Despite a plethora of bootleg copies doing the rounds, something that made Universal bring forward its release half a week meaning it's had less 'sales days' available in its first week in the shops, the debut album from Eminem protege 50 Cent has been selling big time in the US and is likely to top this week's Billboard Albums chart. Tower Records Johan Gill told reporters: "This might be the biggest debut in hip-hop since DMX's 'It's Dark and Hell Is Hot' in 1998. It's huge. Practically every customer who came through the door today has been coming in for this record."
And insiders reckon the album will stay in the chart for some time, unlike many hyped albums which crash in at number one and then crash out the charts. "The album will definitely have staying power," Paul Stokes, urban music buyer for Chicago based George's Music Store told reporters. "It's not just his music, but his life story, what he's been through."