Jay-Z on the cover of Rolling Stone

Jay-Z grabs his 10th #1 selling album on The Billboard 200, as American Gangster debuts on top this week after selling 425,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This #1 album has tied him with Elvis in second place for the most #1 albums on the chart. The Beatles take the number one spot, with 19 #1 albums on the Billboard charts.

Jay-Z surpassed the Eagles (whose album is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart), who beat out Britney Spears last week. People were thinking that Chris Brown was going to be Jay-Z’s competition, but the teenage star debuted at #4 on the charts this Wednesday, selling just 294,000 copies.

John Legend is back in the studio, working on his third studio album. He has just started the recording process on the follow-up to 2005′s Once Again, which I thoroughly enjoyed, musically.

“We’re really just starting,” Legend reports. “I’m usually pretty prolific and pretty quick with my output, so I’m guessing I’ll be done with it by the end of the spring and put it out either late summer or early fall. That’s what I’m headed towards.”

Musically, John says that the direction of the album hasn’t quite been determined. But he plans on calling on the likes of long-time friend, Kanye West, who Legend has worked with previously, as well as Will.I.Am, Rick Knowles and Pharrell Williams.

Just for Christmas, Def Jam has set to release a compilation of rarities from your favorite Def Jam artists like Rihanna, Bobby Valentino & Fabolous, to name a few. The disk will be titled Def Jam Sessions, Vol. 1.

Releasing on December 18th, the 13-track album includes rare, import-only and unreleased tracks associated with albums released by Def Jam acts in late 2006 and throughout 2007.

Here is the track list for Def Jam Sessions, Vol. 1:

“The N…,” Nas
“Where Y’all At,” Nas
“I Shine, You Shine,” Fabolous
“Chirp Back,” Fabolous
“That’s What It Does,” Ne-Yo
“Spotlight,” Ne-Yo
“OD,” Method Man
“F**k Da Security,” Redman
“Let’s Go,” Redman
“Haunted,” Rihanna
“Cry,” Rihanna
“Wreck,” Bobby Valentino
“Let’s Go,” Bobby Valentino

Make sure you pick up one to stuff your stocking this Christmas!