That's right -- Jay-Z's latest disc, "American Gangster" (DefJam) is his 10th to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, according to Billboard.com. The Jigga Man has now tied Elvis Presley for second place in terms of most No. 1 albums on the chart. The Beatles are still a distant first with 19.
"American Gangster" sold 425,000 units -- merely respectable by past standards, but a bona-fide smash in today's dire sales climate.
Jay-Z's debut also set off a domino reaction that helped knock Britney Spears further down the charts.
"American Gangster" pushed last week's chart-topper, The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) down to No. 2, which used to be Spears's spot. But Garth Brooks's "The Ultimate Hits" (Pearl) took No. 3 after selling 352,000 copies, and Chris Brown's sophomore album, "Exclusive" (Jive), took No. 4.
Where does that leave Spears's "Blackout" (Jive)? Down at No. 7, below Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (19/Arista) and Josh Groban's holiday album "Noel" (143/Reprise).
Part of the blame may lay with Spears's increasingly distasteful public image and dwindling interest from fans: Her disc sold only 87,000 copies, a 70% drop, according to Billlboard.com.
PHOTO: Jay-Z at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, Sunday Nov. 11 (AP/Gary He).