REAL SLIM SHADY SHOWS SALES STRENGTH

Rap fans, alternative fans, hell, music fans in general, just couldn't get enough of Eminem's sophomore album, "The Marshall Mathers LP," which was released Tuesday (5/23).

Fans were in a near frenzy, rushing retail outlets across the country to purchase the album, which is being propelled by the crossover hit single "The Real Slim Shady."

"They were literally running into the stores to buy it, leaving the shrink-wrap in the parking lots as they rushed to their cars to play it," said Best Buy's Kevin Engler about the first-day reaction of record buyers to Eminem's Aftermath/Interscope release. "It was the biggest first-day sales figure in our history."

"The Marshall Mathers LP" hit retail yesterday, with sales projecting to a first-week total of between 1.5-2 million, which would make it the second-biggest selling album next to NSYNC's "No Strings Attached," which sold 2.4 million its first week of release last March.

Industry watchers point to a strong rating by MTV's Eminem Week and a huge sales push by Interscope for the explosion at retail.

Other projections include matchbox twenty (330k), A Perfect Circle (200k) and Don Henley (125k). Early returns show Britney's second-week sales to be off about 50%, which would still give her a healthy 600k and #2 behind the Eminem steamroller. "It's just indicative of how he's struck a chord with America's youth," adds Engler. "And, best of all, we're selling a shitload of microwave ovens, too."