EMINEM TOPS SELF, AND THE CHARTS, WITH KAMIKAZE

With his new surprise album, Kamikaze, Eminem wanted a do-over — and, at least on the Billboard chart, the stunt worked. The 45-year-old rapper’s previous release, Revival, from December, was something of a critical and commercial disappointment, especially for one of the best-selling rappers ever. Revival still hit No. 1, but the muted reception provided fodder for Eminem’s

second release in 12 months as he embraced both confrontation — taking on his detractors and younger rivals — and the speed of today’s hip-hop business with Kamikaze. The new album, released with no advance warning Aug. 31, sold a total of 434,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music, compared to 267,000 for Revival in its first week.