Chart Juice: J. Cole, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj Reach Top 10

Karinah Santiago
·4 min read

Usher still reigns supreme as “Climax,” his Diplo-produced hit, continues to top the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. J. Cole, Missy Elliott and Nicki Minaj, meanwhile, enter the tally’s top 10. Elliott and Minaj each log their 12th top 10s, extending their shared lead for the most top 10s among female rappers.

Despite its 9% dip in audience to 26 million, according to Nielsen BDS, “Climax” logs a seventh week at No. 1, tying his 2001 smash “You Got It Bad” for his third-longest dominance. Of his 12 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1s, he’s led longer only with his first topper, 1997’s “You Make Me Wanna…” (12 weeks), and 1998’s “Nice & Slow” and 2004’s “Yeah!” (eight weeks each).

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Climax – Usher by Usher Raymond Music

J. Cole’s “Nobody’s Perfect,” featuring Missy Elliot, hops, skips and jumps 11-8 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, giving the rapper his fourth top 10. Following in the footsteps of previous “Cole World: The Sideline Story” hits “Work Out” (which peaked at No. 10) and “Can’t Get Enough” (No. 7), “Perfect” rises by 7% with 17 million total impressions. Cole first reached the top bracket as a guest on Miguel’s “All I Want Is You” (No. 7, 2010).

Elliott enjoys her first top 10 since 2007’s three-week No. 1 “Let It Go,” on which Keyshia Cole employed Elliott as a guest star. “Perfect” is Elliott’s 12th career top 10. She notched her first, “Sock It 2 Me,” featuring Da Brat, back in 1997.

Nicki Minaj can join the celebration because “Beez in the Trap” shoots 12-9, gifting the pink-coiffed rap prowess, and guest 2 Chainz, a seat in the top 10. The song is Minaj’s 12th top 10, keeping her tied with Elliott for the most top 10s on the chart among female rappers. Minaj scored her first top 10 just two years ago, when Usher’s “Lil Freak,” on which she guested, reached No. 8.

Back in the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart’s upper reaches, “Cashin Out” by Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out rises 3-2 in its 19th week. The track is the first charted effort by a lead solo male to climb as high as No. 2 since Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” (seven weeks at No. 1) in 2009. Although “Cashin Out” dips by 2%, it’s just 1 million impressions behind Usher’s “Climax” (26 vs. 25 million), setting up a likely close battle for No. 1 next week.

“Cashin’ Out” by CashOutOfficial

Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake,” featuring Chris Brown, drops 2-3, while “Mercy,” the G.O.O.D. Music breakout single from the forthcoming Kanye West-led collective album, darts 8-4. With West, Big Sean, Pusha-T and 2 Chainz, all credited equally, the song boosts by 10%. Thanks in part to airplay during mix show hours over the Memorial Day weekend, “Mercy” lifts to 20 million impressions, with WWPR New York and WUSL Philadelphia shining as the cut’s two highest audience-gaining stations (and combining for more than 700,000 in listenership).

Young Jeezy’s “Leave You Alone,” featuring Ne-Yo, rounds out the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs top five (4-5).

EL-P, CORTEZ DEBUT: Nicki Minaj’s ” Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” spends a sixth week atop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 18,000 copies (down 16%), according to Nielsen SoundScan. (The set has sold 493,000 to date). With its latest week on top, the album matches the six-week command of Minaj’s first album and prior No. 1,”Pink Friday,” last year.

Two titles, meanwhile, ender the chart’s top 10. Producer and rapper El-P (formerly known as El Producto) starts at No. 4 with “Cancer 4 Cure” (7,000 sold), his first top 10. The Fat Possum Records release is his first charting full-length album since 2007, when “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” debuted and peaked at No. 55. He previously rose as high as No. 42 with “Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixx3” in 2010.

At No. 8 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Zacardi Cortez makes his first appearance as “The Introduction” debuts with 6,000 units. The gospel newcomer concurrently starts at No. 2 on the Gospel Albums chart.

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