Kartel on Billboard

June 22, 2016 in Regional

kartel-1The Adidjahiem Records/TJ Records product is distributed by Zojak Worldwide. With first-week sales of 1,867 copies (according to sales tracker Nielsen Music), King Of The Dancehall has the biggest first-week sales for a dancehall artiste since Beenie Man’s Undisputed in 2006.

Produced by longtime Kartel collaborator Linton ‘TJ’ White, the 14-track set contains the hit songs Fever and Western Union. This is Kartel’s sixth title to chart on Billboard.His previous albums were 2015’s Viking (Vybz Is King) which reached number three; 2011’s Kingston Story which stalled at number seven; 2014’s Reggae Love Songs & Other Things which reached number seven; 2013’s Vybz Kartel Roots & Culture: The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto which peaked at number six; and Kartel Forever: Trilogy which went number 11 in 2013.

Vybz Kartel is serving a life sentence in Jamaica for murder. Elsewhere on the Billboard Reggae Album Chart, California band Rebelution remains at number one with Falling Into Place which sold an additional 2,238 copies to bring its two-week tally to 15,128.

Ziggy Marley’s self-titled album, which spent two weeks at number one, slips to number three with an additional 616 copies sold. To date the album has figures of 8,028 copies. Freedom & Fyah by Alborosie is at number six with 840 copies sold to date, while Alkaline’s New Level Unlocked which topped the chart in April, sold an additional 70 copies to bring his sales number to 2,019 copies.

George Nooks earns his first entry on the Billboard Reggae Album Chart with Ride Out Your Storm. It debuts at number 11 with 60 copies sold.