‘Port of Miami’ unloads 187,000 copies

RICK ROSS has hustled his way to the top. The Florida rapper with the smash single “Hustlin’ ” now has the No. 1 album in the country with his major-label debut, “Port of Miami,” a collection brimming with songs about narcotics and street violence.

“Port of Miami” sold 187,000 copies to claim the top spot on Nielsen SoundScan’s weekly tally of music sales. The CD’s narco-rhymes include “Push It,” “Blow” and “Cross That Line.”

Opening at No. 2 is Pennsylvania rock band Breaking Benjamin and its new album “Phobia,” which features “The Diary of Jane,” already a hit at modern-rock radio.

Three other albums debuted in the Top 10 this week.

At No. 4 is the self-titled album from Cassie, the young Connecticut R&B; singer who began as a MySpace.com success story and now has the hit song “Me & U,” the most-played video on MTV last week. Her debut sold 100,000 copies its first week.

Next, at No. 5, it’s Slayer, the speed-metal band that dates back to the Reagan era. The album sold 62,000 copies.

At No. 6 is the soundtrack to “Step Up,” featuring songs from the film about young dancers from both formal settings and street culture. The CD sold 59,000 copies.

Meanwhile, early reports on Christina Aguilera’s “Back to Basics” double album suggest it should easily claim the No. 1 slot next week, with projections on first-week sales in the 300,000 to 350,000 range.