Ah, come on Billboard, let poor Fiddy down gently. Fancy headlining your chart update "Kanye Crushes 50 Cent In Huge Album Sales Week". But yes, that's how our US trade mag friends have announced the news that Kanye West has trounced, pulverised and frankly put to shame 50 Cent in the much hyped, slightly manufactured Kanye/Fiddy chart battle over there in the States.
Actually, Fiddy did well, shifting around about 691,000 units of new album 'Curtis' in week one, but that's no where near enough to beat chart topping Kanye, who has sold an estimated 957,000 copies of 'Graduation'.
Kenny Chesney, who complained when all the media attention was on the hip hop chart battle, claiming that his new album, also out this week, was also a contender to win the fight, was wrong to complain. 387,000 units of 'Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates' were sold in week one which is admirable but, frankly, not on a Fiddy level, let alone a Kanye level.
Either way, three such big releases in one week will provide a welcome boost to the record industry. Well, mainly Universal, who have both Kanye West and 50 Cent on their rosters.