Lil Wayne Tha Carter III does 1 million sales

Lil Wayne Tha Carter III does 1 million sales

Rapper Lil Wayne’s latest album, “Tha Carter III” (Cash Money), sold a million copies in its first week the first time since 50 Cent’s “The Massacre” in 2005.

The industry is in a prolonged slump that has seen sales drop 25 percent since 2000, but the numbers for “Tha Carter III” suggest that Wayne isn’t just a compelling artist but a savvy businessman.

Wayne, age 25, did it through guest spots, cameos, and freestyle records.  He released over 8 albums worth of tracks on the internet over the last three years.

When “Tha Carter III” finally arrived, it was being hailed as the next hip-hop masterpiece. He decided to go with high profile producers (Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Cool and Dre) and collaborators (Jay-Z, T-Pain, Babyface).