Hip Hop Album Sales: Khalid’s "Free Spirit" Album Soars To No. 1 On Billboard 200

Khalid’s sophomore album, Free Spirit, has captured the coveted spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending April 11.

It marks the El Paso-bred singer-songwriter’s follow-up to 2018’s Suncity EP and 2017’s American Teen, which catapulted the then-teenager to national recognition. Now 21, the R&B crooner is preparing to embark on the Free Spirit World Tour in June.

Elsewhere on the chart, Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap remains in the Top 5 after catapulting to No. 2 in the wake his untimely death, while NAV’s Bad Habits takes a giant dip.

Soaring

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Khalid returned with Free Spirit on April 3 and with 201,803 total album equivalent units, 85,464 pure album sales and a streaming count 146,887,657, it sits in the No. 1 spot. The album was accompanied by a short film directed by Emil Nava.

Khalid’s debut studio album, the aforementioned American Teen, debuted at No. 9 upon its release with roughly 37,000 total album equivalent units. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA last August and nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th annual Grammy Awards ceremony. It was also named one HipHopDX’s Top R&B albums 2017.

Holding Steady

Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap isn’t over. After returning to the Top 3 last week, the slain MC’s debut album is holding steady. With 62,841 total album equivalent units, 11,848 pure album sales and a streaming count 63,888,268, it has moved one position from No. 2 to No. 3.

Neighborhood Nip was killed on March 31 after alleged killer Eric Holder shot him at least six times outside his Marathon Clothing store. He was laid to rest last Thursday (April 11).

Bad Habits Takes A Dip

After debuting at No. 1 earlier this month, NAV’s Bad Habits has dropped 32 percent. With 23,629 total album equivalent units, 255 pure album sales and a streaming count 32,705,358, it moved from No. 6 to No. 17.

Bad Habits served as NAV’s first No. 1 album and followed 2018’s Reckless debut, which entered the chart at No. 8 upon its initial release with approximately 36,000 total album equivalent units sold in its first week.

Top 10 Billboard 200 Rap & R&B Albums For The Week Ending 04/11/2019

Note: The first number below is this week’s “total album equivalent units” count, an intersection album sales, single sales, and streams implemented by Billboard’s new rating system. A pure album sales figure is available in bold in parenthesis and information about each album’s streaming count is available in brackets.

  1. Khalid — Free Spirit — No. 1 — 201,803 (85,464) 146,887,657]
  2. Nipsey Hussle — Victory Lap — No. 3 — 62,841 (11,848) 63,888,268]
  3. Juice WRLD — Death Race For Love — No. 5 — 37,884 (584) 56,814,219]
  4. Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys — No. 7 — 31,104 (2,534) 38,687,890]
  5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Hoodie SZN — No. 9 — 30,053 (169) 44,423,796]
  6. Drake – Scorpion —No. 10 — 29,491 (2,554) 35,651,156]
  7. Various Artists — Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse — No. 13 — 28,4913 (413) 29,695,213]
  8. DaBaby – Baby On Baby — No. 15 — 24,258 (292) 31,989,351]
  9. Meek Mill — Championships — No. 16 — 23,630 (404) 31,035,630]
  10. NAV — Bad Habits — No. 17 — 23,629 (255) 32,705,358]

Top 10 Billboard 200 Rap & R&B Albums For The Week Ending 04/11/2019

Note: The first number below is this week’s “total album equivalent units” count, an intersection album sales, single sales, and streams implemented by Billboard’s new rating system. A pure album sales figure is available in bold in parenthesis and information about each album’s streaming count is available in brackets.

  1. Khalid — Free Spirit — No. 1 — 201,803 (85,464) 146,887,657]
  2. Nipsey Hussle — Victory Lap — No. 3 — 62,841 (11,848) 63,888,268]
  3. Juice WRLD — Death Race For Love — No. 5 — 37,884 (584) 56,814,219]
  4. Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys — No. 7 — 31,104 (2,534) 38,687,890]
  5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Hoodie SZN — No. 9 — 30,053 (169) 44,423,796]
  6. Drake – Scorpion —No. 10 — 29,491 (2,554) 35,651,156]
  7. Various Artists — Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse — No. 13 — 28,4913 (413) 29,695,213]
  8. DaBaby – Baby On Baby — No. 15 — 24,258 (292) 31,989,351]
  9. Meek Mill — Championships — No. 16 — 23,630 (404) 31,035,630]
  10. NAV — Bad Habits — No. 17 — 23,629 (255) 32,705,358]

Top 10 Billboard 200 Rap & R&B Albums For The Week Ending 04/11/2019

Note: The first number below is this week’s “total album equivalent units” count, an intersection album sales, single sales, and streams implemented by Billboard’s new rating system. A pure album sales figure is available in bold in parenthesis and information about each album’s streaming count is available in brackets.

  1. Khalid — Free Spirit — No. 1 — 201,803 (85,464) 146,887,657]
  2. Nipsey Hussle — Victory Lap — No. 3 — 62,841 (11,848) 63,888,268]
  3. Juice WRLD — Death Race For Love — No. 5 — 37,884 (584) 56,814,219]
  4. Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys — No. 7 — 31,104 (2,534) 38,687,890]
  5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Hoodie SZN — No. 9 — 30,053 (169) 44,423,796]
  6. Drake – Scorpion —No. 10 — 29,491 (2,554) 35,651,156]
  7. Various Artists — Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse — No. 13 — 28,4913 (413) 29,695,213]
  8. DaBaby – Baby On Baby — No. 15 — 24,258 (292) 31,989,351]
  9. Meek Mill — Championships — No. 16 — 23,630 (404) 31,035,630]
  10. NAV — Bad Habits — No. 17 — 23,629 (255) 32,705,358]

Top 10 Billboard 200 Rap & R&B Albums For The Week Ending 04/11/2019

Note: The first number below is this week’s “total album equivalent units” count, an intersection album sales, single sales, and streams implemented by Billboard’s new rating system. A pure album sales figure is available in bold in parenthesis and information about each album’s streaming count is available in brackets.

  1. Khalid — Free Spirit — No. 1 — 201,803 (85,464) 146,887,657]
  2. Nipsey Hussle — Victory Lap — No. 3 — 62,841 (11,848) 63,888,268]
  3. Juice WRLD — Death Race For Love — No. 5 — 37,884 (584) 56,814,219]
  4. Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys — No. 7 — 31,104 (2,534) 38,687,890]
  5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Hoodie SZN — No. 9 — 30,053 (169) 44,423,796]
  6. Drake – Scorpion —No. 10 — 29,491 (2,554) 35,651,156]
  7. Various Artists — Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse — No. 13 — 28,4913 (413) 29,695,213]
  8. DaBaby – Baby On Baby — No. 15 — 24,258 (292) 31,989,351]
  9. Meek Mill — Championships — No. 16 — 23,630 (404) 31,035,630]
  10. NAV — Bad Habits — No. 17 — 23,629 (255) 32,705,358]