In the early 2000s, Eminem was at the top of the world. After releasing back-to-back classic albums; The Slim Shady LP (1999), The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), and The Eminem Show (2002), the rapper was even more untouchable by co-signing 50 Cent and forming a home to some prolific rappers like Obie Trice and Cashis, Shady Records. Let's also not forget about the classic must-watch battle rap movie, 8 Mile, that centers the life of Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith, a blue-collar Caucasian rapper who tries to make a breakthrough in Detroit battle rap scene. D12's two albums, Devil's Night (2001) & D12 World (2004), were also highly successful, with four million copies sold in the US alone and three platinum plaques.
All that came crashing down, slowly, but his 2004 release, Encore, marked the fall from the grace. As the title of the album suggests, Encore is a continuation of its predecessor, The Eminem Show, which set the bar of expectation even higher. Released on November 12, 2004, the latter half of the album lacks quality, mainly because of bootlegging, half-baked lyrics, and rushed production.
Encore, along with 2017's Revival, is often considered to be one of Eminem's worst albums. These are 12 facts about it, and how Eminem fell from grace.
12 The Concept Of Encore
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, encore means 'a demand for repetition or reappearance made by an audience.' Encore is Eminem's catharsis, and the concept underlying behind it is as a filler of what's left off from The Eminem Show. The album starts with Curtains Up skit and ends with Curtains Down.
11 Some Of The Original Tracks Were Leaked Before Its Release
"I remember four songs leaked, and I had to go to L.A. and get Dre and record new ones. I was in a room by myself writing songs in 25, 30 minutes because we had to get it done, and what came out was so goofy," Em told Vulture in 2017. "That's how I ended up making songs like Rain Man and Big Weenie ... If those other songs hadn't leaked, Encore would've been a different album."
10 Due To The Leak, The Release Date Was Pushed
Initially set to hit the stores on November 16, Eminem released Encore four days due to the leak. "We're not sure how much of the record has leaked, but people are very concerned," a close source told NME. "The release date may now come forward."
"We knew there would be a tremendous demand for this album," Steve Berman, Interscope's head of marketing, who appears on several Eminem's albums, added. "On our end, we were ready. We just had to press the button on the date."
9 The Story Behind We As Americans
Eminem wrote his controversial anti-government anthem, We As Americans, while he was on probation after pistol-whopping a 6'2" Hard Rock club bouncer, John Guerra, whom he saw kissing his then-wife, Kim. The event was dramatically re-enacted on The Kiss from Eminem's 2002 magnum opus, The Eminem Show.
8 The Secret Service Investigated Eminem For We As Americans
A year before the album's release, an unfinished version of We As Americans was leaked to the net, which contained lyrics, "I don't rap for dead presidents / I'd rather see the president dead."
The consequence was pretty costly. The Secret Service paid a visit to Eminem's house to see if the rapper meant any threat for the then-US pres, George Bush. "We are aware of the lyric and are in the process of determining what action, if any, will be taken," said Secret Service spokesman John Gill, as reported by CNN.
7 Eminem Vs. Michael Jackson
Eminem parodied Michael Jackson, who was being accused of child molestation at that time, with lyrics 'I don't mean rap, as in a new case / Of child molestation accusation' on Just Lose It. The King of Pop was outrageous about the scatological humor and threatened to sue the rapper.
"I've admired Eminem as an artist, and was shocked by this," the Billie Jean singer said, as reported by Guardian. "The video was inappropriate and disrespectful to me, my children, my family, and the community at large."
6 During The Recording Process Of Encore, Eminem Was In The Middle Of Producing Tupac's Posthumous Album, Loyal To The Game
Eminem is a longtime fan of Tupac Shakur, and producing a posthumous album for the West Coast legend would've been a great honor. Tupac's mother, who was the founder of Amaru Entertainment, Afeni Shakur, gave Eminem the green light to produce his son's fifth posthumous album, Loyal to the Game. It was released in 2004, the same year as Encore.
"You have no idea how much your son and his music has [sic] inspired not only the 'hip-hop' world but, speaking for myself, has inspired my whole career," Eminem wrote in an undated letter for Afeni.
5 Is Like Toy Soldiers A Karma?
The music video of Like Toy Soldiers is one of the unsolved mysteries in hip-hop. It centers the story of Bugz, a former D12 member who passed away from a drive-by shooting, and the fatal consequence of rap beefs. Bugz was portrayed by Eminem's best friend and the de jure leader of D12, Proof, who coincidentally passed away two years later after a billiard game gone wrong.
Speaking about the video, Eminem said, "I would stare at the ceiling and think about that video (Like Toy Soldiers). Did karma cause that to happen in real life? Did I? You always want to point the finger at somebody else when something like that happens, you know?"
4 Jessica Alba Was Initially Featured On Just Lose It Music Video
"Our first candidate was Jessica Alba. We couldn't get Jessica, and Paris (Hilton) happened to be in town," Eminem told Rolling Stone about Just Lose It music video.
"The song is about goin' to the club and losin' it, and you get so drunk you say the wrong thing. And we needed somebody to punch me, slap me and pull my hair," he added.
3 Forget Music Journalists. Eminem Is The Album's Biggest Critic
Eminem is Encore's harshest critic. He publicly 'disowned' the album on several occasions, including his 2018 Kamikaze interview with Sway Calloway. The rapper said, "Encore... [is] not what I would consider one of my better albums."
"Encore was mediocre," Eminem told Vulture in 2017. He also often ranks his 2009 album Relapse along with Encore as one of the worst projects of his discography.
2 Despite Earning 3 Grammy Nominations, Eminem Walked Home With Nothing
After a back-to-back Grammy's Best Rap Album victory with the holy trinity of SSLP-MMLP-TES, Encore ended the streak. The album earned three Grammy nominations for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and Best Rap Solo Performance. Despite making three nominations, Eminem walked home with nothing. Kanye West took home Best Rap Album instead, with Late Registration.
1 Even Though The Album Met Negative Reviews From The Critics, It Was Still A Massive Commercial Success
Encore was heavily criticized for its lackluster quality, but with Eminem's star power bamboozled on it, it seemed like doing just fine in the market. 710.000 copies were sold within the first three days, and the number doubled up to 1.5 million copies within the first week and 11 million copies just nine months after its release.