Key Takeaways:
- The album’s surprise release strategy may have impacted its chart position compared to its peers.
- Despite having a shorter rollout, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? outperformed Young Thug’s UY SCUTI and trailed just behind Gunna’s The Last Wun.
- 21 Savage’s latest release adds to his streak of Top 5 Billboard debuts, showing consistent fan support.
The numbers are in for 21 Savage’s WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? On Sunday (Dec. 21), Billboard reported that the London-born rapper’s surprise fourth studio album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
According to the publication, the project moved 73,000 album-equivalent units in total, 48,000 of which came from SEA units (equal to about 65.83 million on-demand streams), while the remaining 25,000 were pure sales. In addition to the streaming edition — which included the Drake-assisted “MR RECOUP” — Savage also released four limited-edition CDs in collaboration with designer Olaolu Slawn.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? is Savage’s seventh project to debut within the Top 5 on the Billboard 200. His previous album, american dream, opened at No. 1 in 2024.
Who’s The Highest-Selling Atlanta Rapper In 2025?
If you’re wondering how WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? stacks up against the rest of Atlanta’s rap releases in 2025, it falls somewhere in the middle. Playboi Carti’s MUSIC still holds the highest Hip Hop debut at 298,000 units, with Lil Baby’s WHAM trailing far behind at 140,000.
Gunna’s The Last Wun scored a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200 in August with 80,000 units, putting him slightly ahead of Savage’s numbers. As surprising as it may sound, Young Thug’s UY SCUTI only moved 52,000 units in its first week.
Of course, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? arrived on streaming services just days after being announced, so you could argue it might have charted higher with a full rollout. Either way, fans seem to be loving the 14-song effort, which housed collaborations with GloRilla, G Herbo, Metro Boomin and Lil Baby, to name a few.
As Rap-Up noted in our review, Latto appeared to reference her rumored relationship with Savage on “POP IT,” while he honored Hip Hop’s lost ones on the emotional closer, “I WISH.” Stream the LP below.