S. Samuel
Maybach Music Group artist Wale should have no problem making his third solo effort The Gifted become the number one album in the country next week despite slighly decreased projections heading into the weekend.
According to weekend estimates, Ralph Folarin should easily dominate the chart while contenders like J. Cole and Kanye West will help fill up the Top 3 slots.
YOUR MID-WEEKS: Wale will debut at #1 next week, as Rap holds the top three spots for a second week. Here’s how it looks headed into the weekend: *Wale (Atlantic) 140-150k J. Cole (Roc Nation/Columbia) 90-95k Kanye West (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam/IDJ) 70-75k *Skillet (Atlantic) 50-55k Daft Punk (Columbia) 30-35k Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville) 27-30k Black Sabbath (Republic) 27-30k *August Burns Red (Solidstate) 24-27k Kelly Rowland (Motown) 24-27k Mac Miller (Rostrum) 23-26k (YOUR Mid-Weeks)
Initial estimates based on one-day estimates had the Washington, D.C. native’s new LP expected to sell up to 160,000 copies.
YOUR ONE-DAYS: Rap will remain at the top next week, as Wale is expected to reach #1. Here are this week’s key debuts: Wale (Atlantic) 140-160k Skillet (Atlantic) 50-55k India.Arie (Def Jam/IDJ) 24-27k August Burns Red (Solidstate) 21-24k Amon Amarth (Metal Blade) 14-17k (HITS Daily Double)
The new LP has received support from Wale’s fellow hip-hop star pals like Drake.
“Just bought @Wale album for the drive home.,” Drake tweeted June 26th. (Drake’s Twitter)
Prior to his album dropping, Kanye downplayed the notion of needing to go platinum this time around.
“This is the part of the show when I start complaining about sh*t, justifying sh*t, but you know how it is,” he says as he let the menacing beat of “Clique” ride. ‘Ye continued to rant about the rollout of his album and his lack of care behind promotion and radio play: “With this album we ain’t drop no single to radio. We ain’t got no NBA campaign, nothing like that. Sh*t, we ain’t even got no cover. We just made some real music. Like, back when I used to make albums and sh*t, a couple years ago, we’d go away and work on the album for months or something. We’d always have to hold the album to like August, or September or till the perfect moment and sh*t. Because it mean that ‘I think would sell more if it get more audience and sh*t.’ But honestly at this point when I listen to radio, that ain’t where I want to be no more. Honestly at this point, I could give a f*ck about selling a million records as long as I put out an album for the summer that y’all can rock to for all f*ckin’ summer… At this point I don’t really give a f*ck about outside opinion.” (Billboard)
