112 COULD GO #1
Puffy Combs will get more good news on next week's HITS album chart.
The embattled rap entrepreneur will see one of his Bad Boy label proteges, 112, go for the top spot next week with their Arista-distribbed album, "Part III." Based on first-day retail estimates, the album looks headed for around 200k in sales, which will have it vying with Shaggy and Dave Matthews Band for the top of the charts next week. The R&B group's last album, 1998's "Room 112," sold 55k its first week on the way to 1.5 million sales OTC.
Look for other big bows from rapper Trick Daddy's sophomore Atlantic Records album, "Thugs R Us," which appears headed for a healthy 150k in opening week sales, and Epic dance-pop whiz Jon B.'s "Pleasures U Like" is looking at the 125k range. Those numbers would put both solidly in the Top 5 on next week's album chart.
Other albums which could do in the 40-50k range include Bizzy Bone's "The Gift" (AMC), L-Burna's "Thug By Nature" (Ruthless) and the "Exit Wounds" soundtrack on Virgin.
