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Jaheim's 'Classics' Crash In At No. 1  Jaheim |  | February 22, 2006, 10:40 AM ET Katie Hasty, N.Y. For the first time in his career, singer Jaheim has reached the top of The Billboard 200 thanks to the Divine Mill/Warner Bros. album "Ghetto Classics." Bowing at No. 1 on the big chart as well as the Top R&B Albums list, the set moved 152,000 units in its first week of U.S. sales, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Jaheim has never previously cracked the top 5 of The Billboard 200. 2002's "Still Ghetto" and 2001's "Ghetto Love" peaked at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively on the chart.
Jack Johnson & Friends' companion album to the film "Curious George" slides down a notch to No. 2 after debuting at the helm last week. The Brushfire/Universal set sold 117,000 copies last week, a dip of 28%, but is still top monkey on the Top Internet Albums and Top Rock Albums charts for a second week in a row. Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" (Arista) holds tight at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 for a second week, with an 18% decrease to 116,000 units.
Mary J. Blige's Matriarch/Geffen release "The Breakthrough" falls 2-4 at 111,000 copies, a 27% decrease. Andrea Bocelli's "Amore" follows closely behind, selling less than 200 copies fewer than Blige's album. The Sugar/Decca/Universal album drops 4-5 with a 5% slide in sales.
The "High School Musical" soundtrack from Disney makes a big rebound, moving 13-6 (its highest position yet) with a 32% increase in sales to 97,000 units. Carrie Underwood's Arista debut "Some Hearts" jumps up 11-7 with 87,000 copies, an upswing of 8%. James Blunt's "Back to Bedlam" (Custard/Atlantic) also achieves its best position yet, moving 12-8 with 87,000 units, a surge of 11%.
Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable" (J) climbs 10-9 with 81,000 copies, a sales increase of less than one percent, switching places with the Eminem retrospective "Curtain Call: The Hits"(Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) which falls 9-10 with 73,000 copies (-11%).
In a slow week for debuts, only three albums bow amid the top half of the Billboard 200. Matchbook Romance earns its first entry on the big chart, with "Voices" (Epitaph) debuting at No. 43 with 28,000 copies. Sergio Mendes' "Timeless" (Concord), produced by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, opens at No. 44, selling less than 200 copies fewer than "Voices." It is the veteran Brazilian artist's first appearance on this chart chart since 1984's "Confetti."
Sales were up by 2% over the previous week at 12 million but down 3% compared to the same week a year ago. Sales for 2006 are down 2% compared to 2005 at 75.7 million units.
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