Top 15 Worst Selling Number 1 Rap & R&B Albums

December 9, 2008 by admin · 1 Comment

Below is a list of the Top 15 Worst-Selling Rap & R&B Albums that debut at the top of the charts from the past 15 years (1991 to 2006).

Omarion - 21 (Total Sold: 390,000)

21 is the second album from R&B singer and former B2K frontman Omarion. The first single off the album was “Entourage” written by Andre Merritt and produced by Eric Hudson. The second single “Ice Box”, produced by Timbaland and King Logan and Sir John of The Royal Court.nOther collaborators on the album include Pharrell, songwriter Bryan Michael Cox and Andre Merritt (writer of Entourage) and Eric Hudson (producer of “Entourage”, respectively). The album landed at number one in the Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies in its first week. Making it his second album to hit #1, although selling 60,000 less than his debut solo album O. It has sold 390,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008.

Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Total Sold: 446,000)

Ghetto Classics is Jaheim’s third album with Warner Bros. Records. The album is the follow up to his two well established platinum records. The album was released in February 2006, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 153,000 copies in its first week of release. Shortly after it quickly fell down the charts. Still, the album was the first R&B #1 album of the year (Mary J. Blige’s The Breakthrough and Jamie Foxx’s Unpredictable were released in late 2005 and hit #1 in early 2006). The album has spawned the moderate hit “Everytime I Think about Her”, featuring Jadakiss. Although the album stayed on the album charts for only thirteen weeks, it was certified Gold on March 21, 2006.

Juvenile - Reality Check (Total Sold: 505,000)

Reality Check is an album from rapper Juvenile which was released on March 7, 2006. It became Juvenile’s first album to hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 176,000 copies in its first week. As of February of 2007 the album had sold 527,000. The album was leaked to the Internet on February 22, 2006, two weeks before its official release. It features artists such as Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Fat Joe, and Ludacris making guest appearances, among others. The first single was “Rodeo” produced by Cool and Dre, which charted on the Hot 100 and peaked at a modest #41. The second single was “Get Ya Hustle On”, followed by “Way I Be Leanin’”, which premiered on MTV’s Making the Video.

R. Kelly & Jay-Z - Unfinished Business (Total Sold: 524,000)

Unfinished Business is the second collaboration LP between R. Kelly and Jay-Z (following The Best of Both Worlds, their first collaboration in 2002), released in 2004. The album was, allegedly, composed of previously unreleased tracks from the Best of Both Worlds sessions. It was seen by critics and the general public as just a money making opportunity for both artists and a play to push a summer tour. The first single was “Big Chips”.

LeToya - LeToya (Total Sold: 529,000)

Letoya is the 2006 debut album by American R&B singer LeToya Luckett. The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and as well as on the Hot R&B & Hip Hop albums, selling over 165,000 copies in its first week. And spawned “Torn”, “She Don’t” and “Obvious”, as singles. Besides the officially released singles, LeToya’s debut album also includes the promo singles, “You Got What I Need” and “All Eyes On Me”. LeToya co-wrote 10 out of the 14 tracks.

Prince - 3121 (Total Sold: 530,000)

3121 (said “thirty one twenty one”) is a studio album of new material by Prince. The album, released March 21, 2006 in North America, is distributed through Universal Records.

Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang (Total Sold: 613,000)

It was released on June 13, 2006. It is his first release under Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment record label. Full production of the album came from Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Will.I.Am, Mr. Porter, Erick Sermon, Green Lantern, Timbaland, the late J Dilla, and DJ Scratch. Featured guests include Nas, Stevie Wonder, the late Rick James, Kelis, Raekwon, and many more. So far, five singles have been released: “Touch It”, “Touch It Remix”, “I Love My Bitch”, “New York Shit” and “In The Ghetto”. Music videos were released for all of them. The finalized version of the “Touch It Remix”, for which a video was shot, was not included on the final album.

India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1: Life & Relationship (Total Sold: 688,000)

Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship is the third studio album by American soul/R&B singer India.Arie. The album was released on June 27, 2006 (see 2006 in music) and sold 161,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release. It debuted and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Arie’s first number one on the Billboard 200 and second on the R&B chart. The album has sold 688,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008. In 2007, it was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including “Best R&B Album”.

Diddy - Press Play (Total Sold: 700,000)

Press Play is the second solo album by American rapper Diddy (still known as P. Diddy in the UK and New Zealand), without the Bad Boy Family. It features a large amount of guest appearances from some of the most successful names in Rap and R&B. The album was available to preview on MTV’s The Leak on October 10, one week before being sold in stores. It debuted at #1 in the US with sales of over 173,009. In the UK, the album debuted at #11. “Come to Me” and “Last Night” have both reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

Omarion - O (Total Sold: 758,000)

O is the solo debut album by American R&B singer Omarion, released on February 22, 2005 via Epic Records. It features the Top 40 hit “O” (#2) and “Touch” (#4) and “I’m Tryna.” The album received good reviews at stations like BET, but on stations like MTV and VH1 it was less successful. The album entered at #1, and has sold 758,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008.

Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead (Total Sold: 764,000)

Hip Hop Is Dead is a studio album by American rapper and hip hop artist Nas, released December 19, 2006. The LP is Nas’ eighth album overall of all-original material, while serving as his first album for Def Jam Recordings. Nas’ previous label, Columbia Records, co-financed the release with Def Jam (which was once distributed by Columbia). Hip Hop Is Dead became his third studio album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 355,880 copies in its first week and 764,000 copies up to November 2008.

The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley - Body Kiss (Total Sold: 815,000)

Body Kiss is a 2003 album released by The Isley Brothers on the DreamWorks label. Almost solely written, arranged, composed and produced by longtime collaborator R. Kelly, the album yielded the R&B hits “What Would You Do?” (which was also a Top 50 pop hit) and “Busted” (a duet with Kim Johnson of the sister group JS, who often backs up the Isleys on record and on tour) and made history again for the Isleys when it became the first album since the band’s 1975 album The Heat Is On to hit number one on the album charts. It also became the first Isley Brothers album to debut at number-one and has since been certified gold by the RIAA. Other hits were the radio-ready “Prize Possession”.

LL Cool J - G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith The Greatest Of All Time (Total Sold: 822,000)

In 2000, LL Cool J released the album G.O.A.T., which stood for the “greatest of all time.” It debuted at number one on the Billboard album charts, giving him his first chart-topper on that chart. The album produce the numbers of LL’s previous releases going platinum. The album featured the infamous diss record “Back Where I Belong,” featuring Ja Rule. Ironically, LL thanked Canibus in the liner notes of the album, “for the inspiration”.

Various Artists - The Neptunes Present…Clones (Total Sold: 827,000)

The Neptunes Present… Clones is an album of songs from various artists, produced by the production duo of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, known as The Neptunes. It was released on August 19, 2003, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The album featured four singles; “Frontin’” by Pharrell, “Light Your Ass On Fire” by Busta Rhymes, “Hot Damn” by Clipse and “It Blows My Mind” by Snoop Dogg.

A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes And Life (Total Sold: 828,000)

Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the groups darkest album in content

Bonus: Gridlock’d soundtrack (Total Sold: 585,000)

Gridlock’d (Original Soundtrack) is the official movie soundtrack to Vondie Curtis-Hall film Gridlock’d and was released on the 28th January 1997 by Interscope Records. It sold 150,500 copies in its first week peaking on #1 at the Billboard Hot 100, slipping onto the second place the next week and still holding “US Albums: Biggest drops from the Top 3″ - Top 20 14th place with its 2 to 14 dropback at the third week. The track “Off The Hook” was originally recorded for the LBC Crew debut album Haven’t You Heard? (We Givin’ Something Bacc To The Street), which was later shelved and the songs were cycled through other Death Row releases. The album had two chart running singles. “Lady Heroin” was originally going to be on Sam Sneed’s unreleased album Street Scholars. “It’s Over Now” was 46th on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, which was Danny Boy’s second chart single. “Wanted Dead or Alive” was 16th in the UK and was accompanied by a music video with Snoop alone as it was filmed after the death of 2Pac, so he is only present in archive footages from the motion picture. The album itself went to top the R&B album chart also on the first place.