Despite more than a decade since LL COOL J last released an album, the rapper is picking up where he left off. His new project, THE POWERdebuts at No. 9 on the Top Rap Albums chart, giving the hip-hop legend his fifth consecutive top 10 result on the chart, which began in 2004.
THE POWERreleased through LL COOL J's self-titled imprint and Def Jam Recordings, earned 16,000 equivalent album units in the September 6 – 12 tracking week, according to Luminate. Of that amount, traditional album sales contributed 11,500 units, making THE POWER the week's best-selling rap title. 4,000 units come from streaming activity, with the remaining 500 coming from track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported, or 1,250 official paid/subscription audio and video streams for one song on the album.)
The strong sales are likely attributed to LL COOL J's flurry of promotional performances during the follow-up week, including an interview with CBS Mornings and a performance celebrating Def Jam's 40th anniversary during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where the MC performed a medley of his hits such as “Headsprung,” “Goin' Back to Cali” and “Bring the Noise”.
Released on September 6, THE POWER marked the first project since 2013 for LL COOL J, the hip-hop pioneer who became one of the genre's first crossover stars and, in 2017, became the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors. The album, heavily produced by another rap icon, Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest, boasts a strong backing line-up, with Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Nas among the guest stars. Saweetie features on the set's current single, “Proclivities,” which climbs 36-31 in its second week on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, while an Eminem feature on the album's “Murdergram Deux” powers it to the top of the week. – sales (2,500 downloads) and most streamed song (2.3 million official US streams) on THE POWER.
As noted, THE POWER is LL COOL J's fifth consecutive top-10 effort on Top Rap Albums. The streak started with The definitionwho reigned for one week in 2004, and followed me Todd Smith (No. 2, 2006), Exit 13 (No. 2, 2008) and Authentic (No. 4, 2013).
On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, which began in 1958 and spans the rapper's entire career, THE POWER debuts at No. 11. It is his 15th album to appear on the chart, dating back to his debut LP, Radioin 1985.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/ll-cool-j-force-top-10-rap-albums-chart-1235779195/
