Eminem tops Billboard 200 with ‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2’

He called himself a rap god -- and he wasn’t kidding.

Eminem entered the Billboard 200 album chart Wednesday at No. 1 with “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” reflecting sales of 792,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It’s the biggest sales week for a hip-hop album in 2013, and the second-biggest overall behind Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience,” which debuted with just under 1 million copies in March.

The No. 1 debut also marks Eminem’s seventh straight chart-topper, as Billboard’s Keith Caulfield noted in a detailed post. It also marks a first-week sales increase over the rapper’s previous two albums, 2010’s “Recovery” and 2009’s “Relapse”; such a boost is a rarity in today’s shrinking record industry.

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More typical is Celine Dion’s start at No. 2 this week with “Loved Me Back to Life,” which sold 77,000 copies -- far fewer than the 214,000 she scored (for a No. 3 debut) with “Taking Chances” in 2007.

Other albums entering the chart include Avril Lavigne’s self-titled album at No. 5 and Pentatonix’s “PTX Vol. II” at No. 10.

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Twitter: @mikaelwood

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