Kanye Prevails in Battle of the Hip-Hop Stars

In the much-hyped battled between two music titans, early sales indicate hip-hop fans are going West. Kanye West’s latest album, Graduation, has been outselling rival 50 Cent’s Curtis—by 2 to 1 at one Hollywood store, the LA Times reports—since the two went on sale yesterday. Fitty, 32, famously threatened to retire if West’s album sales bested his.

On Amazon.com, West doubled 50 Cent’s sales. But in previous years, when the two didn’t go head-to-head, Fitty’s sale numbers have been higher. One industry analyst says West’s pop-rap jives appeal to more people, explaining his “base seems to be a little broader than 50’s.” Still, music sales are down, and hip-hop has been the hardest hit, dropping over 20%. (More Kanye West stories.)