JAY Z's Gonna Own the Yanks?
The former Def Jam president has already made sports his business as a shareholder in the New Jersey Nets basketball team as well as his 40/40 sports club franchise - with locations in Manhattan, Atlantic City, Vegas, Tokyo and Macau. His other assets include his $150 million deal with Live Nation and his new advertising company with Steve Stoute, among other business ventures.
Jay had previously been in talks to invest in the London-based soccer team Arsenal Football Club but that fell through in '05.
"I had invested in the Nets, and they (Arsenal bosses) asked me if I was interested in investing. But I get that from time to time," Jay told London's Time Out magazine. "Someone told me yesterday that someone else had a piece of the New York Yankees, 'We wanna talk to you, yadda yadda yadda.' I mean, I love the Yankees so I'm in the middle of following that through, but sometimes it comes to be nothing. That (Arsenal) was one of the times it came to nothing."
HIP HOP CHARTS
Lil' Wayne "Played" Out, Plies Holds Down The No. 5 Spot, Rihanna Reloads
In this week’s Hip-Hop and R&B charts, Lil’ Wayne is cooled off by Coldplay, Plies keeps it real at No. 5 and Rihanna bounces back into the Top 10.
After his million-plus debut last week, Lil’ Wayne’s reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns, as his sixth studio album Tha Carter III, was dethroned from the top spot on Billboard 200, by rock band Coldplay. According to Nielsen SoundScan Weezy’s history making album landed at No. 2 this week, with a whopping 309,000 copies sold. After two weeks, the Cash Money star’s sales total is 1,316,000.
Entering the charts last week at No. 2, Plies sophomore studio album Definition of Real drops down to No. 5. Hit with a 68% decline in sales from its opening week, the set pushed 68,000 copies this week. The follow-up to 2007’s certified gold debut The Real Testament, the Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic Records disc is powered the smash single “Bust It Baby Part. 2” featuring Ne-Yo. After two weeks, the set has amassed 283,000 copies.
Usher’s sixth studio album Here I Stand slips one spot to No. 6 this week. Powered by the hit lead single “Love In This Club” featuring Young Jeezy and the rising second single “Moving Mountains,” the set moved 65,000 copies. In four weeks, Usher’s certified gold album has moved 754,300 copies.
Def Jam pop sensation, Rihanna takes a cue from her beau, Chris Brown, with the re-release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad, which soared up the charts from No. 124 to No. 7 this week. Experiencing a 930% increase in sales, the re-issue of the 2007 album shifted 63,300 copies. The repackaged disc comes with three additional tracks, on top of her smash hits like the Grammy award winning “Umbrella,” and her latest jam, “Take A Bow.”
British crooner, Leona Lewis’ Spirit drops three spots to No. 17. The sultry songstress is experienced a 14% decline in sales, but managed to move 28,700 copies this week. In eleven weeks, Lewis certified gold debut has sold 800,500 copies.
After debuting at No. 7 last week, the alternative rock/hip-hop trio N.E.R.D.'s third studio album Seeing Sounds, bows out of the Top 10 to No. 20. The group -consisting of members Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley - was hit was a 70% decline in sales moving 23,600 copies this week for a grand total of 104,000.
After debuting in the Top 10, Ashanti's sophomore studio album The Declaration checks in at No. 21 this week. The Universal Motown album sold 22,200 copies.
R&B icon, Mariah Carey’s chart-topping album E=MC2 continues to sink, slipping two notches to No. 23. Hit with a 21% decrease in sales, Carey’s sixth studio album sold 21,300 copies this week. Despite the hit, after ten weeks, the newlywed songstress has sold 1,046,200 in total.
Fresh off of being named best male R&B artist at the BET Awards, Chris Brown falls back in standings two spots to No. 25. Experiencing 19% decrease in sales, the re-issue of Exclusive sold 20,600 copies this week. After 33 weeks, his platinum Jive set has amassed 1,628,000 copies.
After entering the charts at No. 88 last week with their debut Grindin’ For A Purpose, Texas-bred rap quartet, The TMI Boyz ascends 60 notches to No. 28 this week. The unexpected leap from the group—BC, Huskey, Dudella and Sayeed—produced 18,000 sales compared to their opening week sales number of 8.600. Powered by the Mannie Fresh produced lead single “I’m Fresh,” after two weeks the set has moved 27,500 copies.
Blood Raw's debut disc CTE Presents: My Life: The True Testimony enters at No. 30 with 17,400. The album from Young Jeezy’s newest protégé, is supported by the Snowman assisted lead single and street banger “Louie.”
Newcomer Florida rapper 2 Pistols’ debut album Death Before Dishonor enters Billboard 200 at No. 33 moving a paltry 16,000 copies in its opening week. Led by the smash hit “She Got It” featuring T-Pain, the album also features “You Know Me” featuring Ray J.
Madonna’s eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, slips six notches to No. 37. The set is hit with a 25% decline in sales, moving 14,300 copies this week. In eight weeks, the pop icon certified gold album has sold 558,500 copies.
Hopefully after nabbing two awards at the BET Awards, UGK member Bun B can end the sales slump that his sophomore solo release II Trill is in. Falling 14 spots to No. 43 this week. the Rap-A-Lot/Asylum album moved 13,300 copies. In five weeks, the Texas native’s disc has amassed 196,000 albums sold.
Honorable mentions go out to Diddy’s girls, Danity Kane, as their sophomore studio album Welcome to The Dollhouse reached certified gold status this week. Coming in at No. 134 all it took was 4,840 copies sold to push the group’s 14 week total to 506,000 copies.
And R&B crooner, Jaheim also attained a certified gold plaque with 3210 copies sold this week.. The baritone voiced crooner’s fourth studio album The Makings of a Man held down the 200th spot on the charts. After 26 weeks, Jaheim has a grand total of 502,000 albums sold.
Next week Three Six Mafia and the Wackness Soundtrack make their marks on the Charts.
