Rappers lead U.S. album charts
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NEW YORK (Billboard) - Two popular rap acts occupied the top two spots on the U.S. album charts Wednesday, with the Game's "Doctor's Advocate" coming in at No. 1.
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Eminem was the top-seller among last-minute holiday shoppers as "Encore" returned to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts last week after a month-long absence.
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NEW YORK (Billboard) - Mary J. Blige ended Josh Groban's five-week reign on the U.S. pop album chart Thursday, as the R&B singer's latest release took the crown a week after it debuted at No. 2.
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MIAMI, FL. Tuesday Oct.12.2004 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- Sunday night&#39;s Source Hip-Hop Music Awards belonged to Kanye West and Lil Jon.
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Numbers from the first two days of the tracking period had chart watchers cautiously predicting that Eminem's "Encore" would reap sales of 750,000-800,000. Throw caution to the wind, as the album clocks a whopping 871,000 units.
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Despite having been released on Friday, Eminem's new album "Encore" went straight to the top of the U.K. charts Sunday.
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NEW YORK  &#151; 50 Cent may be getting hip-hop's equivalent of a gold watch next week. Early reports have Kanye West beating 50 in their much-hyped battle of album sales: West's "Graduation" is on pace to sell about 575,000 to 700,000 its first week out, while 50 Cent's "Curtis" is on track to do 550,000, according to Billboard magazine.
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NEW YORK (Billboard) - High-profile albums from rappers  Eminem and Snoop Dogg will be released ahead of schedule  because of piracy concerns, their distributor Interscope Geffen  A&M Records said Thursday.
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LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - With two simultaneous releases,  hip-hop artist Nelly pushes everyone out of his way on the  Billboard 200 albums chart this week, taking over the top two  slots.
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Green Day topped the U.S. pop albums chart for a second consecutive week Wednesday, passing the two million sales mark and extending its lead over Eminem during a quiet sales period.
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After painfully slow sales last month, the music industry finally has a hit: âSleep Through the Staticâ (Brushfire), by Jack Johnson, above, sold 375,000 copies last week â more than six times the sales of the top album the week before â to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It set a record for the most digital sales in a single week, with 139,000 copies, or 37 percent of its total, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In a week busy with high-profile releases, Sheryl Crowâs âDetoursâ (A&M) opened at No. 2 with 92,000 sales; Lenny Kravitz moved 73,000 copies of âIt Is Time for a Love Revolutionâ (Virgin) to bow at No. 4; and K. D. Lang is No. 8 with her new âWatershedâ (Nonesuch), selling 41,000. Last weekâs No. 1, Alicia Keysâs âAs I Amâ (J), dropped two spots with 80,000. Any sales bumps after last Sundayâs Grammy Awards would be reflected in next weekâs chart.
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Rapper Mims and R&B singer Akon led  the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for a second week Thursday,  with their respective tunes "This Is Why I'm Hot" and "Don't  Matter."
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R&B singer Ciara led three new titles into the top three spots on the U.S. pop album charts Wednesday, while incumbent champ Incubus set a dubious new record with its fast-fading new disc, Billboard reported.
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In yet another big week for new  releases on the U.S. albums chart, the MTV-constructed band  Danity Kane trumped hip-hop duo OutKast to take the top spot,  while Paris Hilton scored the highest debut for a new solo  female pop artist this year with a No. 6 entry.
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The hip-hip duo took top honors Wednesday as the recording industry handed out its first awards for music sold through Internet-music services like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.
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Rapper Kanye West's new album is winning the chart battle with 50 Cent, early sales figures indicate.
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Amid debuts by several major new  releases this week, Justin Timberlake held on to the top spot  on the U.S. pop album charts, according to final sales data  issued by Nielsen SoundScan Friday.