Nicki Minaj scores her first Official Albums Chart topper

Nicki Minaj scores her first UK Official Albums Chart Number 1 today with highly anticipated second album, Pink Friday – Roman Reloaded.  Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday, released at the end of 2010, peaked at Number 16, but it was to be her second offering Roman Reloaded that elevates her to the upper echelons of the albums league.

In what has been a busy week of new entries, Minaj claims victory with a comfortable 15,000 copies lead on the competition.  For the new album, the US rapper has been working with producers including the likes of Dr Luke (Katy Perry, Jessie J) and RedOne (Lady Gaga), as well as collaborating with last week’s chart topper Chris Brown, plus Lil Wayne and Drake.

Minaj became one of the highest charting solo female rappers ever in the UK last month when lead single from the album Starships hit the Number 2 spot on the Official Singles Chart, bettering the solo personal bests of even Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Lil Kim, Eve and Neneh Cherry.

New entries

Madonna and her chart-topping album of last week MDNA, has been given a run for her money this week with the flood of new entries arriving on the Official Albums Chart.  New releases by Labrinth – Electronic Earth (2) and the unlikely furry chart stars Moshi Monsters (4) have seen off the Queen of Pop from the Top 5 in only its second week of release. MDNA is today’s Number 7.

Labrinth’s debut studio album Electronic Earth enters in second place, the largely self-produced album features hit singles Earthquake FT Tinie Tempah, Let The Sunshine In, and the more recent Last Time which earns a Number 10 over on the Official Singles Chart today.

Adele’s 21 climbs back up one place to 3, but hijacking the Number 4 spot today is online kids phenomenon Moshi Monsters whose debut album Music Rox! impressively manages to bag a Top 5 despite not having benefitted from any single releases or promotional airplay whatsoever in the run up to release.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company says, “It’s fantastic to see Moshi - a brand which is new to the music scene - making waves among acts such as Madonna, David Guetta and Jessie J. Easter is always a boom period for kids’ music and videos targeting and the Moshi Monsters are clearly leading the way.”

Elsewhere in new entries, Welsh rockers Lostprophets fifth studio album, Weapons, enters at Number 9 today, while Orbital’s Wonky (22), Sean Paul’s Tomahawk Technique (34), Ian Anderson’s Thick As A Brick 2 (35), Stereophonics’ Best Of – Decade In The Sun (38), and Graham Coxon’s A&E (39), complete the Top 40.

To see the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full, click here after 7PM.