LeCrae’s Rehab project shows no signs of slowing– it’s back at #1 this week on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart, having taken a backseat to Tye Tribbett’s Fresh debut last week.

Also, remember how I said that Israel’s sudden disappearance from the Billboard chart last week must have been an administrative error? It was. Apparently, Soundscan numbers reported that he was actually in the #3 position in gospel music last week, but Billboard omitted his name from the line-up.  I blame a Billboard intern.

Anyway, all’s fixed now and the top 10 looks like this in gospel:

#1 | LeCrae – Rehab
#2 | Tye Tribbett – Fresh
#3 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#4 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#5 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#6 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#7 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#8 | William McDowell – As We Worship: Live
#9 | WOW Gospel 2010
#10 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire

Based on the numbers, I believe that the Bishop Morton compilation I told you about this week could chart pretty high in the coming week.  And Aaron Neville’s released a new gospel project this week that, like Mavis Staples’ project, will likely get significant mainstream attention.  We’ll see.

What do you guys think???

Big congrats to Tye Tribbett, whose “Fresh” new album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week!  I am, in fact, listening to that album as I type this post.  Music for livin’.

Kudos also to Wess Morgan, who debuted at #10 with Under An Open Heaven. Also, kudos to Joe Pace who debuted at #11 with his newest project, Praise for the Sanctuary.

The top 10 looks like this:

#1 | Tye Tribbett – Fresh
#2 | Lecrae – Rehab
#3 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#4 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#5 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#6 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire
#7 | WOW Gospel 2010
#8 | William McDowell – As We Worship: Live
#9 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#10 | Wess Morgan – Under An Open Heaven

I’m a bit dismayed that Israel Houghton’s Love God. Love People appears to have fallen from the #2 slot, totally out of the top 10 in just a week.  It’s so bizarre that I’m almost wondering if someone made an administrative error…

In any case, what do you think of the charts this week???

Lecrae remains in the #1 spot on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week, having made history last week for the highest-selling debut in his genre of Christian hip-hop. The project, Rehab, sold over 25,000 units. He’s also slated to release a follow-up album, Rehab: The Overdose, in January.

Brian Courtney Wilson also experienced some significant sales gains this week, jumping from #19 last week to #3 this week with his project Just Love. I’m inclined to believe that the gain is related to last week’s release of the Just Love (Deluxe Edition), though I assumed it would be listed separate from the standard release. In any case, grab it– it’s got new music and some exclusive video footage.

The rest of the top 10 pretty much features the same cast of characters…

#1 | Lecrae – Rehab
#2 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#3 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#4 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#5 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#6 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire
#7 | WOW Gospel 2010
#8 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#9 | Kerry Douglas – Gospel Mix Vol. IV
#10 | William McDowell – As We Worship: Live

Ok, who’s got what and who’s getting what?

Talk to me!

I’ve been hinting at it… no, outright declaring it since I heard that Lecrae was returning to the marketplace with a new project, Rehab.

This week, he did just that and did so with a HUGE splash at #1, selling over 25,000 units. Not only did that land him at #1 on the Gospel Albums chart at Billboard, but he’s also #1 on the Christian Albums chart (debuting higher than CCM favorite Michael W. Smith’s new project, Wonder!), #17 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the Independent Albums chart, #5 on the Rap Albums chart and #6 on the Digital Albums chart.  WOW.  Major congrats to Lecrae and his team.

The rest of the top 10 in gospel looks a bit like this…

#1 | Lecrae – Rehab
#2 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#3 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#4 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#5 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire
#6 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#7 | WOW Gospel 2010
#8 | Beverly Crawford – Live From Los Angeles, Vol. 2
#9 | Lizz Wright – Fellowship
#10 | Kerry Douglas – Gospel Mix Vol. IV

Kudos also to jazz vocalist Lizz Wright for debuting at #9 with her new project, Fellowship.  The album has received great reviews by critics at mainstream and in gospel (gospel historian Bob Marovich, of TheBlackGospelBlog.com gave it five stars out of five stars).  I’ll have to take a listen!  Anyone have it already?

How about that new Lecrae project?  Got it?  Love it?

Whatd’ya think???

Just a little swapping of positions, but nothing earth-shaking in the top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums charts.

This week, it looks a little something like this…

#1 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#2 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#3 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#4 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire
#5 | WOW Gospel 2010
#6 | Kerry Douglas – Gospel Mix Vol. IV
#7 | Jonathan Nelson – Better Days
#8 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#9 | Tamela Mann – The Master Plan
#10 | William McDowell – As We Worship: Live

Can I just say a super big KUDOS to William McDowell and the folks at Light Records? You all didn’t really see the behind-the-scenes of it, but these folks created and implemented a great plan for his project. The album has been on the charts for 63 weeks, but with the success of his single, “I Give Myself Away,” it continues to gain in sales. Through intentional publicity and radio efforts, he finally broke the top 10 this week– that’s God’s favor, a good plan, some hard work and great label folks. Holla!

Okay, next week, I’m predicting Lecrae’s Rehab will take the #1 spot. Aside from that, not sure how it will all shake out.

Who here grabbed that Mavis Staples project???

Either folks have REALLY been waiting for this new music, or we may see a couple of dips in sales next week.  In any case, we’ll celebrate this week!

This week, four of the top five positions on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart are album debuts. Congrats to Shekinah Glory Ministry for topping the chart with the #1-selling album in gospel this week, entitled Refreshed By Fire.  Shout-out to Mavis Staples for debuting at #2 with You Are Not Alone. Big congrats, also, to Jonathan Nelson, whose newest project, Better Days, debuted at #4! Finally, big shout-out to Beverly Crawford on her #5 debut with Live from Los Angeles, Vol. 2.

WHEW! The rest of the top 10 looks like this…

#1 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire
#2 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#3 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#4 | Jonathan Nelson – Better Days
#5 | Beverly Crawford – Live from Los Angeles, Vol. 2
#6 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#7 | WOW Gospel 2010
#8 | Kerry Douglas – Gospel Mix Vol. IV
#9 | Tamela Mann – The Master Plan
#10 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant

Who’s got what on this list?

Did anyone grab the new projects from Shekinah Glory, Mavis Staples, Jonathan Nelson or Beverly Crawford?

Talk to me!

After Trip Lee’s chart-topping debut last week, Marvin Sapp has regained the #1 chart position on the Gospel Albums chart at Billboard.  Trip Lee follows close behind, though, in the #2 spot.

Also, Phil Tarver, the music director and worship leader of Shekinah Glory Ministry, enters the chart at #4 with his new solo project, Place of Worship.  Congrats!

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | Trip Lee – Between Two Worlds
#3 | WOW Gospel 2010
#4 | Phil Tarver – Place of Worship
#5 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#6 | DeWayne Woods – My Life’s Lyric
#7 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#8 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#9| Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#10 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion

Did anyone here grab Phil Tarver’s new project when it came out?

Whatd’ya think of the charts this week???

Shekinah Glory Ministry, which brought you hits like “Praise Is What I Do” and “Yes,” is planning for its next live recording.

The event will take place on Sunday, May 16th, at 6:oopm, at Valley Kingdom Ministry International (Oak Forest, IL).  Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

The recording will cap-off their praise and worship conference, which will be held that week, beginning on the 14th.  Click here to visit their official site and get more details on the conference and the recording.

Their music is really good.  I’ve never been a HUGE fan, for some reason that I can’t quite detect, but their appeal and anointing is undeniable.  They’ve been very successful in their lane and I’m sure this project will bring more of the same.

Whatd’ya think?  Anyone going to attend?  Anyone excited for the new music?  Talk to me!

Word has it that Darwin Hobbs is just about ready to release his newest album, titled Champion.  The project, his seventh, is the musical result of the first live recording in his 12-year career as a solo artist.

Darwin is aiming for a May 2010 release, with the single (and title track) hitting radio as early as January (now, THAT’S how you work an album!).  Co-production comes from Hobbs, with the super-gifted Daniel Weatherspoon (Donald Lawrence, Shekinah Glory Ministry) taking the lead on production work.

I’ll let you guys know more details as I get ‘em, but word on the streets is that the recording was INCREDIBLE.  I can only imagine how great the mixed and mastered project is gonna be!

How many Darwin Hobbs supporters are out there?  Which of his album(s) are your faves?

Legendary soul group, The Whispers, have been signed to Kingdom Records (Shekinah Glory‘s label) and are planning the release of their first gospel project, to be released later this year.  AND, Fred Hammond is slated to produce some tracks for the project!

I dunno exactly how that’s gonna sound, but I love me some Whispers.  I didn’t even need a gospel project, cuz I’m still jammin’ to “And The Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady.”  Shoooooot…