Cham‘s major label debut album Ghetto Story released on Atlantic Records has now sold 100,000 units in the U.S. according to information supplied toWMVby Billboard sales tracker Luminate. Of that amount 61,000 is in pure copies and 27 million on-demand streams.
The album released 17 years ago on August 15, 2006 featured 17 tracks, all produced by legendary dancehall producer Dave Kelly. It features Akon, Rihanna, Jimmy Cheese Trix, Tia Jean, and Magic Messay.
Ghetto Story peaked at No. 53 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart on September 9, 2006 and it was lead by the single of the “Ghetto Story Chapter 2″featuring Alicia Keys which peaked at No. 77 on the Hot 100 and No. 62 in the U.K. where it remained for 2 weeks on the Singles Chart.
The single almost wasn’t to be with an Alicia Keys feature if it was up to the record label, Cham toldWMVin an exclusive sit down interview.
“Atlantic Records told usGhetto Storywas not the song. To them it was just a next project but to me it was my life. It was at Giants stadium when the song took the park apart. That song was the song of the evening. FunkMaster Flex cut the live show to play it live on the air with sixty five thousand people saying “Raahh Raah”. That’s when Atlantic Records paid it attention. Then they said, they needed Lil Kim on it ,and I said you were crazy? We told them we already had Alicia Keys and they said no one gets Alicia Keys. So give it up to Alicia, the song sold 1.7M worldwide,” he said.
The song added to dancehall’s mainstream appeal as it peaked at No 15 on the US Hot R&B/Hip Hop Chart, No. 13 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and finished 2006 at No. 63 on the Year End Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart.
The album is one of Kelly’s most successful full length projects, Cham’s long time mentor who produced his previous independent album ‘Wow…the Story.’ Cham said they have managed to maintain a good working relationship and friendship over the years because they never let money get in the way.
“Me and Dave are like brothers. He’s like an older brother to me. We have never made money got in the way. Dave has been making big songs way before me. He recorded Tony Rebel, Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Spragga Benz, Louis Culture.
