THE CHART

A FABOLOUS DEBUT

What do the songs ”What Up Gangsta” and ”Keepin It Gangsta” have in common? Answer: They’re both from top 3 albums, and neither is by Norah Jones. The former is the salutation of 50 Cent, who reclaimed the top spot with 359,000 units. The latter vow arrives via Fabolous, whose Street Dreams sold 185,000 to debut at No. 3. Also making the chart hip-hop-heavy was Lil’ Kim, whose No. 5 La Bella Mafia made an offer 166,000 fans didn’t refuse. At No. 7, you’ll find a real rarity: the debut from a female-fronted rock band (remember those?), Evanescence, which whetted appetites with a spot on the Daredevil soundtrack and lured 142,000 buyers.

POP ALBUMS

LAST WEEKS WEEK ON CHART

1 2 50 CENT Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Shady/Aftermath/Interscope 5 2 1 NORAH JONES Come Away With Me, Blue Note 54 3 — FABOLOUS Street Dreams, Desert Storm/Elektra 1 4 3 R. KELLY Chocolate Factory, Jive 3 5 — LIL’ KIM La Bella Mafia, Atlantic 1 6 4 DIXIE CHICKS Home, Open Wide/Monument/Columbia 28 7 — EVANESCENCE Fallen, Wind-Up 1 8 7 KID ROCK Cocky, Lava/Atlantic 68 9 10 VARIOUS ARTISTS Chicago soundtrack, Epic 8 10 10 VARIOUS ARTISTS Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack, Def Jam 3 11 8 AVRIL LAVIGNE Let Go, Arista 40 12 5 FREEWAY Philadelphia Freeway, Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam 2 13 15 SEAN PAUL Dutty Rock, 2 Hard/VP/Atlantic 17 14 6 VARIOUS ARTISTS Grammy Nominees 2003, Grammy/Warner 4 15 8 JOHN MAYER Room for Squares, Aware/Columbia 63

(C)2003 VNU BUSINESS MEDIA, INC./NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN. USED WITH PERMISSION FROM BILLBOARD, MARCH 22, 2003.