Encore (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Encore | ||
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| Studio album by Eminem | ||
| Released | November 12, 2004 | |
| Recorded | March - June 2004 in Los Angeles, California | |
| Genre | Hip hop | |
| Length | 77:48 | |
| Label | Aftermath/Interscope | |
| Producer(s) | Dr. Dre, Eminem, Luis Resto and Mike Elizondo | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Eminem chronology | ||
| 8 Mile Soundtrack (2002) |
Encore (2004) |
Curtain Call: The Hits (2005) |
Encore is an album by the rap artist Eminem. It was set for release on November 16, 2004, but was moved up to November 12, due to the leakage of the album on the Internet. Encore was eventually certified 4x Platinum. Despite the commercial success of the album it has been subject to mass criticism amongst critics and fans alike for it's "comically lurid" tone and dumbed down lyricism. That being said, the song Encore off the album, which features Dr.Dre and 50 Cent was nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year in 2006. The song 'Mockingbird' was also nominated at the Grammy's in 2006 for Best Rap Solo Performance, but lost to Kanye West's 'Gold Digger'.
This album provoked even less controversy than The Eminem Show. This is largely due to the fact that shock-oriented lyrics are toned down even more. Some shock-oriented lyrics are still present, however this album contains a somewhat lighter approach than Eminem's previous three albums. However, the album did provoke controversy over anti-Bush lyrics and lyrics that made fun of Michael Jackson.
The album features substantially more production from Dr. Dre than The Eminem Show, which was mostly produced by Eminem and longtime collaborator Jeff Bass.
"Encore" was nominated at the Grammy Awards of 2006 for Best Rap Album, but lost to Kanye West's Late Registration. It was Eminem's first major album not to win this award, since The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, and The Eminem Show all won it in the year they were released.
The cover for "Encore", which shows Slim Shady taking a "final bow", is representative of the fact that Eminem would soon plan to retire his alter ego. The outro to the title track also hints to this, as Slim Shady can be heard shooting his entire audience and finally committing suicide by sticking a pistol in his mouth. These events are also represented in the album's artwork.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Curtains Up" (Encore Version) | 0:46 | ||
| 2 | "Evil Deeds" | Dr. Dre | 4:19 | |
| 3 | "Never Enough" | Dr. Dre | 50 Cent, Nate Dogg | 2:39 |
| 4 | "Yellow Brick Road" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 5:46 | |
| 5 | "Like Toy Soldiers" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 4:56 | |
| 6 | "Mosh" | Dr. Dre | 5:17 | |
| 7 | "Puke" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 4:07 | |
| 8 | "My 1st Single" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 5:02 | |
| 9 | "Paul" (Skit) | Paul Rosenberg | 0:32 | |
| 10 | "Rain Man" | Dr. Dre | 5:13 | |
| 11 | "Big Weenie" | Dr. Dre | 4:26 | |
| 12 | "Em Calls Paul" (Skit) | 1:11 | ||
| 13 | "Just Lose It" | Dr. Dre | 4:08 | |
| 14 | "Ass Like That"* | Dr. Dre | 4:25 | |
| 15 | "Spend Some Time" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Stat Quo) | 5:10 |
| 16 | "Mockingbird" | Eminem, Luis Resto | 4:10 | |
| 17 | "Crazy in Love" | 4:02 | ||
| 18 | "One Shot 2 Shot" | Eminem, Luis Resto | D12 | 4:26 |
| 19 | "Final Thought" (Skit) | 0:30 | ||
| 20 | "Encore/Curtains Down | Dr. Dre | Dr. Dre, 50 Cent | 5:48 |
* — In the track listing on edited version cuts, this track is listed as "A** Like That"
** - Proof, though he was still alive at the time, does not have any vocals in this song, though all of D12 is credited.
Bonus CD:
- "We As Americans" (Produced by Eminem & Luis Resto) — 4:39
- "Love You More" (Produced by Eminem & Luis Resto) — 4:47
- "Ricky Ticky Toc" (Produced by Eminem & Luis Resto) — 2:49
[edit] Trivia
- On Eminem's official website track seven of this album is listed as "Christopher Reeves" is removed and all the songs before track seven are moved down one number. Apparently there was a song ready about Christopher Reeve but due to his death it was taken off the album.
- The "Like Toy Soldiers" video shows rapper Proof dying by being shot, which, ironically, is the way he later died in real life.
- The track "Big Weenie" was featured in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Dog Eat Dog). It was played during a scene where Eric Szmanda's character was examining hot dogs. It was also sampled by the gabber group Angerfist and is found on the Pissin' Razorblades album at the beginning of the track "Spit on you."
- There were rumors that a video for "Crazy in Love" was shot in July 2005 and that both the single and the video were to be released by the end of July, but by the end of month the neither occurred. Because of recent developments concerning Eminem cancelling a European tour citing exhaustion and entering rehab for a dependency for sleeping pills, it is speculated that there was never a planned release for the song as a single and that the video was never shot. The song samples the Heart song "Crazy on You".
- Dr. Dre's vocals in "Rain Man", consisting only of "yeah" and "what up", were sampled from the track "Bitch Please II" on The Marshall Mathers LP, which begins with him saying "Yeah, what up, Detroit?"
[edit] Singles
| Single cover | Single information |
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"Just Lose It"
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"Encore"
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"Like Toy Soldiers" [Europe Only Single]
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"Mockingbird"
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"Ass Like That" |
The album's lead single, "Just Lose It," premiered on radio stations across the U.S. on September 23, 2004. The "Just Lose It" video was also available around the world since early October 2004. It makes fun of pop singer Michael Jackson. Soon after the videos release, it was banned from BET because of it's comical references to Michael.
"Mosh" is an anti-Bush song, and it was the second song to be "leaked" to the Internet. A music video was also leaked before the 2004 presidential elections.
"Encore" featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent was released as airplay only. Without much mainstream response or video to support the single it didn't hit the top ten.
The second single was "Like Toy Soldiers", depicting the rap feud between Shady Records, Murder Inc. Records, and Benzino. It called for an end to the feud between the two companies.
"Mockingbird" was the third single released, describing the feelings he has for his daughter Hailie Jade. The song discusses a lot of questions that the public may add and it had a simple beat and in many magazines it is praised as one of the best and most mature songs on "Encore".
"Ass Like That", the fourth and final single, was released in 2005. It was not well-received by the public, as his previous ones.
[edit] External links
- Eminem Encore Lyrics
- Eminem Encore Production Credits
- MTV.com - News - New Eminem Album, Encore, Due In November
- WSWS.org - Eminem’s new release, Encore: delusions, megalomania and social confusion
| Preceded by Now 17 by Various Artists |
Billboard 200 Number 1 Album November 27, 2004 - December 10, 2004 |
Succeeded by How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2 |
| Preceded by Loyal to the Game by 2Pac |
Billboard 200 Number 1 Album January 8, 2005 - January 21, 2005 |
Succeeded by American Idiot by Green Day |
