Atlanta rapper Future earns first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts

Future will debut on "SNL" March 5.

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Future will debut on "SNL" March 5.

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI

Last week, Future surprised fans with a series of free concerts in cities spanning Atlanta ( see video here ) to Los Angeles as a way to promote his new album, "Dirty Sprite 2," which is already better known as "DS2."

The fan love seems to have worked, as the Atlanta rapper debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with the release, his third full-length album recorded partially in the city’s Triangle Sounds Studios.

Hitting the No. 1 slot on the mainstream album chart is a first for Future.

“DS2” moved almost 147,000 copies its initial week and already had a hot rap chart hit with “F*** Up some Commas.” Next up is the single “Where Ya At,” featuring Drake.

Like many of his peers lately, Future recorded “DS2” – named as the follow-up to this 2011 mixtape, “Dirty Sprite” – on the down low and only announced its existence a week prior to release.

Future’s last full-length album, “Honest,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

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