21 Savage has made headlines this week with the official first week sales figures for his album, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? After much debate surrounding its projections, Billboard has revealed that the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, trailing behind Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl at No. 1 and Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem at No. 2.
The final tally indicates that WHTTS? sold 73,000 album-equivalent units, which includes 48,000 streaming units—amounting to nearly 66 million streams across its tracklist—and 25,000 in pure album sales. This marks Savage’s seventh top five placement on the Billboard 200.
However, the sales figures have not been without controversy. Reports suggest that Billboard filtered out approximately 37,000 units from its final count for unknown reasons, leading to speculation and allegations of botting from some fans. This uncertainty has contributed to a mixed reception of the album’s sales performance, with various projections circulating in the lead-up to the official numbers.
Despite the controversy, 21 Savage seems to remain focused on his broader message rather than the specifics of sales figures. His “f**k the streets” campaign aims to promote unity within the Atlanta rap community, involving collaborations and shoutouts to fellow artists like Young Thug, Future, Quavo, and Meek Mill. However, some fans and fellow artists have criticized Savage’s approach, calling it hypocritical or disingenuous.
As the debate over first week sales continues to be divisive in the hip-hop community, it remains to be seen how the legacy of WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? will unfold. With the album’s release making waves, fans and critics alike are eager to see how it shapes discussions in the genre moving forward.
For more insights on first week sales and album performances, keep an eye on hiphopraisedmetheblog.com.
