 fiends have smoked some Jeezy rock ready in total. This week adds another 16,917.

66/Redman/Red Gone Wild – With a -62 drop this may be the last trip around the block for the Brick City vet. A nice career run of gold and platinum along with RESPECT from all his peers. Respect due. 16,910 this week, 61,474 in its 2nd week.

87/Baby Boy Da Prince/Across the Water – You better have your own team when you sign directly with Universal. 13,211 this week with 52,611 total

90/Anthony Hamilton/Southern Comfort – This is some side bar business, don’t fret. 12,576 first week.

102/Dreamgirls/Soundtrack – 10,717 this week as the hit movie soundtrack approaches platinum.

106/Gerald Levert/In My Songs – In the future the late crooner will get more credit than he’s getting now. Another 10,552 pay their respects

108/8-Ball & MJG/Ridin High – It used to be a time when quality music from below Maryland was respected at the cash counter. 9,974 this week, 101,101 in 4 weeks.

115/Crime Mob/Hated on Mostly – This is all ringtone and ASCAP money. Unfortunately the 130k a year executive only exists if enough album sales are pushed. Eventually online business solutions will replace them. 9,365 this week 44,634 in 3 weeks

116/Prodigy/Return of the Mac - When you have a -65 drop at this part of the charts you know its over and out. 36,563 in two weeks. Only your TRUE fans will put out the money but in hip hop how many actual fans are left? Most are more interested in the process than the end product.

132/Devin the Dude/Waitin to Inhale – J Prince has recouped. 46,257 in 3 weeks.

139/Bow Wow/Price of Fame – 8,122 scans this week. Today’s platinum is yesterday’s gold.

145/Omarion/21 – When the Internet becomes a licensed heaven artist like this will be rich. Until then it’s just another underachieving project. 345,411 in 15 weeks.

153/Stephen Marley/Mind Control – He got 1970’s dough in the cut. You wasn’t even born yet fool. 36,791 in 3 weeks.

172/Mary J Blige/Breakthrough – The auto-bio book about her life will be a bestseller. 2,897,671 total.

186/Nas/Hip Hop is Dead – Its all on cruise control at this point. If the mainstream won’t catch on to anything but the stereotypes why spend extra budget bread trying to convince them otherwise? Nas understands that so he stays in his lane and does him. The hype created around the album title cost less than Top 40 radio payola. Advantage Nas

192/Chris Brown/Chris Brown – If he delivers the knock out punch in the studio then his next album will be chart killa. Stars are born not created. 1,893,769 in 71 weeks.

200/Snoop & Game tied – The only 2 West Coast starts left on the mainstream level. Both tied for the last spot. This is symbolic as Snoop passes the torch to this Compton counterpart. Snoop should holla at Ice Cube because if Cube can go gold independently then so can Snoop

[d-nice]

They make it sound like Snoop is finished and has not moved units before this album.

[Klue]

what about can u work wit dat sales ??

[MIAMI4LIFE]

They make it sound like Snoop is finished and has not moved units before this album.

I think they're trying to say that Snoop might as well go independent with his album like Cube cause he can go gold just off his fanbase

[floatin_above_everything]

They make it sound like Snoop is finished and has not moved units before this album.

I think they're trying to say that Snoop might as well go independent with his album like Cube cause he can go gold just off his fanbase

Would be good, and major props High Eyecue, you always come through with the sales figures.