Drake Moves 462,000 Copies of 'Thank Me Later' in First Week

I took a poll of some of my industry homies last week to get a sense of how 'Thank Me Later,' Drake's debut album, was going to sell. It turns out that out of those bold enough to make a prediction, my friends Michael Bivins (formerly of Belle, Biv, Devoe and New Edition) and Vigalantee (a rapper in Kansas City), were closest. Vigalantee predicted 450,000 units and Mike Biv predicted 400,000. No matter how you slice it, Drake is now officially the shizzle.

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Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Lil Wayne:
Far and away, the hottest anything in the game, Wayne can do no wrong. Seemingly with the Midas touch, whatever he has rapped on or been featured on this year has turned to gold. Needless to say that when the 5'6" rapper takes off his shirt (which is often) the people are just happy he's around.

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Brothers Allergic To Shirts

50 Cent:
What he lacks in looks he makes up in physique. Very few artists can match his chiseled body so it's no wonder he finds it difficult to keep his shirt on.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Bow Wow:
Growing up in front of everyone's eyes can't be easy for a successful child rapper trying to change his brand. Enter in the fact that he's 21 years old and hasn't grown past 5'7" and it's not hard to tell that Bow Wow is definitely trying to shed his past by taking his shirt off and showing people how grown he really is.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Braylon Edwards:
Young, talented and very television-friendly, wide receiver Braylon Edwards is quickly becoming the NFL's hottest face/body.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Nelly:
It's no secret why Nelly was chosen to be a Sean John model. He has seemingly been sculpting his body in his long hiatus and happens to look great. Not a terrible fallback when records aren't selling.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Flo-rida:
Relatively new rapper, Flo-rida has wasted no time in the rap game as he has practically been introduced to his fans with no shirt on. Unfortunately, now he will only be just another shirtless monosyllabic rapper who gets number one records on repetitive hooks. He sure does love his state though, we'll give him that.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Ja Rule:
At one point long, long ago rapper Ja Rule was on top of the world. His R & B collabos were highly coveted as they often became instant pop hits. And throughout the heights of his career, there have been many occasions in which the diminutive rapper has taken off his shirt to the chagrin or delight of his fans.

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Plies:
Apparently this southern rapper is contractually obligated to take his shirt off in every video which he's in, Hip Hop, R & B, or otherwise. The creator of the bust-it-baby phenomenon works effortlessly to insure that there are no shirts in the vicinity when he performs his love songs.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Ray J:
Over the last few years Ray J has been making a name for himself, for better or worse in Hollywood. Whether it be leaking sex tapes, talking recklessly, or cavorting around with much older women, Ray J has taken every occasion possible to show off his body.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Rick Ross:
The self-proclaimed "Boss" and former CO, has frequently been seen taking his shirt off to expose audiences everywhere to his Grimace-like appearance. There's no shame in his game though and for that he deserves some manner of recognition.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

Terry Crews:
Whether he's playing Chris' father on Everybody Hates Chris' or a cocky basketball star in the movie 'White Chicks,' there's no hiding Crews' buff bod. He flaunts his torso on the big screen every chance he gets -- must be somewhere in the contracts.

Brothers Allergic To Shirts

It's not as if anyone is surprised by Drake's stellar debut. He and the rest of the Young Money clique did an outstanding job creating buzz for the album, and Drake proved that even in the age of massive Internet pirating, he can still make his money.

Drake's sales are impressive, but they don't match the sales mojo of Eminem, who pushed out 608,000 copies during the first week after the release of his 2009 album, 'Relapse.' Drake will also most likely never match the amazing performance of his mentor (and I use that term lightly) Lil Wayne, who was able to push over a million copies in the first week of the release of his album 'Tha Carter III' in 2008. Either way, Drake should be congratulated for kicking some butt both here and around the world.

Most of Drake's songs have been commercial hits, hardly earning the respect of hip-hop purists. But what I like about Drake, as opposed to Eminem, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and others, is that his music doesn't come with a destructive gimmick. He's not bragging about packing a gun, selling drugs or being more blinged out than a diamond mine. Instead, he's just a young brother with a serious flow doing his thing in the studio. While some might think that Drake doesn't represent the essence of hip-hop, I might be inclined to agree: Instead, Drake represents THE FUTURE of hip-hop, and that cannot be denied.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book 'Black American Money.' To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.