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Eminem And Jay-Z: By The Numbers
Before their Home and Home Tour kicks off, we size up the superstars' stats.
By Gil Kaufman
Eminem and Jay-Z
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images
Cincinnati Bengals wide-receiving duo Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens refer to themselves as the Batman and Robin of the NFL, but in the hip-hop world, Jay-Z and Eminem are more like the Batman and Superman of music. And just like it's rare to see the two titans of comics together in the same panel, you know it's a special occasion when Slim Shady and Jigga team up for a live show.
That's why fans are freaking out about the first of four planned joint concerts between the dynamic duo, which kick off at Em's hometown stadium, Comerica Park, on Thursday night (September 2) and wind up next weekend in Jay's backyard at Yankee Stadium on September 12 and 13. Nobody knows who the pair will bring onstage as special guests or what they'll play, though we did learn Wednesday that VMA nominee B.o.B will open all four dates.
But how do the massive careers of these two titans measure up? Both have sold tens of millions of albums and played to hundreds of thousands of fans during their decade-plus in the public eye, and each brings a unique strength and style.
Let's break down their numbers to get a sense of what led up to this historic collabo:
On the Charts
Eminem has been a chart titan for his entire career, posting six #1 albums in a row on the Billboard 200, along with four #1 singles on the Billboard singles chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, his U.S. album sales are 38.3 million, with an additional 30.5 million U.S. downloads on songs where he's the lead artist.
His best-selling download to date is "Lose Yourself," which SoundScan reports has sold 2.9 million copies, while his feature on the Akon tune "Smack That" pads his résumé with another 3 million in downloads credited to 'Kon. Marshall's best-selling album is The Marshall Mathers LP, which has banked more than 10 million copies.
Jay has some equally gaudy numbers, beginning with a jaw-dropping 11 #1 albums on the Billboard 200, along with four #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, though that includes only one solo #1, "Empire State of Mind," and three features.
Though Eminem has stronger overseas sales, Jigga's not far behind in total U.S. album sales, with Nielsen SoundScan reporting that the Yankees fan has sold 31.4 million discs to date, including collaborative works with R. Kelly and Linkin Park. He's also no slouch in the download department, clocking 21.4 million downloaded tracks as a lead artist, with the Alicia Keys-featuring track "Empire State of Mind" ringing up his biggest digital numbers at 3.9 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life stands as Jay's best-selling album to date, with more than 5.3 million units shifted.
When Nielsen SoundScan released the list of the best-selling artists of the decade so far, Em topped it at 31.1 million, with Jay rounding out the top 10 at #10 with 19.4 million.
The pair are almost even when it comes to Grammys, with Eminem edging out Jay 11-10. But when you tally up total worldwide sales, it's clear that Slim Shady holds the crown, with more than 80 million units shifted to Jay's 40 million.
On the Stage
"Rap, as a genre, does not translate as well to a concert stage as bands in the recorded music world," Pollstar Editor in Chief Gary Bongiovanni said. "And not a lot of acts have that strong a touring career, but among touring rap artists, I'd have to say these two, along with 50 Cent, are among the most successful touring rap artists of their time."
Eminem has the lighter touring résumé, according to Bongiovanni. Unlike Jay, who has toured more than half a dozen times in this decade, Em, 37, has only really had a handful of major outings, starting with some non-headlining dates in 2001 on the Up in Smoke Tour, as well as taking the lead on the inaugural dates of his Anger Management package.
In 2002, he headlined the second Anger Management outing, hooking up with Papa Roach, Ludacris and Xzibit and the X-Ecutioners, which Bongiovanni said averaged around 23,000 fans per show and grossed $1.3 million per date and, like the first effort, also went overseas for some European dates.
There were a few sporadic shows in 2003, and then Em brought Anger Management back in 2005 with Ludacris, G-Unit, Lil Jon and 50 Cent for a 24-show swing that, according to the data on the 22 shows reported to Pollstar, averaged more than 15,000 fans and grossed more than $1 million per show. The planned European dates were scotched when Em checked into rehab for treatment of an addiction to prescription medication.
Since then, Shady has only performed a handful of times. "There's something to be said for pent-up demand," Bongiovanni said of Eminem's success at drawing major crowds during his sporadic touring career.
Jay, 40, on the other hand, has lately made touring an intricate part of his career. He's gone from headlining 3,000- to 6,000-seat venues in 2001 to playing to an average of more than 10,000 on his aborted Best of Both Worlds double-bill with R. Kelly in 2004 — which grossed more than $1.4 million per stop — and right around that for his 2009 Blueprint 3 Tour with N.E.R.D., Wale and J. Cole. That tour hit arenas and played to an average of 8,500 fans, grossing $543,000 per show.
While he continues to be a big draw in Europe, with his high-energy, full-band presentation, Jay solidified his place as one of the premier rap touring acts in the U.S. in 2010 by hooking up with Young Jeezy and Trey Songz for a sold-out arena tour that averaged 12,900 fans and around $1 million per show, according to Pollstar. Jay will also open some dates for U2 in November and made stops at the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals this summer.
The Scorecard
That puts the two rap giants around even, so you can expect them to bring the goods at what promises to be a historic four-night stand.
What special guests do you hope Em and Jay will bring out at the hometown shows? Let us know in the comments!
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Eminem and Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Getty Images
Nicki Minaj Calls VMA Appearance 'Pinnacle Of My Career'
'I just feel like, this is my coming-out party,' the Best New Artist nominee and pre-show performer says.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Nicki Minaj
Photo: MTV
Very few newcomers have had as a grand of a debut as Nicki Minaj. She is still weeks away from dropping her hotly anticipated first LP, Pink Friday, but she's already scored a #1 hit with "Your Love" and an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best New Artist.
VMA night is shaping up to be a major event for the Young Money diva who will not only contend with chart-toppers like Justin Bieber and Ke$ha for a Moonman, but also hit the stage at the pre-show. In addition to making her first-ever televised solo performance, the Queens MC is hooking up some of her Barbz with the chance to witness the VMA action firsthand. Minaj will kick off a Twitter contest on September 7 that will give 10 fans the chance to check out her pre-show set. Fans who want to see Minaj rock the stage, should follow @NickiMinaj and @MTVTJ for more info.
Like the lucky winners of her Twitter contest, Minaj will get to experience the VMAs up close, and the star said that she's pumped to be involved. "I'm so excited to be a part of this. This is major," Minaj said on the set of the promo shoot for the big night. The femcee, who appears in the clip in the style of a hip-hop Bond girl, commands a motorcycle in an ultra-snug catsuit. She added that filming the VMA visual is a bit more involved than shooting the music videos to her hit collabos and solo smashes.
"This thing today has been like shooting a movie," Minaj observed. "It's very specific. When I shoot videos it's just about performing and doing whatever you want. But with this it's more like, 'No, this is the shot we need so we have to ... get that shot.' "
Ultimately, Minaj was down to be detail-oriented for the shoot and said that being involved in the VMAs is an honor for any up-and-comer.
"This is something that everybody dreams of being a part of ... and I am no exception to that rule," Minaj said. "I just feel like, this is my coming-out party. It's like, really, the pinnacle of my career so far."
What are you expecting from Nicki Minaj's appearance at the VMAs? Let us know in the comments below!
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through September 12.
Related Videos Related ArtistsWes Craven praises young additions to 'Scream 4'
'(Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell) do have a very significant and exciting role in the film,' director reveals.
By Kara Warner
Wes Craven
Photo: Getty Images
Wes Craven fans have a lot to be excited about these days, as the beloved writer/director has not one, but two highly anticipated projects on his plate, the first of which is a horror/thriller due October 8.
The second project is "Scream 4." the long-awaited fourth chapter in Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson's hugely popular franchise, which not only reunites the original cast (David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox), but includes a slew of popular young stars, including Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Rory Culkin, Shenae Grimes and Lucy Hale.
When we caught up with Craven to discuss "My Soul to Take," we couldn't help but prod the man in charge for some "Scream 4" scoop, beginning with how he managed to assemble his original stars.
"Well, I could take credit for it, but it wouldn't be accurate," he said.
By the time Craven was asked to direct, Dimension studio head Bob Weinstein had already secured Cox, Arquette and Campbell.
"It was just a matter of me saying, 'Sure,' " Craven added.
For the director, the allure of rejoining the team to work on a good script was icing on the cake.
"I think all of us wanted to do something written by Kevin [Williamson] and to work together again," he said. "We all had such wonderful times on the first three. It has been a return to a great deal of fun — just the pleasure of working together again. We know each other inside and out. There's a lot of shorthand and a lot of fun memories from our past escapades."
Regarding the new additions to the franchise, Craven was full of praise for his young stars.
"The young cast is amazing," he said. "They're extremely bright and a very varied cast. ... They're just great to work with. It's fun to be doing that combination of the sort of classic actors of the first three and this new group of kids. [They] have very different and fresh personalities and great acting talent."
And what about the plot? How does it fit within the franchise, and how does it differ?
"It's a clear and/or pretty well-known [fact] that it's a return to Woodsboro for Sydney Prescott, who is Neve's character," Craven said. "Courtney and David have, as they did in real life, have gotten married and are living in Woodsboro, so it's the story of Sid's return to Woodsboro and the series of events that take place there where those three are thrown together in a wild and crazy way, and then a group of kids that get meshed in the plot."
Speaking of that group of kids, Craven went on to say that managing the appearances of all his young stars — most of whom are speculated to be making quick cameos — has been a pleasure rather than a headache.
"Well, that's the great joy — it's fun," he said. "A lot of these actors I didn't know that well or have not worked with most of them, or any of them, as a matter of fact," Craven explained. "They always say, 'It's great working with you. I've wanted to work with you for a long time,' but it's wonderful working with actors like this that are very young and have a large following already because of their talent, and just to spend one or two days with them to do these kind of set/bit pieces is a lot of fun."
With regard to those one- or two-day roles, we tried to get Craven to reveal a few specifics about two recently announced "guests" in particular: Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell.
"I don't know what I'm allowed to say," he laughed. "They do have a very significant and exciting role in the film, let me put it that way."
What do you think of the star-studded "Scream 4" cast? Who do you think will be the villain? Tell us in the comments.
From the saucy Jessica Alba in "Little Fockers" to James Franco's grueling journey in "127 Hours," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.
Check out everything we've got on "Scream 4."
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