Bolstered by the hit single “Hustlin’,” Miami rapper Rick Ross’ debut album, “Port of Miami,” bows at the top of the Billboard 200.
The Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam effort sold 187,000 copies in the United States last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Breaking Benjamin’s “Phobia” debuts at No. 2, topping the No. 20 entry of its sophomore effort, “We Are Not Alone.” “Phobia” (Hollywood) sold 125,000 copies, earning the group its best sales week ever. The band’s 2002 debut, “Saturate,” debuted at No. 136.
The BMG/Zomba/EMI/UME compilation “NOW 22” falls from the top spot to No. 3 in its fifth week on the chart, moving 104,000 copies (an 18 percent sales decline). Cassie’s self-titled debut from Next Selection/Bad Boy sold 100,000 copies, enough to land at the No. 4 slot. Her single “Me & U” has peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 thus far.
Slayer earns its best-charting week and second-best sales week with the No. 5 entry of “Christ Illusion” (62,000). Only the band’s 1994 set “Divine Intervention” sold better in its first week, with 93,000. Slayer previewed material from the American/Warner Bros. album while it hit the road with Mastodon, Lamb of God and Children of Bodom during the Unholy Alliance tour this summer.
The Jive/Zomba soundtrack to the teen dance drama “Step Up” debuts at No. 6 with 59,000 copies and is the sixth soundtrack to chart in the top 10 this year, following “Walk The Line,” “High School Musical,” “WWE: Wreckless Intent,” “American Idol Season 5: Encores” and “Cars.” The set features tracks from Ciara, Chris Brown and Sean Paul.
After bowing at No. 3 last week, Razor & Tie’s “Kidz Bop 10” descends to No. 7 with 56,000, a sales hit of 52 percent. Gnarls Bakley’s “St. Elsewhere” (Downtown/Atlantic) moves from No. 7 to No. 8 with 54,000 (+1 percent) while DMX’s “Year of the Dog … Again” tumbles from second spot to ninth with a sales decline of a whopping 63 percent to 47,000. Nickelback’s Roadrunner album “All the Right Reasons” sits tight at No. 10 with 47,000 (+7 percent).
Other big debuts this week include Hellogoodbye’s first album, “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!” (Drive-Thru), at No. 13 (41,000) and Steve Holy’s Curb set “Brand New Girlfriend” at No. 20 (37,000).
At 9.35 million units, overall CD sales are up 2 percent from last week’s count and down 8 percent compared with the same week a year ago. Sales for 2006 are down 6 percent compared to 2005 at 325.45 million units.
Reuters/Billboard