Rap-Up.com || Drake Has Blockbuster First Week

If Drake’s album were to be compared to a movie, it would be a blockbuster. Despite a tough market, hip-hop’s newest star gave a boost to the music industry with his debut album Thank Me Later.

The Young Money rapper lived up to the hype by opening at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard 200. While final numbers won’t be released until Wednesday, HITS Daily Double reports that Drizzy sold around 463,000 copies in his first week, just shy of gold status. He claims the third best debut of the year behind Sade (502,000) and Lady Antebellum (481,000), and also holds the biggest first week for a rapper since his mentor Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, which moved 476,000 units in September.

Drake took to Twitter to thank his fans for making him No. 1. “Thank you for the support…thank you for the memories…thank me later,” he wrote.

The Canadian MC won’t wear the crown for long. Look for Eminem to take over the top spot on next week’s chart with his seventh studio album Recovery.

UPDATE: According to Billboard, Drake’s final numbers came in at 447,000 copies, the biggest debut week for a solo act since Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream charted with 701,000 in November.

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31 Comments

Tracie
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
That’s what’s up!! Maybe Rihanna’s opportunistic ass will come dragging back now that he’s in the lime light! LOL
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JD
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:13 pm
I havent gotten the album yet but I will this weekend. im just glad he beat usher….
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Joyams
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Thank Me Later is awesome.
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Jaelani
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Good for him. Next…
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Drakeover
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:30 pm
@Jaelani, Don’t be mad cause your favorite Kid Cudi didn’t come near those numbers.
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suga
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:40 pm
@Tracie…don’t count on it sweetheart…but this is absolutely great i mean WOW…whenever an artist comes close to going gold in their first week that sayin somethin…but yeah eminem is gon take over…if he was never gonna release an album around the same time drizzy might be numba one for awhile
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Kendra
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:48 pm
awhhh, congrats boo (:
I’m so proud of Drake and his success,
he for sure has my support!
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WhatTheF
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:05 pm
@Tracie keep stanning for the queen!
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shaytan@gmail.com
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Drake album isn’t Hip Hop… Its POP… 90% of the people who brought it have no clue what REAL HIP HOP IS! Sorry but its a proven fact! I have not heard anyone or station play his music… Urban Station but I hear it on repeat on all the Top 40 Station ( It comes on right after Lady Gaga followed By Nicki)
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hello
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
I AM SO PROUD OF DRAKE!I HAVE THE CD IS REALLY GOOD!LUV U DRAKE!
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cosmolitetz
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:51 pm
his album budget was 2,000,000 and he only sold around 470,000 first week? after all the hype and coverage guest features and producers marketing promotion and thats it?
FLOP!
none of his singles broke top ten billboard he should have dropped an album right after “best i ever had” peaked last summer
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jayblaze
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Em gonna go platinum in his first week. his album is 10x better than drakes. no hate on drake but even the article itself said that he wont hold tha top spot. there’s only like two tracks on drakes album that i even consider to be hip hop. its a pop album.
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Pinoy
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Em is going to take everybody down next week.
I gotta say that Recovery is a great album.
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pompy
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:20 am
eminems a rapper and he sold more than that in his first week so this articles facts are wrong
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Rap-Up Reply:
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:08 am
Pompy,
Read the article next time. We stated that Drake holds the biggest first week for a rapper since Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3,” which sold 476,000 copies in September 2009.
Eminem’s “Relapse” was released prior to “The Blueprint 3″ in May 2009.
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missz
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:25 am
he deserves that! awesome album!
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Suryal
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:32 am
Ahh, i just don’t know why some people talk about irrelevant stuffs when relevant stuffs are being talked about..who is talking about Eminem’s album here..we all know Em is good but now, we talking about Drake and he has done it ..No haters here please..If you are a hater don’t comment, we don’t need your sticky comments…WORD..
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B.Keep.Ur
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:46 am
I don’t like Drake on how he said that shot about Kim.
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queen beyonce
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:04 am
YESSSS @ DRIZZY DRAKE!!! i got TML i luv it!! not sure how it place in new zealand?
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who better
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:48 am
Drakes album is a 7.5 out of ten heard every track like 5 times eminem’s album is like a 9 be getting the real copies next time I go out.
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Sing-Sang
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:04 am
Waouh !! Not Bad at all !Next week, his album will certify gold.
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Geoff
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:36 am
Congrats. Great album. Time will prove that it’s a classic.
And to the people that say that Drake’s album is pop and Eminem is real Hip-hop… Get your stupid head checked. Drake’s album is Hip-Hop/R&B, if anything. Em has Pink and Haddaway on his album, FFS. And you want to tell me that he is more Hip-Hop than Drake? Get the f outta here…
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blaze1
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:58 am
cranium checked and Ems album still hip/hop to me. Wayne goes hard on “No Love” with em. that’s the hardest I’ve heard him go in a long time. Why? he ain’t rapping with just anyone. if he went in there on that auto tune or with that singing shit he does Em would of smashed him. when i hear drake some of his songs sound like he’s just talking all the way threw. no change in voice no emotion. he’s just like every other young money character under Wayne.
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BowChickaWahWah
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:52 am
WOWWWWWWWWWWW! Those numbers are huge in this day and time. Congrats to Drake!!
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trippin456
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
is this worldwide sales or just america?
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Deontae
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
So proud of my man Drake doin his thang and all the success
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hello
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
THIS IS ABOUT DRAKE NOT EMINEM SO LEAVE UR DUMB SHIT OF EMINEM BEHIND OR DONT COMMENT STUPID BITCHES!!!!!
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Nahid
June 28th, 2010 at 5:41 am
Peoples expectation of Drakes first week were a bit high but he delivered a well enough number for his first week which should give him enough credibility as a commercial artist.
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Troy
June 29th, 2010 at 7:20 am
he would have sold twice as many albums if all the songs didn’t get leaked. but o well still a good job drake!
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Omar
August 6th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Funny thing, immortal technique only spends around $8000 on an album and drake spends 2 million, and tech’s has better singles imo
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Loyd Mewborn
January 29th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
I just cannot really thank you sufficiently for this article.Thanks Again. Brilliant.
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