NEW YORK, NY. (J Records) - Defying cynics, Tyrese's double disc,
Alter Ego sold 115,957 copies during its first week of release and lands him at No 23 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart, No 4 on the R&B Album charts and No 3 on the Rap Album chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This marks the highest selling debut week of Tyrese's illustrious recording career!
Alter Ego is Tyrese's first debut on the Rap Album chart, second Top 5 debut on the R&B Album chart and his fourth album in the Top 10 on the R&B Album chart. Last week, Tyrese's
Alter Ego was No 10 on iTunes R&B/Soul chart and VH1.com listed the album as one of "December Must-Hear Albums," while the video for the hit single "One" was No 9 on VH1 Soul.
A concept two years in the making, Tyrese is the first male R&B artist to introduce a rapping alter ego (Black-Ty) and release a groundbreaking double disc - one disc full of R&B songs, while the other is a collection of rap tracks featuring Black-Ty. Three new singles herald the project: the melodic ballad "One," produced by the Underdogs; the sensual "Turn Ya Out" featuring Lil' Jon; and the club-banging rap track "Get It In." This unique set garnered a 3 1/2-star review in USA Today which cites that "Gibson holds his own as an MC," while The Washington Times states that Alter Ego is "a noteworthy accomplishment."
On Alter Ego's R&B disc, Tyrese joins forces with producers The Underdogs ("One," "Better To Know"), R. Kelly ("Hurry Up," "Signs of Love Makin' Part II"), Brian Michael Cox ("Gotta Get You"), Lil' Jon ("Turn Ya Out"), Eric Dawkins and Tony Dixon ("Morning After," "Better Than Sex,") and Trick Stewart ("Lights On"), resulting in a bevy of great songs that cater to Tyrese's R&B fanbase. The hip-hop disc is comprised of guest appearances by The Game, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Method Man, Too $hort and Manni Fresh with production by Manni Fresh, Scott Storch, All Star and various members from Tyrese's Headquarter Entertainment in-house production team The Frontline BoyZ.
Tyrese's multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated music career ascent began as a Watts, California 16-year-old native with a million dollar smile on the back of a bus in the worldwide Coca-Cola commercial. Tyrese's platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1998 on RCA Records, garnered him an American Music Award for Favorite New Artist. His 2001 sophomore album, 2000 Watts, went gold and his 2002 third R&B album, I Wanna Go There, reached platinum status.
