21 Savage's 'I Am > I Was' Debuts at No. 1
21 Savage is in full savage mode on the charts.
The Grammy-nominated rapper scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with his sophomore album I Am > I Was. The set, which was released on Dec. 21, debuts with 131,000 equivalent album units, of which 18,000 were in traditional album sales.
Billboard 200: #1(new) @21savage, I Am > I Was 131,000 (18,000 in pure sales).
— chart data (@chartdata) December 30, 2018
I Am > I Was, which features appearances from J. Cole, Post Malone, and Childish Gambino, marks Savage’s fourth entry on the Billboard 200. He previously charted with Without Warning, his collaborative album with Offset and Metro Boomin (No. 4), his debut solo album Issa Album (No. 2), and Savage Mode, his joint project with Metro Boomin (No. 23).
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie follows at No. 2 with Hoodie SZN, his highest-charting project yet. The rapper’s second full-length album earned 90,000 equivalent album units (6,000 in album sales). He previously visited the top 10 with his debut The Bigger Artist, which peaked at No. 4 in October 2017.
Kodak Black’s Dying to Live slides 1-9 in its second week (51,000), Meek Mill’s previous chart-topper Championships drops 2-6 (54,000), and Travis Scott’s Astroworld slips 6-10 (49,000).
Three holiday albums also return to the top 10 including Michael Bublé’s Christmas (No. 3, 75,000), Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song (No. 7, 52,000), and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas, which reenters the top 10 for the first time since January 1995 at No. 8.
Billboard 200 Top 10
1. 21 Savage – I Am > I Was – 131,000
2. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – Hoodie SZN – 90,000
3. Michael Bublé – Christmas – 75,000
4. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born – 62,000
5. Various Artists – The Greatest Showman: Reimagined – 56,000
6. Meek Mill – Championships – 54,000
7. Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song – 52,000
8. Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas – 52,000
9. Kodak Black – Dying to Live – 51,000
10. Travis Scott – Astroworld – 49,000