Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' Tops Charts, Ciara Debuts at No. 2

Jay-Z has done it again. The rap king reigns at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Magna Carta… Holy Grail.

The 12th solo album from Mr. Carter sold 527,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks the second-biggest sales week for an album this year following Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, which sold 968,000 in its opening week.

According to Billboard, Jay-Z also earns his 13th No. 1 following Watch the Throne, extending his record for the most chart-toppers by a solo act in history. Only the Beatles have more with 19 No. 1s.

Magna Carta is his fourth album to debut with more than a half-million copies in a week and his largest sales week for any album since 2006’s Kingdom Come (680,000).

Before it even hit the charts, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA after Samsung purchased 1 million copies and gave them away for free to its mobile users on July 4.

Ciara’s self-titled fifth album enters at No. 2 with 58,000, marking her biggest debut since 2009’s Fantasy Ride (81,000). Her previous set, 2010’s Basic Instinct, bowed at No. 44 with 37,000.

Skylar Grey’s oft-delayed debut Don’t Look Down, executive produced by Eminem, comes in at No. 8 with 24,000.

Meanwhile, last week’s chart-topper J. Cole falls 1-3 (39,000) with Born Sinner, Wale’s The Gifted slides 2-7 (28,000), and Kanye West’s Yeezus drops 3-6 (29,000).