Rick Ross' Trilla proved to be a killer on the charts this week, thumping new releases from Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Miley Cyrus and American Idol's Randy Jackson, as well as the latest entries in the powerhouse Now That's What I Call Music! franchise.
The Sunshine State rapper nabbed his second No. 1 album in as many tries, as Trilla moved 198,000 copies for the week ended Sunday, per Nielsen SoundScan numbers.
At a time when hip-hop's focus was on Houston, Oakland and Atlanta, Ross' 2006 breakthrough single "Hustlin' " turned eyes back to the Miami scene. His rookie album, Port of Miami, followed with a No. 1 debut, making the 300-pound rapper one of the few to score consecutive chart-toppers right out of the gate.
"We are thrilled to bring home this hard-fought number one for Rick Ross," said Island Def Jam Music Group chairman Antonio "LA" Reid in a statement. "I'm proud of the work, but more importantly, I'm proud to have Ross cemented among hip-hop's elite, where he belongs."
Trilla, leading at radio with "The Boss," is one of five Top 10 debuts this week.
Now That's What I Call Music! 27—featuring hits like Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer" and the Hot 100 chart-toppers "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown and "No One" by Alicia Keys—followed at No. 2 with 169,000 copies.
That is the lowest first-week sales figure for a regular Now! title since the inaugural U.S. installment sold 48,000 a decade ago. Now! 27 is also the second installment in a row to miss the top spot following chart-topping debuts for volumes 24 and 25. The next installment, Now! 28, is expected June 3.
Coincidentally, this is the second time Ross kept a Now! disc from number one. When Port of Miami debuted in '06, it dropped Now! 22 to the two spot.
Making it three for three on top, Snoop Dogg sold 137,000 copies of his ninth solo album, Ego Trippin', for a No. 3 bow. Though it was the rapper's highest chart position this side of Y2K, it was also his lowest first-week sales.
The album, featuring the hit single "Sensual Seduction," includes production by the Neptunes, DJ Quik, Teddy Riley and Everlast and guest vocals by Jamie Foxx, Charlie Wilson, Pharrell and others. Snoop's last album, 2006's The Blue Carpet Treatment, opened at five.
In what was a big week for rap, Fat Joe stampeded his way to No. 6, selling 46,000 copies of The Elephant in the Room. The album leads with the street single "The Crackhouse" and the radio single "I Won't Tell" with J. Holiday. Though 2006's Me, Myself & I opened at 14, it sold 14,000 more first-week copies.
The Disney cash-printing machine that is Hannah Montana took the 10 spot with the Best of Both Worlds Concert selling 34,000 copies. The double-disc set, which serves as a soundtrack to Miley Cyrus' recent digital 3-D concert film, is currently a Wal-Mart exclusive with a full retail release planned for tax day, April 15.
Hoping to piggyback on Now! 27 sales, Now That's What I Call the 80s missed the Top 10 by a few hundred copies, settling for a No. 11 finish. The Reagan-era retrospective includes Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" and Simple Minds' classic "Don't You Forget About Me."
Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1, featuring Paula Abdul's "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," debuted at 50 on 13,000 copies. The Jackson-produced song is Abdul's first new music in over a decade. The compilation also features a duet by Idol alums Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin.
Overall, album sales were up over 3 percent but still down nearly 7 percent compared to the same sales week last year.
Here's a rundown of the Top 10 albums:
1. Trilla, Rick Ross
2. Now That's What I Call Music! 27, various
3. Ego Trippin', Snoop Dogg
4. Sleep Through the Static, Jack Johnson
5. Good Time, Alan Jackson
6. The Elephant in the Room, Fat Joe
7. Little Voice, Sara Bareilles
8. Discipline, Janet Jackson
9. New AmErykah, Pt. One: 4th World War, Erykah Badu
10. The Best of Both Worlds Concert, Miley Cyrus