Jay-Z Breaks Own Records With ‘Watch the Throne’

Published: Wednesday 17th Aug 2011 by Rashad

As has been making waves across the net, rap royal Jay-Z and partner-in-crime Kanye West topped charts this week with the release of their joint album ‘Watch the Throne’.  The album, which sold a staggering 436,000 copies its first week of release, comes as the highest male debut of the year (second overall to Lady Gaga‘s ‘Born This Way’).  Aside from providing an unprecedented (for recent times) unleaked album, Jay-Z also set a few other precedents with his most recent release.

Check out Mr. Carter’s stats after the jump:

Billboard reports:

  • Jay-Z broke his own record when ‘Watch the Throne’ notched him his 12th #1 album, more than any other solo act in history.
  • “Coincidentally, Jay-Z happens to have been part of the three most recent collaborative albums that have topped the Billboard 200. Before “Throne,” he joined Linkin Park for “Collision Course” and R. Kelly on “Unfinished Business,” both of which debuted at No. 1 in 2004.
  • ‘Watch the Throne’ holds the record for the best rap album first week digital sales ever at 321.000 copies (and second overall to Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ which nearly sold double the amount).

Random tidbit: Fans and industry experts alike have found it interesting that ‘Watch the Throne’ sold less in its first week than some of Jay and Ye’s solo releases.  Some may attribute it to a lack of a ‘hit lead single, but this isn’t the first time either rap star released an album with the absence thereof.  Things that make you go hmm…

Your thoughts?

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  1. KASEY JR. August 17, 2011

    Their numbers are good but I still think this album should have sold at least 700k. I mean It’s Jay-Z and Kanye West. Promotion/hit single or not, Everyone knew this album was coming out and it didn’t even leak so it def should have sold more imo.

  2. Misfit August 17, 2011

    Jay’s stats are pretty impressive……

  3. KAT DELUNA FAN August 17, 2011

    THIS+LOUD TOUR=MORE MONEY FOR BEYONCE BIRTHDAY GIFT NEXT WEEKS

    WAOW WAOW

  4. Madonnalover August 17, 2011

    umm….okay…

  5. Beyonce Is Gorgeous August 17, 2011

    Keep Stacking Those Chips Jigga!!!! 2more weeks your wife’s birthday is around the corner.By the way you and Kanye’s new album is Crazy.Love It.

  6. kim shits on sicki garbarj tgj.com stay pressed on kim ! o o p ! August 17, 2011

    This Camel Looking Bum……

  7. ASAP (As Sincere As Possible) August 17, 2011

    This is a tragedy.Jay-Z hasn’t delivered a good hip hop album for a long time, yet he is considered some kind of a rap royalty, only because of his sales.Most of his No.1 albums are as wack as it gets.And it’s so sad that some hip hop critics think this album is solid (thank God they don’t think it’s excellent).Hip hop is in a comma.If Wayne and Drake release that collaborative album and go to No.1 then I predict a hip hop memorial service…

  8. Perry Power August 17, 2011

    12 #1 albums? That is insane!!

  9. Dane August 17, 2011

    I love Me some Jay-z in thw words of Mrs. Knowles-Carter …and Kanye is an amazing artist very creative

  10. KINGB BISH August 17, 2011

    OK THN JIGGA MAN DATS WUZ UP U AND UR WIFE BETTER DO THE DAMN THNG I LUV IT!!!

  11. Bitter b****** make me sick…. Throw up (queenbey) August 17, 2011

    @KATDELUNAFAN-

    LMAOOOOOOOOOO

  12. Hotchocolate61802 August 17, 2011

    I WANT THOSE BIG THICK LIPS WRAPPED AROUND MY C***——SORRY I JUST FINISHED READING A ZANE BOOK——BUT HE DOES LOOK LIKE HE COULD EAT UP SOME S***-LOL

  13. Bitter b****** make me sick…. Throw up (queenbey) August 17, 2011

    I love JayZ ‘American Gangsta’ album…..

    ‘Say Hello’ is my favorite song on there…

  14. SelenaFabulousGomezFan August 17, 2011

    I love Welcome to the Jungle and Made In America
    Otis is good to.

  15. mobwife…….paging the spirit of MJ August 17, 2011

    *YAWN*

    With all the hype and media bending backwards to praise this crap project, I’m a tad surprised they didn’t sell 1 million in the 1st week?!….ummmm

  16. colddiva August 17, 2011

    @HOTCHOCOLSTE61802 glad to know you have mad love for Mrs. Beyonce Knowles-Carter husband Jay-z but why be so disrepectful about it.

  17. Madonnalover August 17, 2011

    @hotch..
    ewww. put that s*** up! f*** we look like wanting to know that?

  18. Precy August 17, 2011

    Am impressed bey is gettin a beta birthday gift dis year jay keep stackin those benjs

  19. Obvious Man August 17, 2011

    nobody found it interesting that the album didn’t sell – come on now.

    1. The album was released exclusively on iTunes for 4 of the 7 days of it’s first week, and then after that it was given exclusively to Best Buy.

    2. There was intentionally little-to-no promotion for the album.

    The fact that it almost went gold it’s first week after having such an unconventional release isn’t something to look down on – it had the second highest release of the week.. and they didn’t sell their album for 99 Cent. [no shade, just saying..]

  20. nice_gurl August 18, 2011

    They were amazing numbers for an amazing album. My faves on this album are New Day, Lift Off, Who Gon Stop Me, Ni**as in Paris, Murder to Excellence. My absolute fave though is New Day…the lyrics are the most meaningful on the whole album.

  21. Sandra August 18, 2011

    That is because the physical delux album is not available until August 23. That is what I am waiting for to buy.

  22. Matty August 19, 2011

    @ Sandra … It’s out here in Canada … It was released the same day as the Standard release here. I wonder why not wherever ur from … ??

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