50 STILL WONT GIVE IT UP TO RICK ROSS! HE SAY'S ALOT OF FREAK NUMBERS COME OUT OF DEF JAM!

For the record, Deeper Than Rap's first-week numbers aren't far off from his first two LPs, both of which went in at #1. Last year's Trilla pushed 198,000 copies in its first week, while his 2006 effort Port of Miami sold 187,000 out of the gate.

"It's interesting, because it's so many different factors working against the music industry right now," veteran journalist, music blogger and Hot 97 radio personality Miss Info said about the Ross debate. "You look at digital downloading and compound it with the state of the economy. You just feel like a lot of times the creative products are the first to be put on the back burner. ... In a lot of ways, I think record-label people are looking at gold as the new platinum. Literally. Someone told me they are making gold plaques again. At this point in time, you could have a lot of build-up on an artist and they're hitting 50,000 first week."

When asked about the first-week sales of Deeper Than Rap, Ross' biggest detractor in the music biz, 50 Cent, wondered if the numbers were somehow flubbed by the record company.

"I didn't get an opportunity to hear his record, but a lot of freak [SoundScan] numbers come out of the Def Jam system," 50 said with a grin.

Def Jam couldn't be reached for comment as of press time.

But even Fif didn't agree with some of his fans that the Ross record was a flop.

"I think it can be a disappointment to the system, based on how much of an effort and money they spent marketing," 50 explained. "But you can't call a #1 [album] a 'flop' under any circumstances. It's still #1."