Atlanta duo Outkast have officially knocked Eminem off the top spot as they become the face of the best-selling hip-hop album of all time. Until now, the highest-selling project was Eminem’s 2002 body of work, The Eminem Show. However, that is no longer the case.
Released on May 26th, 2002, The Eminem Show reigned supreme for over two decades. The album received multi-platinum status worldwide and, in some countries, got certified Diamond. The music video for the project’s lead single ‘Without Me’ won a Grammy at the 2003 Grammy Awards for ‘Best Music Video’. However, it failed to win a Grammy, losing to Outkast’s album Speakerboxx/The Love Below for ‘Best Album Of The Year.’
However, unfortunately for Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers), the 2003 Outkast album has surpassed its status of 12 times platinum as Speakerboxx/The Love Below, 20 years after its release, has recently been certified 13 times platinum.
Both projects are officially recognised as Diamond-certified by the RIAA, but according to the association, Outkast’s album has trumped The Eminem Show by one million units. While streaming and digital downloads have made it harder for the Recording Industry Association of America to calculate sales, Speakerboxx/The Love Below has passed the threshold equivalent to one million sales.
Taking to Instagram, duo member Big Boi celebrated the certification by posting a video of him unwrapping a framed plaque commemorating Speakerboxxx/The Love Below‘s 13 million sales. Thanking fans, the emcee declared, “Over 13 Million albums sold… Outkast is everlasting. Stank You Smelly Much …To All Y’all.”
As fans continue to stream both, it is possible that Eminem may reach the 13 times platinum mark in the near future, making both albums equal. Last year, Eminem celebrated The Eminem Show’s 20th anniversary, and this year, Outkast’s project celebrated its 20th birthday.
Currently, Outkast, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G. and 2pac are the artists with the five highest-selling hip-hop albums. Eminem has two. However, Nelly, Lauryn Hill, MC Hammer and the Beastie Boys are the only other rap artists to obtain a diamond certification from the RIAA.