Chance The Rapper is the most unconventional rap star the game currently has to offer, and because of it, he continues to make history. He’s done that again this week, as the official Billboard results will reveal that his third solo project, the Coloring Book mixtape, will debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart despite not being available for purchase at any time.
Coloring Book, Chance’s first solo offering since 2013’s Acid Rap, featured, Jay Electronica, Young Thug, Lil Yachty, Kirk Franklin, T-Pain, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, and many more. It had all the makings of a retail album, except upon its release, it was only available for streaming on Apple Music–a platform whose numbers translate to RIAA credits–and DatPiff–a platform whose numbers do not translate to RIAA credits.
According to Billboard, in its first week, Coloring Book generated 57.3 million streams, which translates to roughly 38,000 equivalent album units. That’s good for a debut at #8 on the Billboard 200, and the honor of being the first artist to ever chart on the Billboard 200 off a stream-only project.