It looks like Eminem's headline-grabbing lyrics on his new album Kamikaze might pay off for the 45-year-old rapper.
After initial projections predicted that the album will move at least 200,000 equivalent album units, updated predictions from Billboard say the first-week number might be closer to 360,000 units. That total would earn Kamikaze the fifth-largest week of the year, behind Drake's Scorpion with 732,000 units, Travis Scott's ASTROWORLD with 537,000 units, Post Malone's beerbongs & bentleys with 461,000 units, and J. Cole's KOD with 397,000 units.
360,000 units would be a significant first-week improvement over Eminem's 2017 album Revival, which debuted with 267,000 units. Kamikaze will likely become Eminem's ninth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, extending his record for the longest streak of all time.
The surprise album's sales may have been bolstered by all the chatter surrounding the harsh lyrics Eminem had for artists like Tyler, the Creator, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Yachty, and Ja Rule. While Tyler has chosen to remain silent about his mention on Kamikaze and artists like Lil Yachty reacted positively to Eminem's words, MGK took the opportunity to record a full diss track called "Rap Devil."
Explaining why he fought back, Machine Gun Kelly tweeted, "I'm standing up for not just myself, but my generation. I'm doing the same shit you did back in your day. Life is still real on my side, and I had to take time from the grind to defend myself from someone I called an idol." You can hear his response below.
