T.I. Two Times Miley, Kelly & Velvet Revolver

07/11/2007 6:54 AM, E! Online


The schizo stylings of T.I. dominated the charts this week, more than doubling the closest competitor and easily outgunning major new releases from Velvet Revolver and Kelly Rowland.

The Atlanta rapper's T.I. vs. T.I.P. wrestled its way into the number one slot, selling 468,000 copies for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures released today.

Dubbed "the Jay-Z of the South" by Pharrell Williams, the emcee and his alter ego are promoting T.I. vs. T.I.P. at radio with, appropriately, two singles, "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" and "You Know What It Is," while the Eminem-featured "Touchdown" is the rumored third single. T.I.'s previous hits include "Bring Em Out," "Rubberband Man" and the rap chart-topping "What You Know."

While this is his fifth album, the Grand Hustle label chief first topped the Billboard 200 with his previous release, 2006's King.

Making his debut more impressive was the roster of rivals he thwarted. He beat back last week's 1-2 punch of Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson and easily dispatched the latest from Velvet Revolver and former Destiny's Child star Rowland.

The double-disc Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, which debuted at number one last week, slipped a spot to number two on 188,000 copies. Clarkson's My December likewise dropped a notch, selling 113,000 copies at three.

Libertad, the sophomore release from Velvet Revolver, opened at five, selling 93,000 copies. The Guns-meets-STP supergroup previously topped the charts with 2004's Contraband.

Rowland, meanwhile, landed at six with her own sophomore release, Ms. Kelly, moving 82,000. Her new album, which benefits from the single "Like This," has been a long time coming. Ms. Kelly is her first effort since her 2002 solo debut, Simply Deep, which peaked at number 12 in its opening week.

The rest of the Top 10, all leftovers from the Fourth of July holiday week, included Bon Jovi's Lost Highway at four, Brad Paisley's 5th Gear at seven, Amy Winehouse's Back to Black at eight, Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight at nine and the White Stripes' Icky Thump in the 10 spot.

With The Transformers movie blowing away the box office with a $70 million opening weekend, its soundtrack bowed at 21, selling 32,000 copies. While the film featured several classic songs, the soundtrack focused on newer tracks, including Linkin Park's "What I've Done" and the Smashing Pumpkins' "Doomsday Clock."

Other noteworthy debuts included Silverstein's Arrivals & Departures at 25, Grupo Montéz de Durango's Agarrese at 41, Sara Bareilles' Little Voice at 45, Twiztid's Independent's Day at 57 and Collie Buddz's self-titled at 68.

Overall, music sales were down about 1 percent from the week previous and 3 percent compared to the same week last year.

Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums:

1. T.I. vs T.I.P., T.I.

2. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, Miley Cyrus

3. My December, Kelly Clarkson

4. Lost Highway, Bon Jovi

5. Libertad, Velvet Revolver

6. Ms. Kelly, Kelly Rowland

7. 5th Gear, Brad Paisley

8. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse

9. Minutes to Midnight, Linkin Park

10. Icky Thump, The White Stripes