J. Cole Beats Bad Bunny For No. 1 With “The Fall-Off”

February 16, 2026

J. Cole’s ‘The Fall-Off’ debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 280,000 units, marking his seventh chart-topper and biggest vinyl week.

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J. Cole just locked down his seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. The Fall-Off moved 280,000 equivalent album units in its first week, according to Billboard.

That’s the biggest week for any R&B or Hip-Hop album in nearly a year. The last time an album in those genres hit harder was when Playboi Carti’s MUSIC opened with 298,000 units back in March 2025.

Cole’s been dominating the charts for over a decade now. His previous six No. 1 albums tell the whole story. 4 Your Eyez Only moved 492,000 units in 2016. KOD did 397,000 in 2018. 2014 Forest Hills Drive sold 353,000 copies in 2014.

Born Sinner moved 297,000 units in 2013. The Off-Season hit 282,000 in 2021. And Cole World: The Sideline Story started it all, selling 218,000 units in 2011.

J. Cole took a different approach to promoting this album. He announced his “Trunk Sale Tour 26” right after the release. The rapper’s been driving around the country in his old Honda Civic, selling CDs straight from his trunk.

Fans have spotted Cole on college campuses across multiple cities. He’s been selling physical copies for just $1 each. Some fans even got rides in the Civic while listening to the new album.

Bad Bunny couldn’t keep up with Cole’s momentum this week. The Puerto Rican star’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS held at No. 2 with 250,000 units.

That album got a boost from Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show performance on February 8.

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