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Kanye West Defeats 50 Cent
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Sep 20, 2007, 07:39

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Kanye West's Graduation took the tp spot on the Billboard 200 chart, defeating 50 Cent's Curtis by more than 250,000 records. West moved 957,000 during its first six days while 50 Cent sold 691,000 copies.

"I am very excited to have participated in one of the biggest album release weeks in the last two years,” 50 said in a statement released to AP. Collectively, we have sold hundreds of thousands of units in our debut week. This marks a great moment for hip-hop music, one that will go down in history."

At GQ's 50th anniversary party Tuesday night West said, "To be a champion, you've got to take out a champion."

West gives the music industry its best debut of the year beating out Linkin Park, which sold 623,000 of "Minutes to Midnight" when it debuted in May.

"It feels overwhelming," West told The Associated Press. "Everyone is coming up to me and telling me how proud they are of me."  "I was the underdog because I sold less records in the past, so it was a win-win for me," he said. "If I lost, everyone would be happy that I even went up against him," he added.

In a statement to the Associated Press 50 Cent said: "I am very excited to have participated in one of the biggest album release weeks in the last two years. Collectively, we have sold hundreds of thousands of units in our debut week. This marks a great moment for hip-hop music, one that will go down in history."  50 Cent hasn't addressed whether he plans to make good on his vow to retire if West beats him.

Previous First Week Sales

50 Cent
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ sold 872,000 (02/2003) - 12 million total
The Massacre sold 1.1 million (03/2005) - 4.8 million total

Kanye West
College Dropout sold 440,000 (02/2004) - 2.8 million copies
Late Registration sold 860,000 (08/2005) - 2.4 million total