CHARTS: Nelly Remains At #1; Wyclef Jean Makes Highest Debut

Senior Writer Teri vanHorn reports
Rapper Nelly's Country Grammar holds tight at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the third straight week, while fellow hip-hopper Wyclef Jean comes in at #9, nabbing the week's highest debut with his second solo album.

St. Louis MC Nelly sold an additional 213,512 copies of his debut album, which features the infectious single "Country Grammar (Hot ...)" (RealAudio excerpt), according to SoundScan data released Wednesday (Aug. 30).

"I'm trying to look at everything that happens as something that was supposed to happen," Nelly said when the song began to pick up on radio in late spring. "I don't know what to expect next because I never been this far. I'm just floating right now."

Wyclef's The Ecleftic — 2 Sides II a Book finds the Fugees rapper covering "Wish You Were Here" by classic rock band Pink Floyd, and collaborating with Earth, Wind & Fire, Product G&B, Mary J. Blige and professional wrestler The Rock, among others.

The LP's first single, "It Doesn't Matter" (RealAudio excerpt), features The Rock and Melky Sedeck, the duo comprising Wyclef's sister Melky and brother Sedeck.

The "Coyote Ugly" soundtrack, which features new songs from country star LeAnn Rimes, climbs into the #10 slot in its fourth week on the chart.

With the exception of Wyclef and the "Coyote Ugly" soundtrack, the rest of the top 10 saw no movement whatsoever. Britney Spears remains at #2 with Oops! ... I Did It Again (RealAudio excerpt of title track), while Eminem holds firm at #3 with The Marshall Mathers LP.

Now That's What I Call Music! 4, the hits compilation featuring Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Mandy Moore, also stays put at #4.

The rest of the top 10 includes: Creed at #5 with Human Clay, *NSync at #6 with No Strings Attached, 3 Doors Down at #7 with Better Life and Papa Roach at #8 with Infest.

Lil' Zane, the 17-year-old rapper who contributed "Money Stretch" to the "Next Friday" soundtrack, makes the week's second-highest debut. His first album, Young World: The Future, enters at #25.

Other debuts include: Incubus' EP, When Incubus Attacks, at #41; the soundtrack to "Original Kings of Comedy," featuring Nelly, Juvenile and Lil' Wayne at #50; Ruff Endz's Love Crimes at #52, (hed)pe's Broke at # 63; Jim Brickman's My Romance at #83; Donnie McClurkin's Live in London at #113; Major Figgas' Figgaz 4 Life at #115; Zebrahead's Playmate of the Year at #127; Buju Banton's Unchained Spirit at #128; the soundtrack to "Bring It On," featuring Blaque, B*Witched and 50 Cent, at #139; and KRS-One's A Retrospective at #200.