Playboi Carti will earn one of the highest debuts of the year.

Playboi Carti’s long-awaited album MUSIC (aka I AM MUSIC) has officially made a massive impact, projected to debut at No. 1 on next week’s Billboard 200 with approximately 250,000 first-week sales, according to Hits Daily Double. The project, which was highly anticipated for years, has sparked debates on Carti’s ranking among hip-hop’s A-listers.

While MUSIC falls short of GNX (325K) and The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow (426K), it might surpass Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (246K), solidifying Carti’s place among rap’s elite. Additionally, the album shattered multiple Spotify records, including ranking among the most-streamed albums in a single day and making Carti the most-played artist globally on its release day.

Playboi Carti’s ‘MUSIC’ is on track to debut at #1 with 250K first-week sales??? pic.twitter.com/QUVfWRciYm

— RapTV (@Rap) March 17, 2025

Although some expected even higher numbers, the combination of strong sales, record-breaking streaming performance, and an ever-growing cult fanbase reinforces Carti’s dominance in the modern rap landscape.

What do you think? Does 250K first-week sales solidify Playboi Carti’s A-list status, or were you expecting more? Let us know.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.