LIFE IS GOOD FOR NAS

Nas’ new Def Jam/IDJ album, Life is Good, is his 10th in an impressive career dating back to ‘94’s now iconic Illmatic. It should debut at #1 on next week’s HITS Album sales chart with between 115-125k, according to one-day figures provided by those music retailers who are still creating jobs, according to President Obama.

The quintessential N.Y. rapper’s last album, Untitled, debuted in July four years ago with 187k in first-week sales.

Razor & Tie’s latest edition of the Kidz Bop Kidz franchise is the 22nd in the long-running series since it launched in 2001, and has proven a big money-maker for the indie. This latest in what has become a cottage industry should do between 60-65k, which is even better than the last one. Eight of the titles in the franchise have gone gold.

Fearless Records San Diego-based punk rock band Pierce the Veil, formed by brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes, has previously released a pair of studio albums. Their third, Collide with the Sky, should do in the neighborhood of 25-30k its first week.

WaterTower’s Hans Zimmer soundtrack for Dark Knight Rises look to do between 20-25k, while Fallen Sparks/RED’s Matisyahu and Eleven Seven’s Hellyeah—a metal supergroup featuring Mudvayne’s Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett with members of Damageplan and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul—should both do in the 14-17k range.

Album sales were down 4% vs. last week, down 1% vs. same week last year and down 3% year to date.

Track sales were down 3% vs. last week, up 9% vs. same week last year and up 6% year to date.

TEA sales were down 4% vs. last week, up 2% vs. same week last year and flat year to date.