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.