ONE-DAY SALES: AALIYAH COMING ON STRONG, ALICIA NUMBER ONE?

Sure, having a double "A" at the front of your name pretty much guarantees you a top ranking in the phone book (right behind AAA Towing), but it doesn't necessarily mean a top berth on the album chart.

Or does it?

Blackground R&B goddess Aaliyah, whose new album, "Aaliyah" hit the streets yesterday, looks like a lock for #2 on next week's chart, and may be in the running for #1, according to reports from national retail accounts.

But to gain the top spot, Aaliyah will have to sell better than the chart's other A student, J Records' Alicia Keys, who reclaimed #1 this week on sales of over 200k--a 19% gain over the previous week. While Alicia is expected to hold up this week, early reports indicate that Aaliyah will sell upwards of 200k, making a #1 debut a very real possibility.

Meanwhile, other acts making their chart debuts next week include Def Jam's Foxy Brown, whose "Broken Silence" is expected to sell in the neighborhood of 110k-120k; Atlantic's Craig David, who should have a strong first week with sales approaching 100k; and Antra/Artemis's Kurupt, whose latest looks headed for an 80k to 90k debut week.

And finally, if youre looking for us in the phone book, we're listed under "ZZZZZZZZ."