Polo G has claimed the top spot in the Billboard 200 this week ahead of the Migos, who returned with their highly anticipated album, Culture III. The Chicago-based rapper debuted at No. 1 with his offering Hall of Fame.
The album brought in 143,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., with 18,000 being comprised of pure album sales. While this is not Polo G‘s first time charting, it is his first No. 1 album. In 2020, the Chicago native broke into the top 10 with The Goat, which made it to No. 2 in 2020, and Die A Legend which got to No. 6 back in 2019.
The album is filled with star-studded features, including the likes of artists like Lil Wayne, Roddy Ricch, Pop Smoke, Young Thug, and Nicki Minaj. Hall of Fame has 20 tracks, and one of the more popular tracks, “Rapstar,” spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper was celebrated by Nicki Minaj on Twitter. She featured on a track called “For the Love of New York.”
She tweeted: “CONGRATULATIONS POLO?????????????? SOOOOOO FN HAPPY FOR YOU???????? first #1 album. Chicago, stand TF UP?? Talented & humble. Stay on ya grind boo. Make sure y’all check out the video he just dropped w|Da Baby too. Dope.”
CONGRATULATIONS POLO???????????????????? SOOOOOO FN HAPPY FOR YOU???????? first #1 album. Chicago, stand TF UP?? Talented & humble. Stay on ya grind boo. Make sure y’all check out the video he just dropped w|Da Baby too. Dope. ?? https://t.co/T3kGsabaCV
— #ForTheLoveOfNewYork w/Polo G out NOW ?????? (@NICKIMINAJ) June 18, 2021
The vote of confidence was not wasted on Polo G, who replied: “Yo Support definitely played A Big Part In Makin that Happen appreciate u fasho.”
Yo Support definitely played A Big Part In Makin that Happen appreciate u fasho???? https://t.co/xSzV44cdjx
— Polo.G? (@Polo_Capalot) June 19, 2021
It’s quite an achievement since the Migos were definitely contenders for that top spot. It seems the advice that he sought from former Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen about the challenges that he was facing trying to transition between his debut album and his sophomore one worked out in his favor.
Culture III held on to the No. 2 position with 130,500 equivalent album units, 22,500 of which represented album sales. Their album also featured a star-studded cast, including Drake, Cardi B, and Justin Bieber. In an effort to drive up sales of the album, which was dropped on June 11, they released a deluxe version on June 17. The deluxe version featured five bonus tracks, including “How We Coming,” “How Did I,” “New Money,” “Menace,” and “Working a Fool.”
Their previous albums, Culture in 2017 and Culture II in 2018, both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The two top albums this week, Culture III and Hall of Fame, also have the second-and-third-biggest sales weeks, with 22,500 and 18,000 for hip-hop albums in 2021. J. Cole’s The Off-Season remains at the top of the pack with 37,000 sales.
Even though Migos did not debut at No. 1 this is their third album to reach the Billboard top two. The Atlanta trio had higher hopes for Culture III, which Quavo shared with Complex during an interview.
“The greatest album of this year. The greatest album of the summer. It’s back open. I feel like this album going to open up the world. We’re having fun and smiling again, you know what I mean? Everybody’s been hurtin’, and going through this pandemic, and losing loved ones. I feel like this is a breakthrough. This is the sonic boom to the new life and new world that we live in,” he said at the time.
Take a look at this week’s Billboard 200 breakdown.
Billboard 200 Top 10:
1. Polo G – Hall of Fame – 143,000
2. Migos – Culture III – 130,500
3. Olivia Rodrigo – Sour – 122,000
4. Lil Durk and Lil Baby – The Voice of the Heroes – 73,000
5. Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album – 50,000
6. TWICE – Taste of Love – 46,000
7. Bo Burnham – Inside (The Songs) – 37,000
8. Maroon 5 – Jordi – 37,000
9. Moneybagg Yo – A Gangsta’s Pain – 34,000
10. J. Cole – The Off-Season – 34,000
