AceShowbiz -

After beaten out at MTV VMAs, Kanye West can now at least smile for the victory over 50 Cent who put a high stake in their chart battle. 50's 'Curtis' was sold 691,000 copies in the first week of its release, 200,000 plus short of 'West's 'Graduation' that soared high up to 957,000 copies, according to SoundScan.

The numbers have somehow become predictable because since last week the number has been in 800,000 to 600,000 ratio with West on the lead. Still, both rappers' final numbers are noted as the biggest opening-week for an album since 50's 'The Massacre' that opened at 1.1 million copies in 2005.

Even Kenny Chesney, who warned the rappers that he was also releasing his album 'Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates' on the same day (September 11), has scored almost double of last week's reigner 'High School Musical 2' soundtrack that was sold 164,700 copies.

The irony in this battle is the statement made by 50 that he would quit writing music for himself if his album is beaten out by West's. Now that it happened, 50 can only said, "I am very excited to have participated in one of the biggest album release weeks in the last two years. Collectively, we have sold hundreds of thousands of units in our debut week. This marks a great moment for hip hop music, one that will go down in history."

50 will release another album 'Before I Self Destruct' in 2008, allegedly his greatest hits compilation before he "retires".