Rapper Dr. Dre has said he doesn’t...

Rapper Dr. Dre has said he doesn’t need N.W.A. and that apparently was no idle boast. His album “The Chronic” is No. 7 on The Times’ Southern California pop chart and No. 2 on the rap chart. At the moment he’s beating ex-N.W.A. mate Eazy-E, whose “5150 Home 4 Tha Sick” is No. 7 on the rap chart but hasn’t cracked the pop Top 20. “The Bodyguard” soundtrack is still clobbering the pop album competition, while its smash hit single, Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” shows no sign of losing its appeal.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 The Bodyguard, soundtrack (1) 1 2 Breathless, Kenny G (6) 3 3 Unplugged, Eric Clapton (4) 2 4 Ten, Pearl Jam (7) 5 5 Aladdin, soundtrack (23) -- 6 3 Years 5 Months. . ., Arrested Dev. (14) 7 7 The Chronic, Dr. Dre (16) 13 8 The Predator, Ice Cube (22) 8 9 Timeless, Michael Bolton (3) 4 10 What’s the 411?, Mary J. Blige (11) 10

TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 I Will Always. . ., Whitney Houston (1) 1 2 Ditty, Paperboy (27) 3 3 Rump Shaker, Wreckx-n-Effect (2) 2 4 If I Ever Fall in Love, Shai (3) 5 5 In the Still of the Night, Boyz II Men (4) 4 6 Homies, Lighter Shade of Brown (46) 6 7 Saving Forever For You, Shanice (6) 8 8 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (13) 7 9 What About Your Friends, TLC (9) 9 10 I’d Die Without You, PM Dawn (7) 10

TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 3 Years 5 Months. . ., Arrested Dev. (2) 1 2 The Chronic, Dr. Dre (3) 4 3 The Predator, Ice Cube (5) 2 4 Hard or Smooth, Wreckx-N-Effect (1) 3 5 Totally Krossed Out, Kris Kross (4) 5 6 House of Pain, House of Pain (6) 6 7 5150 Home 4 Tha Sick, Eazy-E (7) 7 8 Guerillas in Tha Mist, Da Lench Mob (8) 10 9 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (9) 9 10 Cypress Hill, Cypress Hill (10) 8

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week ending Jan. 3