As fans seemingly wait to see if Kanye West will release his elusive 10th studio album, Donda, on Friday (Aug. 27), they are also wondering if Drake will attempt to play spoiler and crash the party with his own long-awaited project, Certified Lover Boy. Considering the pair’s recent war of words, some are wondering if a head-to-head sales showdown is in order; if it is, it wouldn’t be the first time West was involved in one.
On Sept. 11, 2007, West squared off against New York rap titan 50 Cent for the title of hip-hop alpha dog with their all-important third albums. 50 was coming off two massive-selling releases in 2003’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ and 2005’s The Massacre, which both topped the Billboard 200 and featured a slew of Hot 100 hits. Touted as one of hip-hop’s premier gangsta rappers, 50’s street aura and pop hooks helped him topple the competition.
As for West, he emerged as a production whiz-turned-hit making artist, becoming a prominent voice for the internet era with his seminal debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout, and his expansive sophomore effort, 2005’s Late Registration. With the artists’ contrasting styles and commercial powers fueling the fire, the crown was officially up for grabs when West bumped his release date from Sept. 18 to Sept. 11.