ROSS IS BOSS

The IDJ hip-hop star follows up his hit 2006 debut Port of Miami with Trilla, which appears the odds-on favorite to debut at #1 on next week’s HITS Album sales chart.

Based on one-day sales reports from those retailers not hightailing to Austin for SxSW, and even some that are, the gangsta hip-hopper looks set for between 165-175k in first-week sales.

Now 27, the latest edition of the long-running hits compilation series, comes out through John Ingrassia’s SBMG Commercial Music Group, is running just behind Ross with 160-170k, and could challenge for the top spot yet.

Behind the two leaders is Geffen’s perennial Snoop Dogg, whose new album Ego Trippin’ is a lock for #3 with what appears around 130k in sales.

Terror Squad/Capitol rap vet Fat Joe’s The Elephant in the Room cannot be ignored. It looks to be in the 50k range, which will be good enough for a Top 10, maybe even a Top 5, bow.

Sony’s Now ‘80s, a variation on the formula, now looks like it could sell around 40k, which would put it within sniffing distance of the Top 10 these days.

Concord’s Randy Jackson album, Randy Jackson’s Music Club, Vol. 1, seems to be headed for the 15-20k range, but could go higher with some expected on-air Idol mentions.

The market was down 3% vs. last week, down 11% vs. same week last year and now down 12% year-to-date.

Hey, it could be worse. You could be Eliot Spitzer. Or Client 9, for that matter.