Jamie Foxx Debuts At No 2 On the Top 200 Albums Chart

NEW YORK (J Records) - Jamie Foxx's J Records release, UNPREDICTABLE, has proven itself to be an undeniable hit as it debuts at No 2 on this week's Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With a total of 597,554 units sold in the first week, UNPREDICTABLE also enters at No 2 and No 3 on the Current R&B Albums and the Digital Albums charts, respectively. Foxx joins the ranks of 50 Cent, Coldplay, Kanye West and Mary J. Blige as one of the highest selling debuts of 2005.

The chart-topping debut of UNPREDICTABLE solidifies Foxx as a bona fide triple threat - comedian, Oscar winning actor and multiple Grammy nominated singer. The New York Daily News declared that Foxx "isn't acting. It's real." The Los Angeles Times claimed that UNPREDICTABLE shows that Foxx "is no dilettante."

Even with superstar guest appearances by Ludacris ("Unpredictable"), Mary J. Blige ("Love Changes"), Kanye West ("Extravaganza"), The Game & Snoop Dogg ("Be With You"), Twista ("DJ Play a Love Song") and Common ("U Still Got It" Interlude), The Boston Globe cited "loading up R&B albums with famous friends might be the way it's done, but Foxx doesn't need anyone as a crutch ... Foxx proves himself a fine singer with a warmly soulful voice."

Foxx's "soulful voice" recently earned him his first solo Grammy nomination in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category for his performance of "Creepin'" from the J Records' release So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross. Foxx is still riding high on pop, R&B, and rap charts as Kanye West's guest on his hit single "Gold Digger," which also received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rap Solo Performance. Last year, Foxx received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for crooning on "Slow Jamz" with Twista and West (a track from Twista's Kamikaze album).

Earlier this month, Foxx taped a TV special to air on NBC early next year. The one-hour show is a musical journey of Jamie's life, tracing his roots back to his hometown of Terrell, Texas, where he was raised in the church and became a classically trained pianist. The special will feature songs from UNPREDICTABLE and other original music by Jamie as well as surprise celebrity guest appearances.