LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Rapper Kanye West's sophomore album "Late Registration" fought off a pack of high-profile debuts to enter The Billboard 200 at No. 1 this week.
"Late Registration" sold 860,000 copies in the United States, Nielsen SoundScan reported, besting the nearest competition by more than 600,000. West's 2004 debut, "The College Dropout," opened at No. 2 with 441,000 units and has sold 2.7 million to date.
G-Unit's Tony Yayo's "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon" was No. 2 on The Billboard 200 with a 214,000-copy start and country's Brooks & Dunn earned its highest spot on the big chart with a No. 3 entry for "Hillbilly Deluxe.
Death Cab For Cutie were No. 4, the highest chart spot of its career with its major-label debut, "Plans." Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" was No. 5 followed by The Black Eyed Peas' "Monkey Business" at No. 6.
The No. 7 spot was filled by the 19th installment of "NOW! That's What I Call Music," followed by Hilary Duff's "Most Wanted."
Christian group Casting Crowns entered The Billboard 200 at No. 9 and with "Lifesong," and hip-hop newcomer Rihanna debuted at No. 10 on the album chart with "Music of the Sun."
U.S. album sales rose 8.6 percent from last week at 10.5 million units, but trailed the same week last year by 13 percent. Sales for 2005 were behind 2004 by 8.4 percent at 375 million units.
