News: Plies On Track To Sell 250K In First Week, Surprises Fans In Home State

By Cyrus Langhorne

While not expected to compete with Lil' Wayne's first
week sales, Fort Myers, Florida rapper Plies looks to sell between
150,000 and 250,000 in his opening week with his sophomore release Definition
of Real.

According to Fort Myers News Press, executives from Atlantic Records analyzed last Tuesday's sales and are banking on his follow-up to Testament, which sold 90,000 in its first week, easily outselling.

"This is a big day for hip-hop," Atlantic's National Urban Sales Director James Rhode said.

Making a special surprise visit to his hometown's Best Buy on the release of his album, the southern rapper was greeted with super star status as close to 500 fans waited hours before meeting Plies.

"The city of Fort Myers has an amazing spirit each time I come home," he said.

Opting out of releasing his album in heavily marketed cities like New York and Los Angeles, Plies received support from Atlantic Records officials as he has continued to support his home state.

"Hometown releases have become a tradition in hip-hop," Warner Music Group market leader Paul Giovanis said.

Despite carrying parental guidance warnings on his past two albums, Plies' fan base proved to be very young as a 14 year-old Fort Myer resident claimed to have supported the rapper since his first mixtape three years ago and waited nearly seven hours.

"I didn't want to have to wait in line behind anybody," she said.