IN the battle between two buzzed-about R&B newcomers, the first round goes to the local kid.

Ashanti, a 21-year-old singer from Glen Cove, L.I., is on top of the charts this week, with a self-titled debut album that sold a whopping 502,500 copies, giving her the biggest ever opening-week sales for an R & B release.

Rival, Tweet – a 24-year-old Rochester gal – sold nearly 195,000 copies of her “Southern Hummingbird” to land in third place on the charts, behind Celine Dion and “New Day Has Come.”

Ashanti has appeared as a guest vocalist on Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv,” and Ja Rule’s “Always On Time.” She also co-wrote “Ain’t It Funny” for J.Lo.

Tweet’s single “Oops (Oh My)” has received huge radio play and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-hop charts.