Poppin’ Up : A Very B.I.G. Chart Debut Beats ‘Scream’

Is Notorious B.I.G. now the co-King of Pop?

Remember how Epic Records trumpeted last week the fact that Michael Jackson’s “Scream” had entered the Billboard singles chart at No. 5--the highest entry in the history of the chart?

Well, B.I.G’s “One More Chance” has not only entered the chart at the same position this week, but it actually outsold “Scream” by almost 30%: an estimated 81,000 copies to 64,000, according to SoundScan, which monitors national record sales.

The instant success of “One More Chance,” a racy, romantic, mid-tempo rap tune, took just about everyone by surprise--including radio executives.

“When I first heard it I said this is going to be another hit for B.I.G., but I never figured it would happen so fast,” says Harold Austin, director of operations for KKBT-FM in Los Angeles. “On a request level, it’s getting tons of calls.”

Mainstream pop fans may not know B.I.G., but he’s huge in rap. The single is the third release from his debut album, “Ready to Die,” a million-seller on Bad Boy Entertainment/Arista. The first single, “Juicy,” has sold more than 500,000, while the second, “Big Poppa,” has passed the 1-million mark.

Ironically, B.I.G. raps on “This Time Around,” a track on Jackson’s new album, “HIStory . . . ,” which hits the stores Tuesday.