ROSS IS BOSS ON CHARTS

Def Jam/IDJ coke-dealing rapper Rick Ross brings his Port of Miami home #1 on this week’s HITS Top 50, busting out with 193k in sales, more than enough to lead the way.

Hollywood’s Breaking Benjamin ride their smash Rock radio hit, “The Diary of Jane,” to the #2 slot for their album Phobia, with an impressive 132k united moved. The only thing they have to fear is this appearance on our website.

Other Top 10 newcomers include Bad Boy/Atlantic’s R&B diva Cassie (#4), LaFace/ZLG’s Step Up soundtrack (#5), featuring Ciara and Chamillionaire, among others, and veteran headbangers Slayer with their American/Warner Bros. debut, Christ Illusion (#8).

Sony Music Group’s Now 22, which crosses the 100k mark at #3, is a holdover, as is Razor & Tie’s Kidz Bop 10 (#6), Downtown/Atlantic’s Gnarls Barkley (#7), Roadrunner/IDJ’s Nickelback (#9) and last week’s chart-topper, Sony Urban/Columbia’s DMX (#10).

Other chart newcomers include Sanctuary/Drive-Thru’s impressive emo-rockers Hellogoodbye (#14), Curb’s country heartthrob Steve Holy (#19), Metal Blade marauders Unearth (#35) and Elektra’s Doors compilation, currently the beneficiary of a massive direct TV marketing campaign. Hollywood’s surging Aly & AJ re-enter at #40.

Universal Republic’s Hinder (#22, +11%) is one of three albums to register double-digit gains this week, along with MCA Nashville’s Josh Turner (#26, +16%) and Eleven Seven Music’s Buckcherry (#42, +10%), continuing their remarkable comeback.

Next week, Christina Aguilera’s eagerly awaited RCA album, Back to Basics, will undoubtedly be the #1 album, while Columbia rapper Lyfe Jennings, Capitol R&B sister group Cherish and Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Eminem posse member Obie Trice will also look to crack the Top 10.