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A happy new year for OutKast

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Times Staff Writer

OutKast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” tops the nation’s weekly album sales chart for the fifth time since the two-disc collection’s release in September, Nielsen SoundScan reported Wednesday.

The hip-hop package, which sold 151,000 copies last week, entered the chart at No. 1 on Oct. 1 after selling 510,000 copies in its first week on the shelves.

The album, which has been nominated for a Grammy in the best album category, also topped the charts the weeks of Oct. 8, Nov. 5 and Dec. 31. Total U.S. sales are now 3.2 million.

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Alicia Keys’ “The Diary of Alicia Keys” remains No. 2 for the second consecutive week, with sales last week of 116,000. “Diary” has sold 1.8 million copies since its release last month.

During the typically slow post-holiday sales week, three albums returned to the Top 10 after slipping down the chart.

Jay-Z’s “The Black Album,” which spent two weeks at No. 1 in November, climbed six positions to No. 6 by selling 89,000 copies. Total sales: 1.7 million. The rock group Evanescence’s “Fallen,” which has been a bestseller for months, climbed nine places to No. 7 with sales last week of 85,000. Its total sales: 3.5 million. Finally, rap group G Unit’s “Beg for Mercy” jumped three places to No. 8 with sales of 84,000. The CD’s total: 1.6 million.

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