The battle for top-album may come down to the wire as rappers Rick Ross and Eminem are practically dead locked for a No. 1 debut next week.

Based on weekend estimates, Ross' Teflon Don and Eminem's Recovery now share the same one-week projected sales totals.

    The top of next week's chart is still too close to call, as a couple of hip-hop heavyweights continue to duke it out in a bout that promises to stay nip and tuck throughout the weekend. If Eminem is victorious, it will be his fifth consecutive week at #1. As for challenger Rick Ross, regardless of where he lands on the chart, dude's on track to beat the first week of his previous release by about 25k. Eminem (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope): 180-190K, *Rick Ross (Def Jam) 180-190K, Sheryl Crow (A&M) 45-50K, Drake (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown) 45-50K. (HITS Rumor Mill)

Earlier in the week, Eminem's Recovery continued its reign on the charts.

    Grammy-winning rapper Eminem's Recovery has shown no signs of slowing down as it scanned 195,500 records this week. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Slim Shady's latest offering has sold 1,482,500 records in one month of availability. (SOHH Sales Wrap)

Def Jam Senior Marketing VP Chris Atlas recently said the label fully backed Ross' new album.

    "We took the fact that he had so many people working with him on the record and captured it on film and video, which we are releasing around the Web," Atlas says. "Rick has been working nonstop since the last record feeding stuff to his lifestyle and street base. He's put out three or four mixtapes, and there is constant messaging to his core." Atlas says Ross is on a 10-city promotional tour and making club and radio station appearances. Atlas adds that Ross is starting to work with brands, due in part to his recent co-management deal with Sean "Diddy" Combs. "We're opening him up to working with brands," Atlas says. "He did some smaller stuff before, and he's been doing some things with Ciroc [a vodka brand Combs endorses]. But now he's starting to attract attention from some bigger names. For instance, he's using the nickname 'Ricky Rozay,' so some champagne brands are expressing a desire to do something." (Billboard)

Last year, Ross' Deeper Than Rap debuted atop the charts.

    Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap led the way this week landing at No. 1 with 158,000 scanned discs followed by the Hannah Montana soundtrack which landed at No. 2 with 104,300 copies and Depeche Mode's Sounds of the Universe at No. 3 with 80,100 copies. Asher Roth's Asleep in the Bread Aisle debuted at No. 5 with 62,000 copies while Chester French's Love the Future opened at No. 77 with 6,300 copies. (Sales Wrap)