Graduation vs. Curtis

After weeks of public rivalry between 50 Cent and Kanye West about whose Sept. 11 album release would sell more copies, West's "Graduation" (Def Jam) has pulled into a six-figure lead over 50's "Curtis" (G-Unit/Interscope), based on projections from representatives at the four major labels. That data indicates "Graduation" leads with 781,000 units, followed by "Curtis" with 603,000.

50 Cent had claimed he would retire from making solo albums if West won the sales battle, but in an interview with Billboard, he maintains the race is still early and there is no concrete winner just yet.

"[The sales] can't be considered [any one way] anyway because it's just a few days out," he says. "I guess [the music industry] would consider me to be a hip-hop favorite because of my sales history, and people like to root for the underdog."

50 Cent also changed his tune yesterday (Sept. 13) about his threat to stop rapping. On New York's Hot 97 radio station, 50 said if West outsells him he would instead go round for round, matching G-Unit releases with Def Jam's.