ONE-DAY SALES: 2PAC LEADS NEW RELEASES FROM AFTERLIFE

It may have been eight years since 2Pac met his untimely end, but he’s still releasing records, and they’re still selling, which definitely says something about the strength of his voice.

Indeed, his Loyal to the Game (Amaru/Interscope), the latest of 10 or so posthumous releases from the prolific rapper, is on track to be next week’s top chart debut, selling at least 250k, according to early reports from national accounts.

We should mention right off the bat that the remaining weeks of this year will be strong ones at retail, and that this week in particular, which has the last weekend before Christmas, is expected to be especially active. As a result, one can expect any of the weekly sales projections spewed here to grow as the week progresses.

Thus, Loyal to the Game looks like 250k now, but could trend up significantly through the weekend, as mad shoppers choose to give the gift of legacy rap to those on their lists.

The second-highest chart debut next week will be Ashanti’s Concrete Rose (Def Jam), which looks at this point like it will move just under 200k for the week. But again, that number could swell with a big weekend.

So too with Xzibit, whose Weapons of Mass Destruction (Columbia) now looks like it will have a first week just shy of 100k, but could move past that mark if the rest of the week pans out as predicted.

At the top of next week’s chart, look for a tussle among U2, Eminem and possibly 2Pac. There’s no clear winner now, and it’s likely to remain a tight race through the end of the week. Also, don’t count out Now 17 or Shania Twain’s Greatest Hits, both of which have been surging.

And now, as our holiday gift to you, we will disappear for the rest of the year, leaving you with warm wishes and more time to read stuff that actually matters. Thank you.