Eminem just can't miss. His Shady Records signee 50 Cent sold an eye-popping 872,000 copies of Get Rich or Die Tryin', according to SoundScan, in its first week of sales -- an abbreviated one no less. The album enjoyed monstrous press buzz, and 50 Cent received a more-than-helpful boost by his inclusion on the 8 Mile soundtrack. Still, the number is even more startling for what it could have been. Rather than being released on a Tuesday, Get Rich was rushed out last Thursday, which shorted the album two sales days.

Further, Get Rich managed to make a mockery of vets in the hip-hop genre. The figure is the highest by a rapper not named Eminem, besting the highest marks put up by reliable rap chieftans Jay-Z (The Dynasty: Roc la Familia sold 560,000 copies in 2000) and DMX (And Then There Was X moved 698,000 in 1999). Even more mainstream/less-hardcore rap fare stands in its shadow: Nelly's Nellyville sold 714,000 in its first week, and No Way Out, back when Diddy was Daddy, did 561,000.

Get Rich's sales figure could also be read as the highest ever for a debut: The rapper recorded a debut for Columbia four years ago that was shelved -- after he took nine bullets in a drive-by shooting -- and never released, and material from some of his underground mix tapes was compiled and released as Guess Who's Back last year

i will hit y'all up wit tha chart postionz and everything in tha next couple of dayz.

Knew he was gonna do it. The fans just loved him too much. Accept, I would never buy the real 50 Cent cd cuz his cover is wack. Aint no nigga wanna a cover with 50 and his shirt off.


BUT I KNOW THE GIRLS LIKE IT

I know! It's hard to believe! Though it's true.

It aint hard to believe

But I said it was true.