J. Cole Scores Biggest Hip-Hop Debut of 2014
Cole world. J. Cole rules the Billboard 200 this week as his third album 2014 Forest Hills Drive enters at No. 1.
The North Carolina rapper takes the top spot from Taylor Swift’s 1989 by selling 371,000 copies in his first week. 2014 Forest Hills Drive marks Cole’s biggest opening week and the highest-selling debut of any hip-hop album in 2014, beating Rick Ross’ Mastermind (179,000).
His sophomore album Born Sinner debuted at No. 2 in June 2013 with 297,000 copies.
Cole announced the album less than a month before release and without any singles and little promotion. It was streamed 15.7 million times in one week on Spotify, setting an all-time record in the U.S.
The real is back
— J. Cole (@JColeNC) December 16, 2014
The #'s are humbling. It's a win for all artists and fans and a clear message to the industry. No singles no features. Stop serving trash
— J. Cole (@JColeNC) December 17, 2014
His Roc Nation boss Jay Z also celebrated the victory. “New rules, new results,” he wrote on his website Life+Times.
A few spots down from Cole is K. Michelle, who debuts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the R&B chart with her sophomore album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?, which sold 84,000 copies and had a consumption number of 87,000.
Her 2013 debut Rebellious Soul bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in August 2013, selling 72,000 copies.
Rebels Rock! 87,000 copies sold first week, makes "Anybody wanna buy a heart" my second #1 R&B billboard album this year
— K. Michelle (@kmichelle) December 17, 2014
Next week, look for debuts from Nicki Minaj, whose third album The Pinkprint is expected to sell 155-165,000, and D’Angelo’s surprise album Black Messiah (95-100,000).