This Halloween installation of the Breaks takes a look at first-week sales for Logic‘s debut album, Under Pressure.

The critical response to Under Pressure was strong, and now first-week sales for the project have followed. Early reports had the Maryland rapper rivaling veteran Atlanta MC/actor/reality TV star T.I., and though Under Pressure put up a valiant effort, T.I.’s Paperwork still topped it, selling 80,000 copies compared to 73,000 for Logic. (T.I. claimed the No. 2 spot on the Billoard 200; Logic earned fourth place.) Both albums outperformed initial projections, which had them falling in the 65,000 to 70,000 range.

Though he landed in second place, T.I.’s sales are a bit troubling. As Billboard points out, Paperwork’s sales are a substantial drop-off from 2012’s Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, which earned the second spot with 179,000 albums sold. Hall of Fame, the disappointing second album from Logic’s Def Jam labelmate Big Sean (who appears on “Alright,” found on Under Pressure’s deluxe edition), only pushed 72,000 units during its first week of release. It’s a narrow advantage, but Logic accomplished it with no co-signs and little promotion.

On a different note, the response to Logic’s album is another win for the local hip-hop scene. Wale may have achieved larger success (his last album, The Gifted, landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last summer), but Logic’s triumph, no matter how small, is significant. He’s another local success story—one who proudly claims Maryland—who’s holding the door open for other artists from the area. He’s also given national pundits another reason to respect the area as an outlet for talent.

The only question is: Who’s next?

Read my review of Under Pressure here, and listen to the album below.