Kanye in the early lead

[Snoopafly86]

AND THEY’RE OFF: It’s way too soon to call yet, but in early retail reports, IDJ’s Kanye West is in the lead with first-week estimates at more than 700k that has wonderers wondering if the rapper can do 800k. Shady/Aftermath/Interscope’s 50 Cent is in the 550k range with an outside chance at 600k, while SBMG Nashville’s Kenny Chesney is headed for 450k with a shot at 500k. More news as we get it. (9/11p)

[7even]

Damn, I want 50 to outsell Kanye. I love to see Kanye lose, cause he always makes an ass out of himself when he does.

[Lunatic]

go kanye

[Snoopafly86]

Kanye is an arrogant prick but he makes good music, hitsdailydouble also said that Jayz was on pace to do 850k but did like 700k so these are just projections

[We Fly High]

taken from the chart race thread:


 thats why i usually discount first week figures with these big artists, that would tend to do stuff like this. In my opinion first week doesnt really matter, cos the companies are just going to buy every single copy there is. but like Jrome said, check out the 2nd week declines, and the continuing weeks, and we can get a better idea.

in terms of marketing and promotions, 50 has been hittin the streets hard with all the street teams and everything, he had a lot of presence out at the VMAs and all that. Kanye has had zero street team marketing, i know people that be working out in the field, and they dont be seeing no teams out for Kanye.
However, Kanye has been hitting up all the radio stations/tvs and all that, so he's getting his promotions in through there.

and in recent light of the VMA, and with Kanye complaining about all that stuff.. yeah its publicity, but it might not be the best look to have considering its the day before your album comes out..

and finally,.. i think in the end 50 cent will still outsell Kanye. 50 has got the international game on lock. Kanye really just started fuckin with the overseas fans.. but 50's BEEN touring out in Europe and all that, his fanbase internationally is way more established than Kanyes...

just my 2 cents on this chart race..

[Mac 10 †]

50 is a faggot, then again so is Kanye.

My vote goes to Kanye.

[E. J. Rizo]

yo this kanye cd is the shit... i didnt really like his old cds but wow this shit is growing on me sick... CHAMPION is a down track. and so is FLASHING LIGHTS!

im diggin this shit right now... good shit kanye

[Dubz]

50 was 20k ahead in preorders when it all added up...


well see whats up with the overall sales in a week

[GangstaBoogy]

On 106 the fans were going crazy for Kanye. Who knows. I actually wish a miracle would happen and the country singer dude would come in first and shut both of them up.

[Lunatic]

On 106 the fans were going crazy for Kanye. Who knows. I actually wish a miracle would happen and the country singer dude would come in first and shut both of them up.

LMAO that would be jokesss

[M Dogg™]

From the LA Times: (even a VP for Best Buy is weighing in on this it's huge for Hip-Hop, no question)

Kanye West outselling 50 Cent in 'feud'

By Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12, 2007
It looks like 50 Cent might be retiring at the ripe old age of 32.

The Queens, N.Y., rapper announced a few weeks ago that if his new album, "Curtis," did not outsell Kanye West's new collection, "Graduation," during their first week in stores that he would call it quits as a solo recording artist.

Well, both albums hit the shelves Tuesday, and early results suggest that 50's sales aren't as big as his words.

"If 50 is true to his word, we won't have any more 50 Cent albums," Carl Mello, a director of buying at the East Coast music retail chain Newbury Comics said.

Mello said "Graduation" was outselling "Curtis" by 200 copies at the 27-store chain. headquartered in Brighton, Mass. "If you look at 50's whole brand, with all the G-Unit people, they haven't done anything that's excited people in a long time."

At Amoeba Music in Hollywood, store music buyer Kristen Frederick said: "For every 50 Cent CD we sell, we sell two Kanyes."

That can't be pleasant news for 50 Cent, who touched off quite a tempest last month when he told the website SOHH.com: "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on Sept. 11, I'll no longer write music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums."

50 Cent has been locked in feuds through the years, but even he has been candid that this time he was merely stirring the pot. In an interview with KROQ-FM (106.7), for instance, he chuckled when asked if there was any bitterness behind his words.

The stunt has certainly caught the attention of the media and landed 50 Cent and West on the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone, which has them posed like glowering heavyweights at a boxing press conference.

50 Cent has history on his side. West, 30, has strong critical acclaim and robust sales, but his numbers have lagged behind 50 Cent's. West's 2005 album, "Late Registration," sold more than 900,000 copies in its debut week, while 50 Cent's "The Massacre" topped 1.4 million its first week in stores.

It looks as if neither of the hip-hop heroes will come close to their past retail fireworks, a situation driven by the realities of CD sales in the diffused marketplace of 2007.

An Amazon.com spokeswoman said the site will be tracking sales for each album via a graphic on its music page all week. At midday Tuesday, West was outpacing 50 Cent more than 2 to 1.

And the Chicago-bred West was also hitting his "rival" where it hurts, outselling him at key stores in 50 Cent's hometown.

"It's probably at 3 to 1, with Kanye outselling 50 with our sales so far," Carl Alvarez, urban buyer for the Virgin Entertainment Group, said. "I anticipated 60% of people picking up both, but we anticipated Kanye selling more."

The albums are coming at a down time for hip-hop. While overall music sales are down about 18% compared to last year, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, rap sales have declined at an even greater rate. Hip-hop sales slumped more than 20% coming into 2007, and there was not a rap artist among 2006's 10 top-selling albums, according to Geoff Mayfield, Billboard magazine's director of charts and senior analyst.

Many hip-hop supporters have been banking on the return of the two stars as a shot of new energy into the scene. Retail sources put initial ship-outs on both albums at approximately 1.2 million copies, making it nearly impossible for either artist to come close to selling seven figures. Best Buy senior vice president Gary Arnold is hopeful that each rapper will sell in the "half-million-unit" range.

"We're probably a little stronger on the Kanye side of things, due to our customer base," Arnold said. "Kanye's base seems to be a little broader than 50's base, so if I have to anticipate results, I'd probably give the nod to Kanye this week."

Actually, the rappers may be locked in a race for No. 2: Country star Kenny Chesney released "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" on Tuesday as well. Chesney's singles "Don't Blink" and "Never Wanted Nothing More" are already hits on country radio, and he's sold more than half a million first-week copies before..

"It wouldn't surprise me if he sold more," said Billboard's Mayfield. "There's a bigger erosion in hip-hop sales than country sales this year. Even without that market condition, he's a big enough star to do handsome numbers."

todd.martens@latimes.com

[AlerG]

Does anyone realize the race is longer than one week. Longeivity usually decides dope albums. Check out Nickelback, their latest album is still in the top 15 in sales and was released over 2 years ago 
If it's dope, when the original hype dyes down, it'll continue selling based off word of mouth. If it's wack, than the initial 1,000,000 customers are going to inform the next potential 5 to 10 million customers, leading to sales drop offs,

chill

[M Dogg™]

Does anyone realize the race is longer than one week. Longeivity usually decides dope albums. Check out Nickelback, their latest album is still in the top 15 in sales and was released over 2 years ago 
If it's dope, when the original hype dyes down, it'll continue selling based off word of mouth. If it's wack, than the initial 1,000,000 customers are going to inform the next potential 5 to 10 million customers, leading to sales drop offs,

chill

true, in 1993, I remember reading the newspaper everyday to see the Chronic's chart position. It was in the top 10 for most the year, eventually starting to lose steam in August, and the album was released in December of 1992. So longivity will do the better album justist, which would favor Kanye. But 50 hyped week one, because he knows he starts hot, 1.1 million last time for openning week. He is use to never seeing a gold plaque, just straight to platinum, so that's what he hyped, and we are all puppets.

[westside159]

Kanye is an arrogant prick but he makes good music, hitsdailydouble also said that Jayz was on pace to do 850k but did like 700k so these are just projections

Kanyes arrogant ??  What the fucc are you smokin 50 Cent is the most arrogant cocky cornball out there , just go look at the 106 & park show with him & Kanye on and Kanye was just chillin lettin the music decide whos best , but the Pop gangsta rapper 50 Cent liks to talk bullshit , he knows whos better KANYE WEST - GRADUATION = CLASSIC !!!!!!

[westside159]

Kanye West - Kanyou say chi city !!!!!!   DOPE ALBUM