Eazy Does It

After gangsta rapper Eazy-E’s album premiered on The Times’ Southern California pop album chart at No. 4, many predicted it would sink like a lead balloon. But it’s still flying high--floating up a notch to No. 3, and at the top of the rap chart. Could it be that those who dismissed him as a has-been buried him prematurely? The latest artist to capitalize on the unplugged format is 10,000 Maniacs, whose “MTV Unplugged” debuted at No. 7. The group had better enjoy it: With singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant leaving for a solo career, the Maniacs’ hit-making days are probably history.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Vs., Pearl Jam (1) 1 2 Music Box, Mariah Carey (5) 3 3 It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Eazy-E (7) 4 4 Songs of the Eagles, Various artists (3) 6 5 In Utero, Nirvana (10) 5 6 All the Greatest Hits, Zapp & Roger (39) -- 7 MTV Unplugged, 10,000 Maniacs (13) -- 8 janet., Janet Jackson (8) 7 9 Get in Where Ya Fit In, Too Short (4) -- 10 Bat Out of Hell II, Meat Loaf (2) 9

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TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 All That She Wants, Ace of Base (4) 3 2 I’d Do Anything for Love, Meat Loaf (1) 2 3 Just Kickin’ It, Xscape (3) 1 4 Hey Mr. D.J., Zhane (8) 5 5 Indo Smoke, Mista Grimm (45) 4 6 Gangsta Lean, D.R.S. (2) 6 7 Shoop, Salt-N-Pepa (6) 16 8 Whoomp! (There It Is), Tag Team (5) 7 9 Again, Janet Jackson (7) 11 10 I Get Around, 2Pac (16) 9

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TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Eazy-E (2) 1 2 Get in Where Ya Fit In, Too Short (1) -- 3 Black Sunday, Cypress Hill (3) 2 4 Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., 2Pac (7) 3 5 The Chronic, Dr. Dre (9) 5 6 187 He Wrote, Spice-1 (8) 6 7 Very Necessary, Salt-N-Pepa (6) 7 8 No Pressure, Erik Sermon (5) 4 9 Shaq Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal (4) -- 10 Buhloone Mind State, De La Soul (17) 9

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week ending Oct. 31