Eminem has led an unbelievable career in rap, but these mind-blowing career achievements show just how much of a G.O.A.T. Slim Shady really is.
As Em continues to roll out his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe de Grâce), it’s worth noting that Marshall Mathers has continued to break records despite not having released an album since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By. In 2021, Eminem broke his own record by having the highest streamed discography on Spotify, with 11 of his solo records raking in over a billion streams. Not to mention that Curtain Call, a greatest hits compilation, was listened to a billion times. It was even deemed one of the best-selling albums of 2021, 16 years after its release.
Then in 2023, Eminem emerged as the 10th highest-selling artist of all time, as reported by ChartMasters, beating out rock legends Led Zeppelin with 207.2 million total combined sales in his career. This makes Em the only rapper in the top 40, with Drake closing in at No. 41 with over 120 million sales. Ye and Tupac elsewhere fall at No. 61 and No. 73, respectively.
It’s worth noting these are just streaming and sales records, but Em has demolished numerous world records during his reign as one of rap’s most celebrated artists. As fans feverishly wait for new music, XXL has compiled a list of the eight most insane records Em has broken.
“Rap God” by Eminem Sets Record for Most Words in Hit Single
Back in 2013, the Guinness Book of World Records decreed that Eminem’s “Rap God” had the most words ever crammed into a hit single. The spit-fire track, which appeared on Em’s album The Marshall Mathers LP 2, paced 1,560 words into a mere six minutes and four seconds, averaging around 4.28 words a second. In one notable 15-second segment, Em fired off 97 words, an insane 6.46 words a second.
Highest Selling Albums Act in the First Half of the 21st Century
In the first 10 years of the 21st century, Eminem emerged on top as the highest-selling albums act of the 21st century’s first half. Em sold an insane 32.2 million combined units, surpassing The Beatles at 30.1 million. Behind Eminem were other equally as notable musicians, including Linkin Park, pop star Britney Spears and legendary country acts like Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and the late Toby Keith. To make matters more impressive, The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show were the two highest-selling rap albums of the 2000s, raking in 10.2 million and 9.7 million units sold, respectively.
Fastest-Selling Rapper of All Time With The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem also emerged as the fastest-selling rapper of all time in the 2000s thanks to the blockbuster success of The Marshall Mathers LP. Slim Shady’s second album sold a record 1.7 million copies in its first week, to this day making him the fastest-selling rapper. It also makes him one of the only recording artists to surpass a million copies sold in a single week.
Most Successive U.S. Albums to Debut at No. 1 by a Solo Artist
In a crazy show of strength as a recording artist, Marshall Mathers also has the most successive albums to debut at No. 1 back to back. Following the release of his Revival album in 2018, Em successfully had eight successive solo releases bowing at No.1. Previously, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Recovery, Relapse, Curtain Call: The Hits, Encore, The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP all debuted at No. 1 as well.
To this day, the only two Eminem albums not to debut at No. 1 are his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP, which hit No. 2, and his 1996 debut indepedent album Infinite, which didn’t chart at all.
In a crazy show of strength as a recording artist, Marshall Mathers also has the most successive albums to debut at No. 1 back to back. Following the release of his Music To Be Murdered By album in 2020, Em successfully had 10 successive solo releases bowing at No. 1. Previously, Kamikaze, Revival, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Recovery, Relapse, Curtain Call: The Hits, Encore, The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP all debuted at No. 1 as well.
Of Eminem’s studio albums, only three have not debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. These include his 2002 greatest-hits project Curtain Call 2, which reached No. 6, his 1999 major-label debut The Slim Shady LP, which hit at No. 2, and Infinite, his 1996 debut independent album, which did not chart.
Most Entries Jumped on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for a Rapper
When Eminem teamed up with Akon for the latter’s smash hit “Smack That,” the single went three-times platinum and was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2007 Grammy Awards. It also broke the record for most entries ever jumped on the Billboard Hot 100 for a rapper. “Smack That” debuted at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Oct. 14, 2006. One week later, it lept 88 places to No. 7 on the chart.
Eminem Becomes Most Certified Artist for Singles in RIAA Gold & Platinum History
On March 8, 2022, Slim Shady emerged as the most certified artist for singles in RIAA history. Eminem’s combined six RIAA diamond certifications—which include The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show and Curtain Call as well as the songs “Lose Yourself,” “Love the Way You Lie” and “Not Afraid”—cemented him as one of the most accomplished musicians in history. His RIAA award career total is now 227.5 million, comprised of 166 million single certifications and 61.5 million album certifications.
Largest Vocabulary for a Recording Artist
Based on a 2015 study by Musixmatch, The Guinness Book of World Records deemed Eminem as having the largest vocabulary of any recording artist. Throughout his career, Eminem has utilized 8,818 unique words. Jay-Z trailed behind with 6,899, followed by 2Pac with 6,569 words. Ye sat comfortably in fifth place with 5,069.
Fastest Rapper of All Time
While this may come as a surprise to no one, Eminem was also deemed the fastest rapper of all time after the release of “Godzilla” in 2020 and “Rap God” back in 2013. Slim Shady can spew out 7.5 words a second, with The Guinness Book of World Records noting his 2020 single “Godzilla” squeezes 225 words into a 30-second segment.
