report: RIHANNA EXPECTED TO SELL 200K NEXT WEEK

Rihanna’s new “Rated R” album will reportedly debut next week with an estimated 200,000 copies according to one-day projections. Although the exact numbers won’t be released for a week, Rihanna looks like she will sell less than British television star Susan Boyle. Other releases include Cash Money albums from Jay Sean and Birdman that look to be selling around 30-35 thousand copies this week.In related news, Rihanna recently talked how much her former boyfriend Chris Brown influenced the content for the album. “This album is an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions,” she said of the aftermath of Brown’s assault. Rihanna then continued “All of it isn’t angry, all of it isn’t dark and sad, ’cause I didn’t go through that the whole time. That was part of it. It was really a roller coaster, and you get that when you’re listening to the album…I really vented on this album, and as I said before, all of it isn’t about that specific relationship or what I went through, ’cause that’s not who I am. That’s not all of who I am.”

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS

Kanye West officially went platinum this week since his 808s & Heartbreak album debuted on the charts seven weeks ago. He has racked in a total of 1,023,900 copies sold. TI moved another 78,000 units to push his 13 week total to over 1.5 million sold, while Ludacris rang in with 58,300 units, putting him at 439,200 total after five weeks. Weezy continues to push numbers, landing at number 32 this week with a total of 2.87 million copies sold so far. On the R&B tip, Beyonce continues to control the sales charts pushing another 210,918 units sold, putting her total to almost 1.5 million, while Keyshia Cole saw “A Different Me” sale another 126,506 units sold putting her totals to near gold. And of course we couldn't forget about our boy, Soulja Boy who sold another whopping 34,370 copies pushing his two week total to just under 80,000 copies, claiming recylced paper status. He's going green ya'll.

BEYONCE RECLAIMS TOP SPOT ON BILLBOARD SINGLES CHART

Beyonce snagged the top spot from T.I. this week on the Billboard “Hot 100's″ chart, pushing his current hit, “Live Your Life” down to number 2. Her “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” also sits at number one on the “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” chart for the fifth consecutive week.

BRANDY'S WORST DEBUT EVER | BEYONCE GOES PLATINUM

This week on the charts: Beyonce comes in at number 3 with her latest LP I Am…Sasha Fierce selling 161,997 discs, pushing the album’s total sales to 1055,297 copies total (Platinum Plus for Status ). Kanye West's, 808’s & Heartbreak pushes 128,113 units this week landnig him at number 6, moving his total to 632K. Musiq Soulchild debuts on the charts this week at number 11 with 97,100 copies sold.

Also making his debut on the charts this week is Common landing the number 12 spot with 84,764 copies sold. Brandy returns to the billboard charts with her fifth studio album to a dissapointing start. Her latest LP, “Human” comes in at number 15 with only 74,092 copies sold. Making it her worst debut ever!

KANYE EXPECTED TO DO BEYONCE NUMBERS?

Kanye West’s new album 808s & Heartbreak looks like it will debut at number 1 with a first week total between 450-500,000 copies sold. Kanye is facing off with other big name artists including Ludacris and his “Theater Of The Mind” album which is predicted to push around 225,000. In related news, Kanye appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien Tuesday night where he performed his new single Heartless.

T.I. REMAINS THE KING OF THE BILLBOARD CHARTS

For the second week in a row, T.I. remains at the top of Billboard’s Chart’.

Paper Trail scanned 176,700 discs this week, pushing its total to 746,000 copies.

Jennifer Hudson comes in at number 4 this week dropping 2 spots with 61,207 copies sold this week.

Ne-Yo’s Year of The Gentleman comes in at number 8 this week pushing 47,166 copies.

T.I. BACK AT #1

T.I. has knocked Pink down to #2 to re-claim the #1 spot. The top ten Billboard Hot 100 are as followed:

1. T.I. “Whatever You Like”
2. Pink “So What”
3. Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
4. Rihanna “Disturbia”
5. Taylor Swift “Love Story”
6. M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”
7. Ne-Yo “Closer”
8. T-Pain “Can’t Believe It”
9. Katy Perry “Hot N Cold”
10. Estelle “American Boy”

Metallica’s new album Death Magnetic stills holds on at the top spot on the Billboard 200 while Ne-Yo’s Year Of The Gentleman and Nelly’s Brass Knuckles rings in at #2 and #3, respecitively.

T.I. MAKES HISTORY | BREAKS BILLBOARD RECORD

T.I. set the record for the biggest move on the BillBoard Hot 100 chart as his new joint Whatever U Like moved from the 71st spot to number 1. The previous record, 64th to number 1, was held by Maroon 5’s Makes Me Wonder. The single will also open at number 1 on the Hot Digital Songs charts as it sold 205,000 downloads, the best opening week ever by a rapper since records were started in 2003.

Whatever U Like is T.I.’s first number one spot on the charts and is currently doing well at radio as it moved from number 33 to the 20th spot on the Hot 100 Airplay chart plus moving from 13th to 8th on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.

In related news, the recently leaked track, SLU (Swagger Like Us) which features Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West (who also produced the track) has since created huge buzz for the upcoming Paper Trail LP which hits shelves September 9th.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS HITS #1

Michelle Williams has just hit the #1 slot on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart with We Break The Dawn, the first single from her forthcoming solo album, Unexpected. Michelle’s irresistible dance/pop anthem, which features the Florida-based rapper Flo Rida, is currently scaling Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play (#16) and Hot Singles Sales (#34) charts and promises to be one the most memorable singles of summer ‘08.

The Numbers Are In ; Lil' Wayne Sells Over 'A Millie'

Lil Wayne now has official numbers to back up his bragging — his lastest LP Tha Carter 3 has sold a spectacular 1,005,545 units its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures.

Plies’ Definition of Real (Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide) sold 215,000 to debut at No. 2. The multi-label Now 28 compilation rounds off the top 3 with 132,000 copies sold. With 101,000 units, Usher’s Here I Stand (LaFace/Zomba) endures a 30% slip and drops 3-5.

Much to my dismay, N.E.R.D.’s Seeing Sounds (Star Trak/Interscope) came in at No. 7 with 80,000.

In a slumping industry where selling 200,000 albums in one week is becoming a rare feat, Lil Wayne’s achievement is not only a triumph but a much-needed boost — the last CD to sell 1 million or more in its first week was 50 Cent’s “The Massacre” in 2005.