Eminem is set to top the Billboard 200 albums chart next week. His latest album, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” is on course to earn the second-largest sales week of the year and debut at No. 1.
Released Tuesday, industry sources forecast the new album to sell between 700,000 and 750,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Nov. 10. That will land Em the second-biggest sales week of the year for an album, surpassed only by the debut of Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience,” which opened with 968,000 in March, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (Wow. Justin damn near sold 1 million copies.)
Right now, the year’s second-biggest week is currently owned by Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same,” which entered at No. 1 with 658,000.
A No. 1 album will mark Emimem’s seventh consecutive No. 1 album. Of all his releases, only one — “The Slim Shady LP” debut — missed the top slot. It debuted and peaked at No. 2 in 1999.
Just a little FYI … Since 2008, only three hip-hop albums have sold more than 700,000 in a week: Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” in 2008 (1.01 million its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan), Eminem’s “Recovery” and Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV” in 2011 (964,000 in its debut).
Eminem is currently tied with Kanye West and Nas for the second-most No. 1 albums among hip-hop acts (they each have six leaders). A new No. 1 would give Eminem the second-place distinction all to himself. Among all hip-hop acts, only Jay Z, with 13 No. 1s, has more.
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