The Eminem Show
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| The Eminem Show | ||
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| Studio album by Eminem | ||
| Released | May 28, 2002 | |
| Recorded | 2001 - 2002 | |
| Genre | Hip hop | |
| Length | 77:19 | |
| Label | Shady/Aftermath/Interscope | |
| Producer(s) | Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jeff Bass | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Eminem chronology | ||
| The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) |
The Eminem Show (2002) |
Eminem is Back (2004) |
The Eminem Show is Eminem's third album after signing to a major label, Aftermath Entertainment.
Before the release of The Eminem Show, Eminem was trying to think of a title for the CD. He was going to use the regular suffix that he used on all of the other CDs: LP/EP, but decided that it would get bland after awhile. So he instead put the word "show" into it.
It was intended to be released in June 2002, but Interscope decided to release the album early on May 28 when pirated copies of the tracks began to pop up on popular peer-to-peer file sharing networks and even played on the radio for the first time on the popular Opie and Anthony radio show. In the U.S. however, many stores actually began selling on Sunday, May 26.
The Eminem Show is a reflective album, featuring a more personal and serious side of Eminem but presents a lighter, and not as hard-core/controversial/darker feel than his previous albums. He still sparks controversy in this album but not nearly as much as The Marshall Mathers LP. Many say this was the album where Eminem started to lighten-up and become more of a happier man. This is true, and Eminem has admitted it himself, because he received custody of his daughter who he loves more than anything and many other reasons. He touches on the issues of race in Hip Hop, especially in the second track on the album, "White America", his childhood, especially in "Cleanin' Out My Closet", his conviction for assaulting a nightclub bouncer in 2000, his status as a both a hip-hop and pop superstar, and his relationship with his ex-wife Kim and daughter Hailie. Unlike The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show's release came off without significant complaints about misogyny or homophobia. This is likely due to the fact that the album does not prominently feature the word "faggot", or other derogatory terms directed towards homosexuals, and no tracks are potentially offensive or misogynistic in the mold of "Kill You" or "Kim" on the previous album. While some shock-oriented lyrics are still present, they are significantly toned down in terms of controversy.
The album also saw Eminem take a substantially more predominant production role; most of it was self-produced, with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass co-producing several tracks. Dr. Dre, in addition to being the album's executive producer, produced three individual tracks: "Business," "Say What You Say," and "My Dad's Gone Crazy."
The Eminem Show was the best-selling album of 2002, with 7.6 million copies by year end. At the Grammy Awards of 2003 it was nominated for Album of the Year and became Eminem's third straight LP to win the award for Best Rap Album.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 317 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
[edit] The Tracks
[edit] "Curtains Up"
The first track is a skit called "Curtains Up (Skit) in which Eminem walks onto a stage, taps the microphone, and cleares his throat.
[edit] "White America"
White America was a controversial song about racism and censorship. The song says several controversial things, such as "Let's do the math if I was black/I would have sold half" and towards the end, he screams "Fuck you Ms. Cheney/Fuck you Tipper Gore. The song ends with "I'm just playing America, you know I love you." This is similar to the end of "Kill You" in which Eminem says "I'm just playing ladies, you know I love you." Both of these songs were Track 2 on their albums.
An animated music video was made for this song.
[edit] "Business"
- Main article: Business
Business was a song with Eminem (Marshall) and Dr. Dre (Andre). These two people act as superheroes to save the world of rap, similar to Without Me. Eminem exaggeratedly glorifies his contributions to hip-hop music for tongue-in-cheek humor effect.
[edit] "Cleanin' Out My Closet"
- Main article: Cleanin' Out My Closet
A song about how his mom and ex wife have deeply affected his life. He also clearly lets it be known that his hatred for his mom is not just some money-making antic.
[edit] "Square Dance"
Track 5 is a song with a dark, heavy, square dance-like beat. "Square Dance" is a song to serve somewhat as a dark "Welcome me back but don't fuck with me" from Eminem. Eminem had been laying low for two years between "The Marshall Mathers LP" and "The Eminem Show" so he naturally has a lot to address. This is the song where nearly all of the hardcore, confrontational addressing was done. He used this song to let his foes know that he knows what they have been saying during his absence. Two main targets of "Square Dance" are Canibus and The U.S. Government. The term "Square Dance" is used the same way "Beef" would be.
[edit] "The Kiss (Skit)"
The Kiss is a skit in which Eminem and a friend (Gary) plan to scare Kim Mathers, Eminem's ex. As they walk out of the car, Eminem notices she has kissed another man. The skit fades into the next song, Soldier.
[edit] "Soldier"
This song follows The Kiss, and is about his reaction to it. The song states what a soldier is and why Eminem is one.
[edit] "Say Goodbye To Hollywood"
Track 8 follows "Soldier" and "The Kiss" and is about Eminem wanting out of Hollywood and the lifestyle that comes with it. He addresses how fed up he is with being in the public eye.
[edit] "Drips"
Probably the most explicit song on the album, Drips is a rather sarcastic song about Eminem and Obie Trice being arrogant males "pimping" who they thought was a foolish ho when in fact the ho was pimping them. It begins with Obie's verse speaking (in graphic detail) about having sex with the girl, how he met her, and what was going through his mind when he did. Eminem's verse begins with his outrageous frustrations towards the girl (the same girl Obie had sex with) for she and her absurd, unnecessary mood swings. He later speaks about how she gave him AIDS and what violent things he is going to do to her when he gets home. His verse ends with him "connecting the dots" and "putting the puzzle together" to finally realize that the girl has been playing both he and Obie. The entire song was removed from the edited version of the album, and was replaced with a nine-second silence.
[edit] "Without Me"
- Main article: Without Me
"Without Me" was the lead single from "The Eminem Show" and was one of his biggest hit singles at the time. It is supposed to be a sequel to "The Real Slim Shady". It was also the first time Eminem's infamous "Guess who's back, back again, shady's back, tell a friend" line was used. In this track, Eminem raps about how, like him or not, the rap game is more boring without him. He also jokes about people's overwhelming serious attitude towards his music. In the music video, he and Dr. Dre are super heroes who attempt to stop an underage listener from purchasing his album.
[edit] "Paul Rosenberg (Skit)"
Paul Rosenberg calls Eminem and talks to him about not using his gun outside his home.
[edit] "Sing For The Moment"
- Main article: Sing For The Moment
A song featuring classic rock group Aerosmith. Eminem raps about how he is not responsible for what people do when they buy his records. He also addresses the pressure he encounters for having to use his popularity wisely. He speaks about how he does not want the mass amount of responsibility he has gotten due to his success. He talks about his teenage years briefly, and also addresses the club bouncer that he punched and got sued for. Many fans consider this to be one of his best songs. It has become somewhat of an anthem for angry, misguided, teenage youth. This song samples Dream On by Aerosmith. Joe Perry of Aerosmith plays the guitar outro
[edit] "Superman"
- Main article: Superman (song)
Possibly the most explicit song on the album. "Superman" is written in a way that it is as if he was speaking to the girl directly. "Superman" is about Eminem's "relationship" with ho's, gold diggers, and sluts. He is saying throughout the song that he is merely a man and men love sex. He also speaks about how simply because he has sex with a girl does not mean they are in a deep relationship or that they are even friends.
A video with erotic actress Gina Lynn was filmed, but it has never been shown on MTV due to its pornographic content, and can now only be found as a bonus on the DVD for the movie 8 Mile.
[edit] "Hailie's Song"
Track 14 contains Eminem rapping only on the last verse, he sings the rest, a format first used by Eminem in the diss track "I Remember" targeted at Everlast. The lyrics are about his daughter, and how the public thinks he's irresponsible and is not fit to raise a child. He really gives the listeners insight into who he is. He reveals his soft spot in "Hailie's Song". He also speaks about his reasons for hating his wife and how unfair the entire situation between the two of them has been to him.
Eminem ends the song with a reference to lines in his song "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" from The Slim Shady LP, by telling his daughter "Hailie, remember when I said if you ever need anything, Daddy would be right there? Guess what? Daddy's here, and I ain't going nowhere, baby."
[edit] "Steve Berman (Skit)"
This track strongly resemble another skit of the same name on The Marshall Mathers LP. Eminem walks into the office of Steve Berman, who is on the phone with Dr. Dre. Steve hangs up, and says to Eminem, in an angry tone that he got the record from upstairs. He get's as far as saying "And this by far, the most.." when Eminem shoots him, thinking Steve was going to hate the album. It turns out Steve thought it was the most incredible thing he'd ever heard.
[edit] "When The Music Stops"
Eminem and D12 rap about the stable condition of rap music and the resposibilities that rappers have. It showcases the ugly side of the music business. He speaks about how music has a much deeper affect on listeners lives than it should. The song is also about how phony and two-faced industry people are: They are happy and pleasant when you sell records but ignore and shun you when you don't. The message is not to take music so seriously and that simply because a popular artist says or does something does not mean it is really to be said or done. An alternative message could be that one should have a back-up plan if planning to be a superstar because everything is not as glamorous as it appears to be for celebrities and the road to stardom is rockier than one would predict.
[edit] "Say What U Say"
"Say What U Say" is a duet with Dr.Dre. This song addresses rappers and people in general who speak badly on an artists name when they are not there and then deny that they ever said anything. This song finds Eminem and Dr.Dre boasting to enemies that they see and hear everything. The two main targets in "Say What U Say" are Canibus and Jermaine Dupri. Dr. Dre takes shots at Jermaine Dupri, claiming that he has "over 80 million records sold/ and I ain't have to do it with 10 or 11 year olds", referring to Jermaine Dupri's protege at the time, Lil' Bow Wow, as well as his work with Kris Kross. The overall message is that if one has the balls to say something negative towards someone else when they are not present, then they should have the same balls to say the same negative remark to that person's face. The song ends with producer, Timbaland, saying "Tell them I said suck (record scratches) my dick." This is referring to Jermaine Dupri.
"Say What U Say" was originally intended as a single, but this plan never materialized, and the song would never chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
[edit] "'Till I Collapse"
This song is done in a similar fashion as Eminem's 2002 hit "Lose Yourself" in that they are both powerful and motivational and both begin with an intro where Eminem gives a brief speech. "'Til I Collapse" is a powerful, intense, moving track about Eminem addressing his problems with people who have problem's with him. He angrily and intensely touches every topic from his status in the rap community, to what other people think of him, to why people have ill feeling towards him. He speaks about the fact that too many people do not give him the respect he has earned and deserves. He speaks about how, like it or not, he is one of the best rappers in the industry and that people need to come to terms with. This is one of the most intense songs on the album. Nate Dogg is featured on the chorus.
[edit] "My Dad's Gone Crazy"
A song with his daughter, Halie Jade. This song could be thought of as Eminem's victory lap. Eminem raps about his resilience in the rap world. He speaks about how his music and thoughts are those of a genius. He also praises himself for being lyrically gifted and talented enough to have his lyrics send people through a roller coaster of emotions. Hailie says a small part of the hook.
[edit] "Curtains Close (Skit)"
Ken Kaniff walks onto an empty stage and sings an altered version of Without Me.
[edit] Track listing
All tracks produced by Eminem except for "Business," "Say What You Say," and "My Dad's Gone Crazy," which are produced by Dr. Dre.
- "Curtains Up" (skit) – 0:29
- "White America" (Bass/King/Mathers/Resto) (Co-produced by Jeff Bass for F.B.T. Productions) – 5:24
- "Business" (Bass/King/Mathers/Resto/Young) (Produced by Dr. Dre) – 4:11
- "Cleanin' Out My Closet" (Bass/Mathers) (Produced by Eminem and Jeff Bass) – 4:57
- "Square Dance" (Bass/Mathers/Resto) – 5:23
- "The Kiss" (skit) (Bass/Mathers) – 1:15
- "Soldier" (Mathers/Resto) – 3:46
- "Say Goodbye Hollywood" (Elizondo/Mathers/Resto) – 4:32
- "Drips" (featuring Obie Trice) (Bass/Mathers/Porter/Trice) – 4:45
- "Without Me" (Bass/Bell/Dudley/Horn/Mathers/McLaren) (Co-produced by Jeff Bass) – 4:50
- Contains resung elements from "Buffalo Girls" by Malcolm McLaren & an uncredited sample of "It's Gonna Be Such a Beautiful Day" by The Moments
- "Paul Rosenberg" (skit) (Performed by Paul D. Rosenberg, Esq.) – 0:22
- "Sing for the Moment" (Bass/King/Mathers/Resto/Tyler) (Co-produced by Jeff Bass) – 5:39
- "Superman" (Bass/King/Mathers) (Additional production by Jeff Bass) – 5:50
- "Hailie's Song" (Mathers/Resto) – 5:20
- "Steve Berman (skit)" (Performed by Eminem and Steve Berman) – 0:33
- "When the Music Stops" (featuring D12) (Carlisle/Feemster/Johnson/Mathers/Moore/Porter) (Co-produced by Denaun Porter) – 4:29
- "Say What You Say" (featuring Dr. Dre) (Elizondo/Feemster/Mathers/Young) (Produced by Dr. Dre) – 5:09
- "Till I Collapse" (featuring Nate Dogg) – 4:57
- Contains an uncredited sample of "We Will Rock You" by Queen
- "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (Elizondo/Feemster/Mathers/Young) (Produced by Dr. Dre) – 4:27
- "Curtains Close" (Performed by Ken Kaniff) – 1:01
Note: "Drips" does not appear on some Edited Version cuts.
[edit] Credits
- Eminem - Performer/Producer
- Dr. Dre - Executive producer/Producer/Performer
- Jeff Bass - Producer/Co-writer
- Luis Resto - Keyboards/Co-writer
- Obie Trice - Performer
- Dina Rae - Vocals
- D12 - Performers
- Nate Dogg - Vocals
- Hailie Jade - Performer
- Mike Elizondo - Bass/Co-writer
[edit] Album singles
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
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"Without Me" |
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"Cleanin' Out My Closet"
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"Sing for the Moment"
|
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"Business (featuring Dr. Dre)" |
Promotional singles were also released for "Superman" (featuring Dina Rae) and "Til I Collapse" (featuring Nate Dogg) [1].
| Eminem |
| Discography |
|---|
| Infinite | The Slim Shady EP | The Slim Shady LP | The Marshall Mathers LP | The Eminem Show | Straight from the Lab EP | Encore | Curtain Call: The Hits |
| Singles |
| "My Name Is" | "Guilty Conscience" | "The Real Slim Shady" | "The Way I Am" | "Stan" | "Without Me" | "Cleanin' Out My Closet" | "Lose Yourself" | "Sing For The Moment"| "Superman" | "Business" | "Just Lose It" | "Encore" | "Like Toy Soldiers" | "Mockingbird" | "Ass Like That" | "When I'm Gone" | "Shake That" | "You Don't Know" |
| Other songs and collaborations |
| "Forgot About Dre" | "Just Don't Give a Fuck" | "Dead Wrong" | "My Fault" | "Role Model" | "Mosh" | "Smack That" |
