Eminem's Kamikaze album just hit the first spot on the Billboard 200 chart. This is the rapper's ninth number 1 album.
The album sold more than 434,000 equivalent units in its opening week despite its surprise release. Around 252,000 copies were from traditional album sales. In its first week, Kamikaze also earned a staggering 225.5 million on audio streams, which cements it as the biggest streaming week in the rapper's entire career.
Its sales have propelled the album to the fourth spot at the largest week releases this year behind Scorpion with 732,000 units, Astroworld with 537,000 units, and Beerbongs & Bentleys with 461,000 units.
Eminem's Other Albums
The album was released on Aug. 31. It even surpassed the 45-year-old artist's Revival album, which also debuted at the top spot on Jan. 3. Only his The Slim Shady LP in 1999 came in at the second spot among all his major releases. All of his releases since The Marshall Mathers debuted at the number 1 spot.
Currently, the rapper has tied with iconic band The Rolling Stones and singer Garth Brooks for fifth on the all-time list of entertainers with the highest number of top albums. The other musicians who have more top records are The Beatles with 19, Jay-Z with 14, Barbra Streisand and Bruce Springsteen with 11, and Elvis Presley with 10.
Issues On Eminem
Following Eminem's album is Astroworld by Travis Scott, Scorpion by Drake, Bloom by Troye Sivan, Sweetener by Ariana Grande, and Queen by Nicki Minaj.
The album notably garnered public responses from artists whom Eminem dissed and namedropped in Kamikaze's 13 songs, including Ja Rule, Die Antwoord, Tyler the Creator, and Joe Budden.
The rapper called Tyler a "f-ggot." This comment has prompted accusations of the rapper's homophobia. Furthermore, Eminem also dissed Machine Gun Kelly, who also responded with another song that sent the same intention.
Machine Gun Kelly's song "Rap Devil" claimed that Eminem only made his "Not Alike" song because he was sober and bored. Furthermore, he also told him to forget his 2012 tweet, where he said that Hailey, Eminem's daughter, was hot.
"Still can't cover up the fact the last four albums as bad as your selfie," Machine Gun Kelly rapped in the same song.
Other new releases that will battle for the first spot next week are Egypt Station by Paul McCartney, Look Up Child by Lauren Daigle, Raise Vibration by Lenny Kravitz, and an increase of streams and sales of Mac Miller's past releases following his death because of suspected substance abuse.
