2 Chainz Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Rapper 2 Chainz sees his debut studio album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, bow at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 147,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s a slightly more robust figure than had initially been projected last week. By last Friday, some industry sources were thinking the set would sell between 130,000 to 140,000.

2 Chainz is the third act this year to start at No. 1 with a debut studio effort, following One Direction’s Up All Night (on the March 31 chart) and Jack White’s solo bow Blunderbuss (May 12). The last hip-hop act to start at No. 1 with a debut studio set was on the Nov. 26, 2011, chart, when Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park opened in the penthouse (144,000).

Though Based on a T.R.U. Story is 2 Chainz’ debut studio set, he’s already notched 10 hit singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since first arriving in 2011. He initially dented the tally in early 2011 under his old stage name Tity Boi before transitioning to 2 Chainz later that year.

Now, he’s spending his second week at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally with the new album’s current single, “No Lie” (featuring Drake). It became his second No. 1 (and first as a lead act) after the collaboration track “Mercy” spent five nonconsecutive weeks at the top. (“Mercy” is credited to Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz.)

Last week’s No. 1 album, the Now 43 compilation, falls to No. 2 with 75,000 (down 32%) while Rick Ross‘ former No. 1, God Forgives, I Don’t, slips 2-3 with 43,000 (down 27%).

Rap duo Insane Clown Posse arrives at No. 4 with its latest studio effort, Mighty Death Pop, selling 41,000. That matches the act’s highest rank on the chart, where both 2009’s Bang! Pow! Boom! and 1999’s The Amazing Jeckel Brothers both debuted and peaked. “Bang,” the pair’s last studio release, sold 50,000 in its first week.

Maroon 5’s Overexposed benefits from Amazon MP3 as the set rises 11-5 with 36,000 (up 59%). The album was sale-priced for $3.99 as the retailer’s daily deal on Aug. 17. Justin Bieber’s Believe also gains, jumping a slot to No. 6 (35,000; up 17%) while One Direction’s Up All Night slips 8-7 (29,000; up 1%).

Adele’s 21 (9-8; 26,000 – up 1%) spends its 78th consecutive week in the top 10, putting it in a three-way tie for third place for the longest run in the top 10 since 1963 (when our mono and stereo album charts combined into one all-encompassing tally). Def Leppard’s Hysteria (1987-1989) and Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983-1984) also spent 78 weeks in the top 10. The only albums with more weeks in the top 10 are Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. (84 between 1984 and 1986) and the soundtrack to The Sound of Music (109; 1965-1967).