El Nino, the first full-length album from Def Squad, a rapping trio consisting of Eric Sermon, Keith Murray and Redman, made nearly as big an impression on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week as its namesake has made on weather-watchers around the world.

A total of 154,000 hip-hop fans picked up the album, according to SoundScan, enough to send the debut into the #2 spot. The idea for the collaborative album, which features the three rappers teaming up on such songs as "Check N' Me Out" (RealAudio excerpt), was born when the three came together on last year's In Tha Beginning ... There Was Rap to cover the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight."

Jumping to the #1 spot this week was Armageddon -- The Album, which experienced a sales jump following the release of the disaster flick over the Fourth of July weekend. After debuting at #4 last week on sales of 112,000, the soundtrack, which features new tunes by veteran rock acts Aerosmith and Journey, moved 184,000 this week on its way to the top.

Debuting just behind Def Squad was soul crooner Maxwell, whose Embrya moved 150,000 copies in the week ending July 5. The singer's much-anticipated sophomore effort was the only other album to debut in the top 10, with his closest competition coming from The Artist, whose New Power Soul made its mark at #22 on sales of 47,000.

Further down the charts, punk-rockers and Warped Tour headliners Rancid landed at #35 with Life Won't Wait, an album that many critics have compared to the best work of punk-pioneers the Clash. Life Won't Wait moved 40,000 copies last week, keeping it ahead of this week's other Epitaph release, Punk-O-Rama III. With songs from such punk-flavored bands as NOFX, Pennywise and Bad Religion, the compilation motivated enough punkers out of the mosh pits and into the stores to help it to the #80 spot.

In other debut news, Lucinda Williams' critically acclaimed Car Wheels On A Gravel Road nestled in at the #65 slot, while fellow county-influenced artists the Cowboy Junkies saw their Miles From Our Home rustle up sales of 13,000 and land at #98.

Rounding out the top half of the chart was former N.W.A member MC Ren, whose Ruthless For Life features a reunion with former bandmate Ice Cube on "Comin' After You" (RealAudio excerpt). The album sold 14,000 copies, good enough for a debut at #100.

Closer to the bottom of the Top 200 was Social Distortion's Live At the Roxy, which features live renditions of their rockabilly punk hits, such as "Ball and Chain," as well as a cover version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It landed at #121, followed closely behind by the De La Soul-influenced sounds of newcomers Black Eyed Peas, whose funky rap debut, Behind The Front, sold 11,000 copies and bowed at #129.

While this was a week of many notable debuts, it was also one that saw a few chart-veterans achieve success in the eyes of the Recording Industry Association of America. The hugely successful City of Angels soundtrack, which features new tracks by angst-filled songstress Alanis Morissette and power-poppers the Goo Goo Dolls, sold 138,000 copies in its 14th week of release, dropping from #1 to #4. The showing was good enough to push the album past the double-platinum mark (more than two million copies sold).

Gangsta-rapper Master P also joined the platinum club, as his MP Da Last Don shifted 138,000 copies in its sixth week of release, dropping from #2 to #7 but pushing the album's total sales to 1.1 million. Lastly, R&B sensation Brandy saw sales for her sophomore release, Never S-A-Y Never, jump from 119,000 to 122,000 in its fourth week of release, bringing her total to 554,000 -- enough to score the star of "Moesha" a Gold Album award. Never S-A-Y Never is currently nesting at the #5 spot.

The rest of the top 10: Various Artists, Hope Floats soundtrack (#6); Will Smith, Big Willie Style (#8); Backstreet Boys, Backstreet Boys (#9); and Various Artists, Dr. Dolittle: The Album (#10).