Encore’s most inadvisable choices include talking like Rain Man, making a chorus “poo poo caca” in an English accent, puke noises, fart noises, shit noises, Pee-Wee Herman laughs, and, most famously, a whole song rapped as Triumph The Insult Comic Dog. He was also addicted to pills, which partially explains this cornucopia of “hickory dickory Dirk Diggler” decisions.
And why would anyone tell Eminem no in 2004? By then, he was a movie star, a critic’s darling, a label owner who launched 50 Cent, and an Academy Award winner. In honor of the long, strange, 20-year trip since this manic, motormouthed bruise-poker first asked if we liked violence, here’s Eminem’s albums ranked from worst to best.Įncore is a rambling disaster, sounding like the untethered impulses of someone who hasn’t been told “no” in a half decade. He sold 11 million copies of an album that has a skit where the Insane Clown Posse suck a dick. He’s got more Oscars than Tom Cruise, Joaquin Phoenix, and Edward Norton combined. His first Top 10 single had him complaining about boy bands, and his latest has him complaining about mumble rap. The word “Stan” is in the dictionary (though, to be fair, give some credit to Nas for formalizing its use as a noun). He’s been protested by GLAAD and embraced by Elton John. He’s been praised by Kanye West, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and caught the ire of Michael Jackson and Lynne Cheney. and used as DNC pump-up music by Barack Obama (who also kept Em on his iPod). Bush’s secret service, dissed on Twitter by Donald Trump Jr. He’s a rap purist and a pop star, managing #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits that don’t shy from mention of things like Kool Keith and fromunda cheese. He’s been called one of the greatest rappers of all time by Jay-Z and music for people who “drink way too much Mountain Dew” by Earl Sweatshirt. It may not shock the censors today, but to an entire generation, they still spit out each word in defiance.Verbally gifted, painfully self-aware, deliriously problematic - there’s really nothing like the last two decades of Eminem, the blonde swordsman. The Eminem Show stands the test of time as an example of Eminem’s unparalleled flow and provocative lyricism. The album would go on to win two Grammy awards and land on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. But Shady’s cute, Shady knew Shady’s dimples would help.”Įminem also mixes things up stylistically on the album, fusing guitar-driven melodies with rap rhythms on tracks like “Sing For The Moment,” where he heavily samples Aerosmith‘s “Dream On” and the stomp-stomp-clap from Queen’s “We Will Rock You” on “Til I Collapse,” striking crossover appeal to rock fans. If they were brown, Shady’d lose, Shady sits on the shelf. He’s also refreshingly self-aware, as he takes shots at his own privilege on tracks like “White America” when he raps “Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like yourself. “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” would become one of the unexpected hits of Marshall’s career, achieving the chart status that equally introspective songs “The Way I Am” and “Stan” only came close to. On The Eminem Show, it’s all about Marshall Mathers, whether he’s exorcising his family demons on “Cleaning Out My Closet” speaking on fame in “Without Me” or reflecting on being a father on “Hailie’s Song,” he’s one of the few rappers wholly capable of conveying regret, anger or even despair. With his previous albums, Eminem had introduced the world to his amplified alter ego Slim Shady, but also managed to sneak in personal details, all while maintaining an unassailable shield of masculine bravado. It appeared everyone wanted tickets to The Eminem Show. It immediately shot to No 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling album of 2002.
To minimize the collateral damage, Interscope decided to release the album early and The Eminem Show instantly sold 284,000 in its first 24 hours. The hype bar had been raised to say the least, and just 25 days prior to The Eminem Show‘s intended release date of June 4, the album had been leaked.