Infinite (Eminem album)
| Infinite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Eminem | ||||
| Released | August 10, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995−96 | |||
| Genre | Underground hip hop | |||
| Length | 37:54 | |||
| Label | Web | |||
| Producer | Peter Schorn & Mr. Porter | |||
| Eminem chronology | ||||
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Infinite is the solo debut album of American rapper Eminem, released August 10, 1996, through Web Entertainment. The album was recorded at the Bass Brothers' studio, known as the "Bassmint" and produced by Mr. Porter, Proof and Peter Schorn. It features vocals from fellow rappers Proof, Mr. Porter, Eye-Kyu, Three and Thyme. The album sold only about 1,000 copies, and received rare reviews, which were mixed, mainly criticizing the album's production but praising Eminem's lyrical ability. While Eminem's future albums would prove more successful, the rapper still gained some recognition for his debut effort.
Background and composition
Marshall "Eminem" Mathers was initially signed to FBT Productions in 1992, run by brothers Jeff and Mark Bass. Eminem also held a minimum-wage job of cooking and dish washing at the restaurant Gilbert's Lodge at St. Clair Shores for some time.[1] In 1996, Eminem's debut album Infinite, which was recorded at the "Bassmint", a recording studio owned by the Bass Brothers, was released under their independent label Web Entertainment.[1] Eminem was encouraged by others, who noted he sounded similar to rapper AZ.[2] Mr. Porter produced the entire album, while Proof programmed the drums.[3]
Mathers purposely made Infinite's songs "radio-friendly" in hopes of getting on the air on Detroit radio stations.[3] It features vocals from fellow rappers Proof, Mr. Porter, Eye-Kyu, Three and Thyme.[4] Only around a thousand copies of the album were made.[5] Subjects covered in Infinite included his struggles with raising his newborn daughter Hailie Jade Mathers while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[1] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of drugs and alcohol culminated in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.[6] In 2009, Thisis50.com re-released it as a free download on their website to build anticipation for Eminem's highly anticipated comeback album Relapse.[7]
Reception
Eminem recalls: "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of feedback saying that I sounded like AZ. Infinite was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It was a growing stage. I felt like Infinite was like a demo that just got pressed up."[2] Allmusic gave it an "Editor Score" of 2.5 out of 5 stars, without a review.[8] Rob Kenner of Complex gave the album an unfavorable review, saying Eminem "has yet to develop his own distinctive style".[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Infinite" | Mr. Porter | 4:04 | |
| 2. | "W.E.G.O." (Interlude) (featuring Proof & DJ Head) | Mr. Porter | 0:26 | |
| 3. | "It's OK" (featuring Eye-Kyu) | Mr. Porter | 3:33 | |
| 4. | "313" (featuring Eye-Kyu) | Mr. Porter | 4:14 | |
| 5. | "Tonite" | Mr. Porter | 3:46 | |
| 6. | "Maxine" (featuring Mr. Porter & Three) | Mr. Porter | 3:58 | |
| 7. | "Open Mic" (featuring Thyme) | Mr. Porter | 4:06 | |
| 8. | "Never 2 Far" | Mr. Porter | 3:41 | |
| 9. | "Searchin'" (featuring Eye-Kyu) | Mr. Porter | 3:48 | |
| 10. | "Backstabber" | Mr. Porter | 3:26 | |
| 11. | "Jealousy Woes II" | Mr. Porter | 3:20 | |
Total length: |
37:54 | |||
- Notes
- Track listing and credits from album booklet.[4]
Samples
"Backstabber"
- "Fuckin Backstabber" by Soul Intent
- "Jealous" by LL Cool J
"Jealousy Woes II"
- "Jealous" by LL Cool J
- "The World Is Yours" by Nas
- Contains an interpolation of "Butter" by A Tribe Called Quest
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bozza, Anthony (2003). Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem. New York, New York, United States: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 1-4000-5059-6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Eminem biography". Eminem.com. Interscope Records. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ryon, Sean (April 21, 2012). "Mr. Porter Talks Debut Album "tHe mEmO," Eminem's First Album "Infinite"". Hip Hop DX. IPC Media. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Infinite (CD liner). Eminem. United States: Web Entertainment. 1996. 0382556977426.
- ↑ Padania, Jesal "Jay Soul" (August 12, 2008). "Eminem: Infinite". Rap Reviews. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ↑ Ankeny, Jason; Torreano, Bradley. "Eminem – Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
- ↑ "Eminem's rare debut album released free online". NME. May 14, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ↑ "Infinite - Eminem". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Kenner, Rob (November 12, 2013). "Eminem "Infinite" (1996)". Complex. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
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