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The summer for hip-hop in 2013 is getting better every month. We’re about midway through July and the conversations for the biggest releases are still ongoing. J. Cole, Mac Miller, Kanye West and Wale have all dropped albums, while Jay-Z successfully created new rules with his twelfth studio effort. Let’s not forget – there’s August to look forward to as well.

But big things are happening right now. This week was another major win for hip-hop. For the first time in Billboard 200 history, three rap albums hold the top spots in three consecutive weeks. Fresh off the announcement of J. Cole’s Born Sinner landing at No. 1, the two other albums—Wale’s The Gifted and Kanye West’s Yeezus—are at Nos. 2 and 3. There have been various changes in the order a few weeks before.

The question is: Will Hov push one of these rappers out? According to industry insiders, Jay is expected to sell 475,000 to 500,000 copies for his initial week. This is on top of already receiving an RIAA Platium plaque for a million digital copies sold before the official release date. If he indeed tops the list—which is pretty much a given—he’ll contribute to another history-making moment in the Billboard charts. It would mark the first time four different rap albums have continuously spent their first week at No. 1.

They got the game on lock.

[via Billboard]

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