Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 05/25/2014

Michael Jackson's "Xscape," Iggy Azalea's "The New Classic" and The Roots' "and then you shoot your cousin" make the cut as the Top Rap & R&B albums on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

This week, Michael Jackson continues his success withXscape in the Top 3 of the Top 200 Billboard Albums chart. Iggy Azalea resumes charting with her The New Classic and The Roots' and then you shoot your cousin makes its debut appearance on the chart. 

Michael Jackson's Xscape Lands At #3

Michael Jackson's Xscape appears in the #3 spot on the chart this week. The effort sold 66,751 copies in its second week of availability. Overall, the effort has sold 224,009 units. The songs on Xscape have been reworked and modernized keeping "Jackson’s essence and integrity, creating the best music you’ve never heard," according to Epic. Quincy Jones, who worked with Jackson in the past, recently criticized the album. "They're trying to make money, and I understand it," he recently said, according toRolling Stone. "Everybody's after money, the estate, the lawyers. It's about money." Jackson made headlines recently when a hologram of the singer performed at this year's Billboard Music Awards. 

Iggy Azalea's The New Classic Arrives At #9

Iggy Azalea's The New Classic has landed in the #9 spot this week. The project sold 21,683 copies and has sold 127,341 units overall. This week, the set experienced a 42 percent increase in sales. Recently, the rapper made headlines when she was involved in a war of words with Tyler, The Creator. Tyler said she "stinks" and she responded by saying he is "beyond immature." Soon after, Nick Young said "it smell good to me." 

The Roots and then you shoot your cousin Lands At #11

The Roots' and then you shoot your cousin appears at #11 on the charts this week, its first week of availability. The Roots sold 19,786 copies of this effort this week. Recently, Black Thought spoke of this project. “It’s another concept album in the spirit of undun, but it’s not just about just one kind of character,” Black Thought said. “We create quite a few different characters in this record. It’s satire, but in that satire it’s an analysis of some of the stereotypes perpetuated in not only the Hip Hop community, but in the community. I don’t know if that makes any sense." 

Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 05/18/2014

#3. Michael Jackson - Xscape - 66,751 (224,009) 

#9. Iggy Azalea - The New Classic - 21,234 (127,341) 

#11. The Roots - and then you shoot your cousin - 19,786 (19,786)

#17. Pharrell Williams – G I R L - 12,444 (399,639) 

#18. John Legend - Love In The Future - 11,822 (511,484) 

#22. Jason Derulo - Talk Dirty - 9,314 (90,404) 

#31. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 - 7,565 (2,115,315)

#33. Michael Jackson - Number Ones - 7,515 (5,048,548)

#35. Future - Honest - 7,244 (100,195) 

#44. Justin Timberlake - 20/20 Experience Complete - 6,181 (982,025)

* Data comes from Nielsen Soundscan, rounded to nearest thousand for units above 10,000, nearest hundred for units below 10,000.