Lupe Fiasco's 'Food & Liquor II' Debuts at No. 5

Lupe Fiasco’s return to the charts may be just as controversial as his new album. The Chicago MC’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 enters at No. 5 on this week’s Billboard 200 albums chart.

Led by the singles “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)” and “Bitch Bad,” Lupe’s fourth effort for Atlantic Records sold 89,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was enough to claim the No. 1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Although it was the highest-performing hip-hop album of the week, the sales do not compare to his past releases. Lasers shifted 204,000 copies, while 2007’s The Cool moved 143,000 units. Food & Liquor II sold slightly more than Lupe’s 2006 debut, Food & Liquor, which did 81,000 in its opening week.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Pink’s The Truth About Love gave a solid second-week performance with 94,000 units and holds the No. 4 spot, while Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer slides 2-7 with 55,000.