Biggest Billboard 200 Debut Weeks In Hip-Hop History

[thegreatdivine]

1. 1,760,000 — Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
2. 1,322,000 — Eminem — The Eminem Show (2002)
3. 1,150,000 — 50 Cent — The Massacre (2005)
4. 1,050,000 — Limp Bizkit — Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
5. 1,040,000 — Drake — Views (2016)
6. 1,005,000 — Lil Wayne — Tha Carter III (2008)
7. 964,000 — Lil Wayne — Tha Carter IV (2011)
8. 957,000 — Kanye West — Graduation (2007)
9. 872,000 — 50 Cent — Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
10. 860,000 — Kanye West — Late Registration (2005)
11. 803,000 — Snoop Dogg — Doggystyle (1993)
12. 792,000 — Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
13. 741,000 — Eminem — Recovery (2010)
14. 732,000 — Drake — Scorpion (2018)
15. 714,000 — Nelly — Nelllyvile (2002)
16. 710,000 — Eminem — Encore (2004)
17. 702,000 — Various Artists — 8 Mile Soundtrack (2002)
18. 698,000 — DMX — And Then There Was X (1999)
19. 691,000 — 50 Cent — Curtis (2007)
20. 690,000 — The Notorious B.I.G. — Life After Death (1997)
21. 681,000 — Beastie Boys — Hello Nasty (1998)
22. 680,000 — Jay-Z — Kingdom Come (2006)
23. 670,000 — DMX — Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)
24. 664,000 — 2Pac — The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
25. 658,000 — Drake — Nothing Was the Same (2013)
26. 644,000 — Limp Bizkit — Significant Other (1999)
27. 631,000 — Drake — Take Care (2011)
28. 613,000 — Drake — Certified Lover Boy (2021)
29. 612,000 — Wu-Tang Clan — Wu-Tang Forever (1999)
30. 608,000 — Eminem — Relapse (2009)
31. 603,000 — Kendrick Lamar — Damn (2017)
32. 586,000 — The Game — The Documentary (2005)
33. 568,000 — T.I. — Paper Trail (2008)
34. 567,000 — 2Pac — All Eyez on Me (1996)
35. 561,000 — P. Diddy — No Way Out (1997)
36. 558,000 — Jay-Z — The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)
37. 549,000 — 2Pac — R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)
38. 545,000 — Jay-Z — The Blueprint 2 (2002)
39. 544,000 — D12 – D12 World (2004)
40. 537,000 — Travis Scott — Astroworld (2018)
41. 535,000 — Drake — If You're Reading This It's Too Late (2015)
42. 530,000 — Outkast — Stankonia (2000)
43. 528,000 — Jay-Z — Magna Carter Holy Grail (2013)
44. 522,000 — T.I. — King (2006)
45. 520,000 — Snoop Dogg — Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998)
46. 516,000 — Dr. Dre — 2001 (1999)
47. 510,000 — Outkast — Speakerboxx/The Love Below (2003)
48. 505,000 — Drake — More Life (2017)
49. 497,000 — Juice WRLD — Legends Never Die (2020)
50. 496,000 — Travis Scott — Utopia (2023)
51. 496,000 — Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
52. 496,000 — Master P — MP Da Last Don (1998)
53. 492,000 — J. Cole — 4 Your Eyez Only (2016)
54. 489,000 — Post Malone — Hollywood's Bleeding (2019)
55. 485,000 — The Notorious B.I.G. — Born Again (1999)
56. 480,000 — Lil Wayne — Tha Carter V (2018)
57. 479,000 — Snoop Dogg — Tha Doggfather (1996)
58. 476,000 — Jay-Z — Blueprint 3 (2009)
59. 476,000 — Nas — I Am... (1999)
60. 470,000 — T.I. — T.I. vs. T.I.P. (2007)
61. 463,000 — Jay-Z — The Black Album (2003)
62. 462,000 — Jay-Z — Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)
63. 461,000 — Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018)
64. 450,000 — Kanye West — 808s & Heartbreak (2008)
65. 447,000 — Drake — Thank Me Later (2010)
66. 441,000 — Eminem — Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)
67. 441,000 — Kanye West — The College Dropout (2004)
68. 439,000 — DMX — The Great Depression (2001)
69. 438,000 — The Notorious B.I.G — Duets: The Final Chapter (2005)
70. 436,000 — Jay-Z & Kanye West — Watch the Throne (2011)
71. 434,000 — Eminem — Kamikaze (2018)
72. 433,000 — Lloyd Banks — The Hunger for More (2004)
73. 430,000 — 2Pac — Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
74. 429,000 — Ludacris — Chicken-n-Beer (2003)
75. 427,000 — Jay-Z — The Blueprint (2001)
76. 427,000 — 2Pac — Until the End of Time (2001)
77. 426,000 — Jay-Z — American Gangster (2007)
78. 423,000 — Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
79. 411,000 — Method Man — Tical 2000: Judgement Day (1998)
80. 408,000 — 2Pac + Outlawz — Still I Rise (1999)
81. 404,000 — Drake & 21 Savage — Her Loss (2022)
82. 397,000 — Snoop Dogg — The Last Meal (2000)
83. 397,000 — J. Cole — KOD (2018)
84. 396,000 — Nelly — Suit (2004)
85. 394,000 — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — The Art of War (1997)
86. 386,000 — Mystikal — Ghetto Fabulous (1998)
87. 377,000 — G-Unit — Beg for Mercy (2003)
88. 375,000 — Drake & Future — What a Time to Be Alive (2015)
89. 375,000 — Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday (2010)
90. 372,000 — D12 — Devil's Night (2001)
91. 371,000 — J. Cole — 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
92. 368,000 — Jay-Z & Linkin Park — Collision Course (2004)
93. 366,000 — 2Pac — Better Dayz (2002)
94. 363,000 — Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
95. 363,000 — Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz — Crunk Juice (2004)
96. 361,000 — Young Buck — Straight Outta Cashville (2004)
97. 361,000 — Ja Rule — Pain is Love (2001)
98. 360,000 — Beastie Boys — To the 5 Boroughs (2004)
99. 358,000 — The Game — Doctor’s Advocate (2006)
100. 356,000 — Nas — Hip Hop Is Dead (2006)
101. 352,000 — Young Jeezy — Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration (2006)
102. 350,000 — Jay-Z — Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)
103. 342,000 — Nelly — Sweat (2004)
104. 342,000 — Nas — Stillmatic (2002)
105. 330,000 — Mystikal — Let's Get Ready (2000)
106. 330,000 — 2Pac — Loyal to the Game (2004)
107. 329,000 — Death Row Records — Murder Was the Case (1994)
108. 327,000 — Kanye West — Yeezus (2013)
109. 325,000 — Limp Bizkit — Results May Vary (2003)
110. 324,000 — Various Artists — Bad Boys II (2003)
111. 322,000 — Ludacris — The Red Light District (2004)
112. 320,000 — Bow Wow — Doggy Bagg (2001)
113. 317,000 — G-Unit — Get Rich or Die Tryin’ OST (2005)
114. 312,000 — Twista —  Kamikaze (2004)
115. 312,000 — DMX — Grand Champ (2003)
116. 309,000 — Shady Records — Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (2006)
117. 309,000 — Ludacris – Release Therapy (2006)
118. 309,000 — Kanye West — Donda (2021)
119. 307,000 — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — E. 1999 Eternal (1995)
120. 304,000 — The Black Eyed Peas — The E.N.D. (2009)
121. 301,000 — Wu-Tang Clan — The W (2000)
122. 300,000 — Ruff Ryders — Ryde or Die Vol. 1 (1999)
123. 297,000 — J. Cole — Born Sinner (2013)
124. 295,500 — Kendrick Lamar — Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022)
125. 295,000 — Dr. Dre — Compton (2015)
126. 290,000 — Juvenile — Tha G-Code (1999)
127. 288,000 — Silkk the Shocker — Charge It 2 Da Game (1998)
128. 288,000 — Lil Uzi Vert — Eternal Atake (2020)
129. 285,000 — Jay-Z & R. Kelly — The Best of Both Worlds (2002)
130. 283,000 — Eminem — The Slim Shady LP (1999)
131. 282,000 — J. Cole — The Off-Season (2021)
132. 281,000 — Ludacris — Word of Mouf (2001)
133. 280,000 — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — BTNHResurrection (2000)
134. 279,000 — Eminem — Music to Be Murdered By (2020)
135. 278,000 — Tha Dogg Pound — Dogg Food (1995)
136. 276,000 — Ja Rule — Rule 3:36 (2000)
137. 270,000 — Mase — Harlem World (1997)
138. 270,000 — Nas — It Was Written (1996)
139. 268,000 — 2Pac — Greatest Hits (1998)
140. 267,000 — Eminem — Revival (2017)
141. 264,000 — Snoop Dogg — Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
142. 264,000 — Kanye West — Jesus Is King (2019)
143. 262,000 — Bow Wow — The Price Of Fame (2006)
144. 262,000 — Jay-Z — 4:44 (2017)
145. 261,000 — Cypress Hill — Black Sunday (1993)
146. 260,000 — Master P — Ghetto D (1997)
147. 260,000 — Young Jeezy — The Recession (2008)
148. 259,000 — Missy Elliott — Under Construction (2002)
149. 256,000 — P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family — We Invented the Remix (2002)
150. 255,000 — Cardi B — Invasion of Privacy (2018)
151. 254,000 — Ruff Ryders — Ryde or Die Vol. 2 (2000)
152. 254,000 — Lil Wayne — Tha Carter II (2005)
153. 254,000 — Method Man & Redman — Blackout! (1999)
154. 253,000 — Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)
155. 251,000 — DMX — It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998)
156. 251,000 — Pop Smoke — Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020)
157. 250,000 — Missy Elliott — Miss E... So Addictive (2001)
158. 249,000 — The Neptunes — The Neptunes Present... Clones (2003)
159. 247,000 — Logic — Everybody (2017)
160. 246,000 — 50 Cent — The New Breed (2003)
161. 246,000 — Jadakiss — Kiss of Death (2004)
162. 246,000 — Meek Mill — Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015)
163. 244,000 — Nicki Minaj — The Pinkprint (2014)
164. 242,000 — Kendrick Lamar — Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012)
165. 241,000 — Silkk the Shocker — Made Man (1999)
166. 239,000 — The Game — LAX (2007)
167. 237,000 — Ja Rule — The Last Temptation (2002)
168. 235,000 — Busta Rhymes — E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) (1998)
169. 235,000 — Nelly — Country Grammar (2000)
170. 233,000 — Young Jeezy — TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition (2011)
171. 232,000 — Nas — Street's Disciple (2004)
172. 232,000 — Nas — Nastradamus (1999)
173. 229,000 — Lil' Kim — The Notorious K.I.M. (2000)
174. 229,000 — Lil Wayne — Tha Block Is Hot (1999)
175. 229,000 — Meek Mill — Championships (2018)
176. 226,000 — Obie Trice — Cheers (2003)
177. 225,000 — Snoop Dogg — R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
178. 223,000 — Drake — Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020)
179. 222,000 — Future — I Never Liked You (2022)
180. 221,000 — Logic — No Pressure (2020)
181. 220,000 — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — Creepin on ah Come Up (1994)
182. 218,000 — Rick Ross — God Forgives, I Don’t (2012)
183. 217,000 — J. Cole — Cole World: The Sideline Story (2010)
184. 217,000 — Lil Wayne — I Am Not a Human Being II (2012)
185. 216,000 — Lil Baby — It's Only Me (2022)
186. 215,000 — Plies — Definition of Real (2008)
187. 215,000 — Ice Cube — Lethal Injection (1993)
188. 214,000 — Tony Yayo — Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (2005)
189. 214,000 — Ludacris — Theater of the Mind (2008)
190. 213,000 — Eve — Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (1999)
191. 213,000 — Juvenile — Project English (2001)
192. 210,000 — 2Pac — Me Against the World (1995)
193. 209,000 — Busta Rhymes — The Big Bang (2006)
194. 208,000 — Kanye West — Ye (2018)
195. 208,000 — LL Cool J - G.O.A.T — (2000)
196. 206,000 — Fugees — The Score (1996)
197. 205,000 — G.O.O.D. Music — Cruel Summer (2012)
198. 205,000 — Lil Wayne — Lights Out (2000)
199. 205,000 — P. Diddy — Forever (1999)
200. 205,000 — Xzibit – Restless (2000)
201. 204,000 — Drake — Honestly, Nevermind (2022)
202. 204,000 — Jadakiss — Kiss tha Game Goodbye (2001)
203. 204,000 — Lupe Fiasco — Lasers (2011)
204. 201,000 — Ying Yang Twins — U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) (2005)

Most appearances:
Jay-Z: 14
Drake: 12
Eminem: 11
2Pac: 10
Kanye West: 10
Snoop Dogg: 8
Lil Wayne: 7
J. Cole: 6
Nas: 6
DMX: 5
Ludacris: 5
50 Cent: 4
Kendrick Lamar: 4
Nelly: 4
Ja Rule: 3
Limp Bizkit: 3
Nicki Minaj: 3
P. Diddy: 3
T.I.: 3
The Notorious B.I.G.: 3
Young Jeezy: 3
Beastie Boys: 2
Bow Wow: 2
Busta Rhymes: 2
Future: 2
G-Unit: 2
Jadakiss: 2
Juvenile: 2
Logic: 2
Master P: 2
Meek Mill: 2
Mystikal: 2
Outkast: 2
Post Malone: 2
Silkk the Shocker: 2
The Game: 2
Travis Scott: 2
Wu-Tang Clan: 2

Most 500k+ debut weeks:
Drake: 7
Eminem: 6
Jay-Z: 4
50 Cent: 3
Snoop Dogg: 2
2Pac: 2
Lil Wayne: 2
Limp Bizkit: 2
Outkast: 2
T.I.: 2

Most 400k+ debut weeks:
Jay-Z: 10
Drake: 9
Eminem: 8
Kanye West: 6
2Pac: 5
50 Cent: 3
DMX: 3
Lil Wayne: 3
Snoop Dogg: 3
The Notorious B.I.G.: 3
Limp Bizkit: 2
Post Malone: 2
T.I.: 3
Outkast: 2
Travis Scott: 2

Most 300k+ debut weeks:
Jay-Z: 12
Drake: 10
Eminem: 9
2Pac: 8
Kanye West: 8
DMX: 4
Snoop Dogg: 4
50 Cent: 3
J. Cole: 3
Limp Bizkit: 3
Ludacris: 3
Nas: 3
Nelly: 3
T.I.: 3
The Notorious B.I.G.:3
Wayne: 3
Beastie Boys: 2
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: 2
G-Unit: 2
Kendrick Lamar: 2
The Game: 2
Travis Scott: 2
Wu-Tang Clan: 2

Most 200k+ debut weeks:
Jay-Z: 14
Drake: 12
Eminem: 11
2Pac: 10
Kanye West: 10
Snoop Dogg: 8
Lil Wayne: 7
J. Cole: 6
Nas: 6
DMX: 5
Ludacris: 5
50 Cent: 4
Kendrick Lamar: 4
Nelly: 4
Ja Rule: 3
Limp Bizkit: 3
Nicki Minaj: 3
P. Diddy: 3
T.I.: 3
The Notorious B.I.G.: 3
Young Jeezy: 3
Beastie Boys: 2
Bow Wow: 2
Busta Rhymes: 2
Future: 2
G-Unit: 2
Jadakiss: 2
Juvenile: 2
Logic: 2
Master P: 2
Meek Mill: 2
Mystikal: 2
Outkast: 2
Post Malone: 2
Silkk the Shocker: 2
The Game: 2
Travis Scott: 2
Wu-Tang Clan: 2

[owenlovesmusic]

I made one of these for myself in my notes haha. Never thought to post it here.

[shaz196]

This is really good work, but just a few of corrections:

The Eminem Show sold 284,000 copies when it was prematurely released on a Sunday and 1,322,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

The Massacre was also prematurely released with a 4-day tracking week debut, it sold an additional 771,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

Views moved 1,040,000 units.

Encore actually sold 871,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

To Pimp a Butterfly moved 363,000 units.



Edit: Let me be a little clearer, The Massacre did in fact debut with 1.15 million copies in a shortened 4 days and an additional 771,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking (or 2nd week of availability).

[strongerq]

Jun 17, 2020 16:47:25 GMT -5 shaz196 said:

This is really good work, but just a few of corrections:

The Eminem Show sold 284,000 copies when it was prematurely released on a Sunday and 1,322,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

The Massacre was also prematurely released with a 4-day tracking week debut, it sold an additional 771,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

Views moved 1,040,000 units.

Encore actually sold 871,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

To Pimp a Butterfly moved 363,000 units.

You are right about The Eminem Show  link

Encore had 711K link 

You are right actually it had 871,000 not 1.2 M first full week or second week calll it as you want.

You are right about Views link

And you are right about TPAB link

thegreatdivine  also Eminem apears 13 times. When you Ctrl+F, you are counting The Eminem Show & Eminem presents: The Re-Up

[thegreatdivine]

Jun 17, 2020 16:47:25 GMT -5 shaz196 said:

This is really good work, but just a few of corrections:

The Eminem Show sold 284,000 copies when it was prematurely released on a Sunday and 1,322,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

The Massacre was also prematurely released with a 4-day tracking week debut, it sold an additional 771,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

Views moved 1,040,000 units.

Encore actually sold 871,000 copies in it's first full week of tracking.

To Pimp a Butterfly moved 363,000 units.

I made corrections to the Eminem show and Views, but the Massacre's numbers and To Pimp a Butterfly's numbers are correct. I checked.

[thegreatdivine]

strongerq I noticed that and corrected it. Thanks.

[shaz196]

^ The 324,000 figure for TPAB was its pure sales figure, it moved an additional 39,000 SEA and TEA units, coming to a total of 363,000. Here's a Complex article confirming that since old billboard articles are behind a paywall

www.complex.com/music/2015/03/kendrick-lamar-to-pimp-a-butterfly-first-week-numbers

[thegreatdivine]

Jun 17, 2020 17:42:31 GMT -5 shaz196 said:

^ The 324,000 figure for TPAB was its pure sales figure, it moved an additional 39,000 SEA and TEA units, coming to a total of 363,000. Here's a Complex article confirming that since old billboard articles are behind a paywall

www.complex.com/music/2015/03/kendrick-lamar-to-pimp-a-butterfly-first-week-numbers

Wikipedia needs to update his page because all it says is that it did 324,000 units first week. I'll update it. Thanks.

[strongerq]

Hey thegreatdivine   you have '14. Eminem - Encore (711,000) 3 days / 1.2m second week'. It is 871K not 1.2M

Link here

or a picture. This  is from the Billboard magazine, for some reason i can't find the article.

About what shaz196 was saying about 'The Massacre', the numbers are correct. But those were in only 5 days. The second week (first full week) he had 771K. Since the full week is weaker than the partial week, it doesn't matter weather you add it or not, but  i think you should add 5 days next to the album.

Link here

The latest album from 50 Cent far outpaced the competition to debut this week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. Particularly notable is that 1.14 million copies of "The Massacre" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) were sold in just four days, yet it still ranks as the sixth largest opening week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking U.S. sales in 1991.

It was 4 days  and 20 something hours so count it as 5 days.

And swap Drake Views and Lil Wayne Carter III

[GP]

It's incredible to me how deep Funeral went in flopping like how

it's really all about hype

[thegreatdivine]

Jun 21, 2020 3:49:42 GMT -5 GP said:

It's incredible to me how deep Funeral went in flopping like how

it's really all about hype

Lil Wayne's Tha Carter albums typically do better than all his other albums titled something different. I'll never understand it. There was also a lot of hype and anticipation for Tha Carter 5. It was meant to drop in 2014 and didn't drop till 4 years later.

[thegreatdivine]

OP updated. The Off-Season, Donda & Certified Lover Boy added.

[thegreatdivine]

OP updated. Added almost 50 albums to the list. It's a lot more accurate now.

[thegreatdivine]

OP updated.
I Never Liked You, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Honestly, Nevermind, It's Only Me and Her Loss added.

[thegreatdivine]

OP updated. Utopia added.