21 Savage earned his first number one album this week with "I Am > I Was." The sophomore effort, helping 21 to new heights, produced a respectable 131,000 albums sold (equivalent units) in its first week to beat out competition from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, whose Hoodie SZN defied expectations by placing second in Billboard's weekly roundup.
Theoretically, I Am > I Was isn't even 21 Savage's second project of note, as some would consider the "non-studio" projects with Offset and Metro Boomin to be just engrossing. But I Am > I Was is "by a long shot" the first commercial yield of this magnitude, far surpassing his Issa debut. A series of songs of this album have already gone into wider circulation, without his intervention.
Even LeBron James recycled lyrics from "asmr" for a social media post that was negatively received by a scrutinous public. Both men would eventually apologize for their insensitivity. But otherwise, "I Am > I Was" has been a complete godsend for 21 Savage's career, especially considering there was a point where he was questioning everything about himself, much less his musical career.
Aside from 21 Savage and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie who climbed to 1 and 2 respectively, top honors on the Billboard 200 primarily went to holiday-themed albums from the likes of Michael Bublé and Nat King Cole, among others.