Wale Debuts at No. 1 With “The Gifted”

Wale scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week with The Gifted.

The third album from the D.C. rapper sold 158,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks Wale’s second top 10 album following 2011′s Ambition.

Last week’s No. 1, Kanye West’s Yeezus, drops to No. 3 with an 80% decline in sales. After selling 327,000 copies in its first week, the album only sold 65,000 in its second week.

J. Cole’s sophomore set Born Sinner remains at No. 2 in its second week, selling 84,000 (down 72%).

Meanwhile, India.Arie returns to the charts at No. 7 with SongVersation (31,000), her fifth top 10 album on the Billboard 200.