Queen Latifah Fails to E.N.D. Black Eyed Peas’s Reign on the Charts

Queen Latifah may have made her hip-hop return, but fails to top the Billboard 200 in her debut week.

Latifah’s seventh LP, Persona, took no. 25 on the charts this week. Anchored by Cool & Dre’s production, the album sold 18,400 units. Other hip-hop debuts fared much worse this week—Hypnotize Minds affiliate Lil Wyte made his premiere at no. 104 with 4,900 copies of The Bad Influence, while Lil Ru’s 21 & Up failed to chart at all with its 1,500 in sales.

After a dozen weeks on the charts, the Black Eyed Peas continue to lead the rap pack with The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), taking the no. 8 slot. On the brink of a platinum plaque, the foursome pull in another 35,600 in sales this week, bringing it’s total to 994,000.

Eminem holds tight with Relapse, holding down this week’s no. 28 spot. With 16,000 more units sold, The Detroit lyricist's fifth solo LP tallies a total 1,395,600 after 15 weeks.

Fabolous trails closely behind, adding 14,700 in sales. Loso’s Way is way down on the charts, tumbling 13 slots since last week to bag the no. 32 slot.

On the R&B side, former Destiny’s Child songbird Letoya makes her Billboard 200 debut at no. 12, ringing up 32,900 copies of her Lady Love. Meanwhile, Maxwell continues to shine with BLACKsummers’night, locking down the no. 17 slot with 27,000 albums moved this week. The album has sold a total of 688,300 copies to date. Closing out at no. 38, Ledisi’s Turn Me Loose moved 12,200, to bring the two-week total to 39,400.

Look out for Pitbull, Trey Songz and Whitney Houston to make their marks when their new albums chart next week. –John Kennedy