Jay-Z protégé J. Cole may just prove to be hip-hop’s new golden boy if predictions for his album are correct. According to industry experts, Cole’s debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, could very well land at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, thanks to some pretty stellar sales figures.
According Billboard, industry prognosticators say that Cole World could potentially move between 240,000 to 250,000 units by week’s end on Oct. 2. If Cole World rockets to the top of the chart, Cole will be the first solo act to snag a No. 1 debut album since fellow Southern rapper B.o.B. landed at the top of the album chart on May 14, 2010, with sales of 84,000 according to Nielsen Soundscan.
A No. 1 success would also make Cole World the biggest debut chart effort for any act since hip-hop queen Nicki Minaj bowed in on the 200 chart at No. 2 with sales of 375,000 on Dec. 11, 2010.
Buzz for the album has been growing over the past few months as Cole has been performing nationwide and doing the media rounds, including a cover feature for ro. Adding to the buzz, Cole’s first single from Cole World, “Work Out,” is currently sitting at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as it slowly makes it way up the charts. –nicholas robinson
