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Curtain Call: The Hits is the first greatest hits album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on December 6, 2005, under Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album collects Eminem's most popular singles, as well as three new songs, including a live version of "Stan", featuring English singer-songwriter Elton John performed at the 43rd Grammy Awards, plus the songs "Fack", "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That" featuring Nate Dogg. The album was certified Diamond in the United States on March 8, 2022[9] and quintuple platinum in New Zealand. It reached number one on several charts, including the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart. On July 11, 2022, Eminem announced a sequel to the album titled Curtain Call 2, which would contain material from his later work. It was released on August 5, 2022.[10] Chart performance Curtain Call: The Hits debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200, after two sales days, in a similar fashion to Eminem's previous album Encore. The album racked up first-week sales of nearly 441,000 and with close to 324,000 scans the second week for a two-week stay at number one. It slipped from number one to number four in its third week but surged 33 percent to finish with sales close to 430,000. The disc scored nearly 1.2 million scans in its first three weeks of release. It also gave Eminem his fifth straight number 1 album in the US and UK including the 8 Mile soundtrack. As of November 2013, the record had sold 3,782,000 copies in the United States.[11] Curtain Call was later certified Diamond by the RIAA in the United States.[12] The album's two singles, "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That", peaked at numbers 8 and 6 respectively in the US Billboard Hot 100. Only "When I'm Gone" qualified for the charts in the UK, where it peaked at #4. In August 2017, the album was declared the longest-running rap LP in the history of the Billboard 200.[13] Clean version A clean version of the album is also available. It has 15 tracks with both "Intro" and "FACK" removed (due to the extreme sexual nature of the latter, and the former's connection to the song) and "My Name Is" put to track one. The tracks appear exactly how they appeared on the clean versions of their respective albums except for the song "Guilty Conscience", which uses the radio edit. Certain profanities remain on several tracks, as words including "shit", "bitch", and "ass" were not censored on The Slim Shady LP or The Marshall Mathers LP. However, on "Just Lose It", the clean version leaves "ass" uncensored, unlike on Encore, the word "ass" was replaced with "thing". Track listing Explicit version track listing No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Intro" Dr. DreEminem[b]Luis Resto[a] 0:34 2. "Fack" Marshall MathersLuis RestoSteve King EminemLuis Resto[a] 3:26 3. "The Way I Am" (from The Marshall Mathers LP) Mathers Eminem 4:50 4. "My Name Is" (from The Slim Shady LP) MathersAndre Young Dr. Dre 4:28 5. "Stan" (featuring Dido) (from The Marshall Mathers LP) MathersDido ArmstrongPaul Herman The 45 KingEminem[b] 6:44 6. "Lose Yourself" (from 8 Mile) MathersJeff BassResto EminemJeff Bass[a] 5:26 7. "Shake That" (featuring Nate Dogg) MathersRestoKingNathaniel Hale EminemResto[a] 4:33 8. "Sing for the Moment" (from The Eminem Show) Steven TylerMathersBassRestoKing EminemBass[b] 5:40 9. "Without Me" (from The Eminem Show) MathersKevin BellBassMalcolm McLarenAnne DudleyTrevor Horn EminemBass[b]DJ Head[a] 4:50 10. "Like Toy Soldiers" (from Encore) MathersRestoMarta DawsonMichael Jay Margules EminemResto[a] 4:56 11. "The Real Slim Shady" (from The Marshall Mathers LP) MathersYoungTommy CosterMike Elizondo Dr. Dre 4:44 12. "Mockingbird" (from Encore) MathersResto EminemResto[a] 4:11 13. "Guilty Conscience" (featuring Dr. Dre) (from The Slim Shady LP) MathersYoung Dr. DreEminem[b] 3:19 14. "Cleanin' Out My Closet" (from The Eminem Show) MathersBass EminemBass 4:57 15. "Just Lose It" (from Encore) MathersYoungElizondoMark BatsonChris Pope Dr. DreElizondo 4:09 16. "When I'm Gone" MathersResto EminemResto[a] 4:41 17. "Stan" (Live) (featuring Elton John) MathersArmstrongHerman The Recording Academy 6:17

The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by the American rapper Eminem, and his first on a major record label. It was released on February 23, 1999, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Recorded in Ferndale, Michigan following Eminem's recruitment by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, the album features production from Dr. Dre, the Bass Brothers, and Eminem himself. Featuring West Coast hip hop, G-funk and horrorcore musical styles, the majority of The Slim Shady LP's lyrical content is written from the perspective of Eminem's alter ego, named Slim Shady, whom he created on the Slim Shady EP (1997). The Slim Shady LP contains cartoonish depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, which Eminem described as horror film-esque, in that it is solely for entertainment value. Although many of the lyrics on the album are considered to be satirical, Eminem also depicts his frustrations of living in poverty. The Slim Shady LP debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, just below TLC's FanMail, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was a critical and commercial success, with critics praising Eminem for his unique lyrical style, dark humor lyrics, and unusual personality.[2] The first single, "My Name Is", became Eminem's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won Best Rap Album at the 2000 Grammy Awards, while "My Name Is" won Best Rap Solo Performance. In 2000, The Slim Shady LP was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is often mentioned in lists of the greatest albums of all time. While The Slim Shady LP's success turned Eminem from an underground rapper into a high-profile celebrity, he became a highly controversial figure due to his lyrical content, which some perceived to be misogynistic and a negative influence on U.S. youth. Background Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, began rapping at age fourteen. In 1996, his debut album Infinite, which was recorded at the Bassmint, a recording studio owned by the Bass Brothers, was released under their independent record label Web Entertainment.[3] Infinite achieved very little commercial success and was largely ignored by Detroit radio stations. The commercial disappointment from this experience greatly influenced his lyrical style: "After that record, every rhyme I wrote got angrier and angrier. A lot of it was because of the feedback I got. Motherfuckers was like, 'You're a white boy, what the fuck are you rapping for? Why don't you go into rock & roll?' All that type of shit started pissing me off."[4] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of methadone and alcohol culminated in a suicide attempt.[5] The commercial disappointment inspired Eminem to create the alter ego Slim Shady: "Boom, the name hit me, and right away I thought of all these words to rhyme with it."[4] Slim Shady served as Eminem's vent for his frustration and rage to the world. In the spring of 1997, he recorded the eight-song extended play Slim Shady EP. During this time, Eminem and his girlfriend Kim Scott lived in a high-crime neighborhood with their newborn daughter Hailie, where their house was burglarized numerous times.[4] After being evicted from his home, Eminem traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the Rap Olympics, an annual nationwide rap battle competition. He placed second, and the staff at Interscope Records who attended the Rap Olympics sent a copy of the Slim Shady EP to company CEO Jimmy Iovine.[4] Iovine played the tape for hip hop producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment. Dr. Dre recalled, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'"[4] Some urged Dr. Dre not to take a chance on Eminem because he was white. Dr. Dre responded, "I don't give a fuck if you're purple. If you can kick it, I'm working with you."[6] Recording Eminem had idolized The Slim Shady LP co-producer Dr. Dre (pictured in 2008) since he was a teenager. The Slim Shady LP was recorded at Studio 8 at 430 8 Mile Road in Ferndale, Michigan.[7] Eminem, who had idolized Dr. Dre since listening to his group N.W.A as a teenager, was nervous to work with him on the album: "I didn't want to be starstruck or kiss his ass too much ... I'm just a little white boy from Detroit. I had never seen stars, let alone Dr. Dre."[8] However, Eminem became more comfortable working with Dr. Dre after a series of highly productive recording sessions. The recording process generally began with Dr. Dre creating a beat and Eminem using the tracks as a template for his freestyle raps; "Every beat he would make, I had a rhyme for", Eminem recalled.[9] He later said: "Every time I sat down with a pen, everything was just like: fuck you, fuck this, fuck them, fuck that, fuck the world, fuck what everybody thinks. Fuck them." On the first day of recording, Eminem and Dr. Dre finished "My Name Is" in an hour.[4] Three other songs, including "Role Model", were also recorded that day.[8] "'97 Bonnie & Clyde", which was formerly featured on the Slim Shady EP as "Just the Two of Us", was re-recorded for The Slim Shady LP to feature his daughter Hailie's vocals. Because the song focuses on disposing of his girlfriend's corpse, Eminem was not comfortable with explaining the situation to Kim, and instead told her that he would be taking Hailie to Chuck E. Cheese's.[4] He explained, "When she found out I used our daughter to write a song about killing her, she fucking blew. We had just got back together for a couple of weeks. Then I played her the song and she bugged the fuck out." Eminem also said, "When she (Hailie) gets old enough, I'm going to explain it to her. I'll let her know that Mommy and Daddy weren't getting along at the time. None of it was to be taken too literally, although at the time I wanted to fucking do it."[4] Eminem asked Marilyn Manson to guest appear on the song, but the singer declined because he felt that the song was "too misogynistic".[10] The song "Guilty Conscience" contains a humorous reference to an occasion in which Dr. Dre assaulted Dee Barnes. Having only known Dr. Dre for a few days, Eminem was anxious about how he would react to such a line, and to his relief, Dr. Dre "fell out of his chair laughing" upon hearing the lyric.[11] "Ken Kaniff", a skit involving a prank call to Eminem, featured fellow Detroit rapper Aristotle. After a falling out between the two in the wake of Eminem's breakthrough success, Eminem instead played Ken Kaniff on skits on future albums. Ken Kaniff would end up appearing in more Eminem albums over the course of his career and was last heard in The Marshall Mathers LP 2.[12] Another skit, "Bitch", is an answering machine message in which Zoe Winkler, daughter of actor Henry Winkler, tells a friend that she was disgusted by Eminem's music. He met and had dinner with her in order to get permission to use the recording on the album.[13] During the mixing process of The Slim Shady LP, at the same time, Kid Rock was recording his fourth studio album, Devil Without a Cause; being friends with Kid Rock, Eminem asked Kid Rock to record scratching for Eminem's song "Just Don't Give A Fuck", which appears on both Slim Shady EP & The Slim Shady LP; in return, Eminem delivered a guest rap verse on Kid Rock's song "Fuck Off" for Devil Without a Cause.[14] Production "My Name Is" Duration: 28 seconds.0:28 A 26-second song sample of "My Name Is". The song samples British artist Labi Siffre's song "I Got The" and features a prominent bassline as well as psychedelic-style keyboard sounds.[15][16] Problems playing this file? See media help. The album's production was handled primarily by Dr. Dre, the Bass Brothers, and Eminem.[17][18] The beats have been compared to West Coast hip hop and G-funk musical styles.[19] Kyle Anderson of MTV wrote that "The beats are full of bass-heavy hallucinations and create huge, scary sandboxes that allow Em to play."[17] According to the staff at IGN, "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" is backed by the "lulling serenity of a super silky groove".[15] "Cum on Everybody"; which features guest vocals from American singer Dina Rae[20] contains an upbeat dance rhythm, while "My Name Is", which is built around a sample from British musician Labi Siffre's "I Got The", features a prominent bassline and psychedelic-style keyboards.[17][15][16] "I'm Shady" was originally written over a Sade track, but after hearing a sample of Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" in Ice-T's song "I'm Your Pusher", Eminem decided it would be more fitting to use "Pusherman".[21] Eminem's vocal inflection on the album has been described as a "nasal whine"; Jon Pareles of The New York Times likened his "calmly sarcastic delivery" to "the early Beastie Boys turned cynical".[22] Writing for the Chicago Tribune, columnist Greg Kot compared the rapper's vocals to "Pee-wee Herman with a nasal Midwestern accent".[23] A skit entitled "Lounge" appears before "My Fault" featuring Eminem and the Bass Brothers imitating rat pack crooners. Jeff Bass came up with the line "I never meant to give you mushrooms" for the skit, which in turn inspired Eminem to write "My Fault".[24] Lyrical themes "Rock Bottom" Duration: 37 seconds.0:37 This song talks about Eminem's past troubles with money. This and many other themes are the basis for the album.[25] Problems playing this file? See media help. Many of the songs from The Slim Shady LP are written from the perspective of Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady, and contain cartoonish depictions of violence, which he refers to as "made-up tales of trailer-park stuff".[26] The rapper explained that this subject matter is intended for entertainment value, likening his music to the horror film genre: "Why can't people see that records can be like movies? The only difference between some of my raps and movies is that they aren't on a screen."[27] Some of the lyrics have also been considered to be misogynistic by critics and commentators.[28] Eminem acknowledged the accusations, and clarified, "I have a fairly salty relationship with women ... But most of the time, when I'm saying shit about women, when I'm saying 'bitches' and 'hoes', it's so ridiculous that I'm taking the stereotypical rapper to the extreme. I don't hate women in general. They just make me mad sometimes.'"[28] Despite the album's explicit nature, Eminem refused to say the word "nigga" on the album, noting, "It's not in my vocabulary."[28] The Slim Shady LP begins with a "Public Service Announcement" introduction performed by producer Jeff Bass of the Bass Brothers, and serves as a sarcastic disclaimer discussing the album's explicit lyrical content.[29] Later in the album, a skit entitled "Paul" features a phone call from Paul Rosenberg to Eminem telling him to "tone down" his lyrics.[30] "Guilty Conscience" is a concept song featuring Dr. Dre. The song focuses on a series of characters who are faced with various situations, while Dr. Dre and Eminem serve as the "angel" and "devil" sides of the characters' conscience, respectively.[17] The song draws inspiration from a scene in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon's Animal House, in which a man takes advice from an angel and devil on his shoulder while considering raping an unconscious girl at a party.[27] In the film, he ends up deciding not to go through with the rape, but in "Guilty Conscience", the outcome is unclear.[27] On "My Fault", Eminem tells the story of a girl who overdoses on psychedelic mushrooms at a rave.[31] "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" features Eminem convincing his infant daughter to assist him in disposing of his wife's corpse. It is an epilogue to the song "Kim", although "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" was released first. Eminem wrote the song at a time in which he felt that Kim was stopping him from seeing his daughter.[27] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic explained that "There have been more violent songs in rap, but few more disturbing, and it's not because of what it describes, it's how he describes it -- how the perfectly modulated phrasing enhances the horror and black humor of his words."[18] On the song "Brain Damage", Eminem discusses his childhood experiences with bullies at school, particularly recalling a traumatic incident where he sustained a serious concussion after he was severely beaten by a bully.[32] Although many of the lyrics on the album are intended to be humorous, several songs depict Eminem's frustrations with living in poverty. When discussing The Slim Shady LP, Anthony Bozza of Rolling Stone described Eminem as "probably the only MC in 1999 who boasts low self-esteem. His rhymes are jaw-droppingly perverse, bespeaking a minimum-wage life devoid of hope, flushed with rage and weaned on sci-fi and slasher flicks."[4] Eminem was inspired to write "Rock Bottom" after being fired from his cooking job at a restaurant days before his daughter's birthday.[4] The song bemoans human dependency on money, discussing its ability to brainwash an individual.[25] He illustrates his struggles to provide for his daughter, describing himself as "discouraged, hungry, and malnourished."[25] "If I Had" follows a similar theme, as he describes living on minimum wage and remarks that he is "tired of jobs starting off at $5.50 an hour".[33] In the song, he expresses his irritation with fitting the "white trash" stereotype.[34] Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [18] Chicago Sun-Times [35] Christgau's Consumer Guide A−[36] Entertainment Weekly C+[37] Los Angeles Times [38] Melody Maker [39] NME [40] Rolling Stone [19] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [41] Spin 8/10[42] The album was met with critical acclaim. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album five stars out of five, praising the rapper's "expansive vocabulary and vivid imagination", adding that "Years later, as the shock has faded, it's those lyrical skills and the subtle mastery of the music that still resonate, and they're what make The Slim Shady LP one of the great debuts in both hip-hop and modern pop music."[18] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly described the album's "unapologetic outrageousness" as a reaction to the "soul positivity" of conscious hip hop, noting that "The Slim Shady LP marks the return of irreverent, wiseass attitude to the genre, heard throughout the album in its nonstop barrage of crudely funny rhymes ... Even pop fans deadened to graphic lyrics are likely to flinch."[37] Soren Baker of the Los Angeles Times gave the album three and a half stars out of four and stated that "He isn't afraid to say anything; his lyrics are so clever that he makes murder sound as if it's a funny act he may indulge in simply to pass the time" but lamented the "sometimes flat production that takes away from the power of Eminem's verbal mayhem."[38] Many reviewers commented on the album's lyrical content. Gilbert Rodman of Popular Communications states, "Eminem's music contains more than its fair share of misogynistic and homophobic lyrics, but simply to reduce it to these (as many critics do) doesn't help to explain Eminem. It merely invokes a platitude or a sound bite to explain him away."[43] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone enjoyed the record's comedic nature, writing "Simply put: Eminem will crack you up", but also felt that the misogynistic lyrics grow tiresome, noting that "the wife-killing jokes of '97 Bonnie and Clyde' aren't any funnier than Garth Brooks', and 'My Fault' belongs on some sorry-ass Bloodhound Gang record."[19] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club felt that although the album is "sophomoric and uninspired" at times, Eminem's "surreal, ultraviolent, trailer-trash/post-gangsta-rap extremism is at least a breath of fresh air in a rap world that's despairingly low on new ideas."[44] Mike Rubin of Spin noted that "his scenarios are so far-fetched the songs almost never sound as ugly as they actually are."[42] Chris Dafoe of The Globe and Mail opined that "Abused by fellow students and teachers, cheated on by his girlfriend, despised by society, Shady goes over the top now and then - or rather way over the top - but Dre's lean production, full of strange voice and comic interjections, hold things together."[45] Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1999, Robert Christgau called the record a "platinum-bound cause celebre" and, despite succumbing to "dull sensationalism" toward the end, Eminem shows "more comic genius than any pop musician since", possibly, Loudon Wainwright III."[46] Accolades See also: List of awards and nominations received by Eminem At the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, the album won Best Rap Album, while "My Name Is" won Best Rap Solo Performance.[47] Rolling Stone ranked The Slim Shady LP number 275 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and 33 on its list of the "100 Best Albums of the '90s".[48][49] In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked The Slim Shady LP as the 352nd greatest album of all time on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. NME ranked it number 248 in its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[50] Blender ranked it number 49 in its list of The 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time.[51] "Ken Kaniff" was listed as number 15 on Complex's "50 Greatest Hip-Hop Skits" list, while the "Public Service Announcement" introduction to the album, along with the "Public Service Announcement 2000" introduction from The Marshall Mathers LP, was listed as number 50 on the list.[29][52] Spin later included it in their list of "The 300 Best Albums of 1985–2014".[53] It also won Outstanding National Album at the 2000 Detroit Music Awards.[54] In 2015, it was ranked at number 76 by About.com in their list of "100 best hip-hop albums of all time".[55] Christgau later named it among his 10 best albums from the 1990s.[56] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked The Slim Shady LP number 85 in their list of "The 200 Greatest Rap Albums of all time".[57] Commercial performance In the album's first week of release, The Slim Shady LP sold 283,000 copies, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart behind TLC's FanMail.[58] The record remained on the Billboard 200 for 100 weeks.[59] It also reached number one on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, staying on the chart for 92 weeks.[59] On April 5, 1999, The Slim Shady LP was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.[60] On November 15, 2000, the album was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.[60] "My Name Is", the album's lead single, peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for ten weeks.[61] The single additionally peaked at number 18 on the magazine's R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, 29 on the Pop Songs chart, and 37 on the Alternative Songs chart.[61] "Guilty Conscience" reached number 56 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while "Just Don't Give a Fuck" peaked at number 62 on the chart.[62][63] By November 2013, the album sold 5,437,000 copies in the United States.[64] on the weekly Canadian Albums Chart and remained on the chart for twelve weeks.[59] Additionally, the album was certified triple platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association for shipments of over 200,000 units.[65] The album was also certified double platinum in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number ten on the UK Albums chart and remained on the chart for a total of 114 weeks.[66][67] In Australia, the album peaked at number 49 on the ARIA Chart, and was eventually certified platinum in the country.[68][69] The album had also peaked at the number 20 and 23 chart positions in the Netherlands and New Zealand, respectively. It was certified gold in the Netherlands and platinum in New Zealand.[70][71][72] Aftermath The album's success transformed Eminem (pictured in a concert in Munich, Germany in October 1999) into an international celebrity. After the success of The Slim Shady LP, Eminem went from an underground rapper into a high-profile celebrity. Interscope Records awarded him with his own record label, Shady Records; the first artist Eminem signed was rapper and his best friend Proof.[73] Eminem, who had previously struggled to provide for his daughter, noted a drastic change in his lifestyle: "This last Christmas, there were so many fucking presents under the tree ... My daughter wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she's got one now. I can't stop myself from spoiling her."[73] "Anybody who believes kids are naive enough to take this record literally is right to fear them, because that's the kind of adult teenagers hate. [This cause célèbre dares] moralizers to go on the attack while explicitly—but not (fuck you, dickwad) unambiguously—declaring itself a satiric, cautionary fiction". — Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s (2000)[36] To promote The Slim Shady LP, Eminem embarked on an extensive tour schedule. He joined the Vans Warped Tour as a last-minute replacement for Cypress Hill, a schedule that included 31 North American dates from June 25 to July 31, beginning in San Antonio and ending in Miami.[74] He often played a show in the afternoon on the Warped Tour, and then drove to another location to perform at a hip hop club at night.[73] During a performance in Hartford, Connecticut near the end of the Warped Tour, Eminem slipped on a puddle of liquid and fell ten feet down off the stage, cracking several ribs.[74][75] He recalled that the stress of his newfound fame led him to drink excessively, and reflected, "I knew I had to slow it down. The fall was like a reminder."[75] However, after receiving medical attention, he was well enough to travel to New York the following day for a performance on Total Request Live.[74] Eminem also became a highly controversial figure due to his lyrical content. He was labeled as "misogynist, a nihilist and an advocate of domestic violence", and in an editorial by Billboard editor in chief Timothy White, the writer accused Eminem of "making money by exploiting the world's misery."[4] During a radio interview in San Francisco, Eminem reportedly angered local DJ Sista Tamu due to a freestyle about "slapping a pregnant bitch" to the extent that on air she broke a copy of The Slim Shady LP.[75] The rapper defended himself by saying, "My album isn't for younger kids to hear. It has an advisory sticker, and you must be eighteen to get it. That doesn't mean younger kids won't get it, but I'm not responsible for every kid out there. I'm not a role model, and I don't claim to be."[4] Lawsuits On September 17, 1999, Eminem's mother, Deborah Nelson, filed a $10 million lawsuit against him for slander based on his claim that she uses drugs in the line "I just found out my mom does more dope than I do" from "My Name Is".[76][77] After a two-year-long trial, she was awarded $25,000, of which she received $1,600 after legal fees.[76] Eminem was not surprised that his mother had filed the lawsuit against him, referring to her as a "lawsuit queen", and alleging that "That's how she makes money. When I was five, she had a job on the cash register at a store that sold chips and soda. Other than that, I don't remember her working a day in her life."[77] She later filed another lawsuit against him for emotional damages suffered during the first trial, which was later dismissed.[76] In December 2001, DeAngelo Bailey, a janitor living in Roseville, Michigan who was made the subject of the song "Brain Damage" in which he is portrayed as a school bully, filed a $1 million lawsuit against Eminem for slander and invasion of privacy.[32] Bailey's attorney stated "Eminem is a Caucasian male who faced criticism within the music industry that he had not suffered through difficult circumstances growing up and he was therefore a 'pretender' in the industry ... Eminem used Bailey, his African-American childhood schoolmate, as a pawn in his effort to stem the tide of criticism."[32] In 1982, Eminem's mother unsuccessfully sued the Roseville school district for not protecting her son, as she claimed that attacks from bullies caused him headaches, nausea, and antisocial behavior.[32] Additionally, Bailey had previously admitted to bullying Eminem in the April 1999 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.[4] The lawsuit was dismissed by judge Deborah Servitto in 2003, who wrote her ruling in the form of rap-like rhyme. She ruled that the lyrics—which include the school principal collaborating with Bailey, and Eminem's entire brain falling out of his head—were too exaggerated for a listener to believe that they were recalling an actual event.[78] The verdict was upheld in 2005, and Bailey's lawyer ruled out any further appeals.[78] In September 2003, 70-year-old widow Harlene Stein filed suit against Eminem and Dr. Dre on the grounds that "Guilty Conscience" contains an unauthorized sample of "Go Home Pigs" composed for the film Getting Straight by her husband, Ronald Stein, who died in 1988.[79] Although the album's liner notes state that the song contains an interpolation of "Go Home Pigs", Stein is not credited as a composer and his wife was not paid royalties for use of the song.[79] The lawsuit requested for 5 percent of the retail list price of 90 percent all of the copies of the record sold in America, and 2.5 percent of the retail price of 90 percent of the copies of the album sold internationally.[79] The suit was dismissed in June 2004 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.[80] Track listing All tracks are written by Marshall "Eminem" Mathers and the Bass Brothers (Mark Bass and Jeff Bass), except where noted No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Public Service Announcement" 0:33 2. "My Name Is" MathersAndre Young Dr. Dre 4:28 3. "Guilty Conscience" (featuring Dr. Dre) MathersYoung Dr. DreEminem 3:19 4. "Brain Damage" Bass BrothersEminem[a] 3:46 5. "Paul" (skit) 0:15 6. "If I Had" Bass BrothersEminem[a]DJ Rec[b] 4:05 7. "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" Bass BrothersEminem[a]DJ Head[b] 5:16 8. "Bitch" (skit) 0:19 9. "Role Model" MathersYoungMelvin Bradford Dr. DreMel-Man 3:25 10. "Lounge" (skit) 0:46 11. "My Fault" Bass BrothersEminem 4:01 12. "Ken Kaniff" (skit) 1:16 13. "Cum on Everybody" (featuring Dina Rae) Bass BrothersEminem[a] 3:39 14. "Rock Bottom" Bass Brothers 3:34 15. "Just Don't Give a Fuck" Bass BrothersEminem[a]Denaun Porter[b] 4:02 16. "Soap" (skit) 0:34 17. "As the World Turns" Bass BrothersEminem[a]Justin Trugman[b] 4:25 18. "I'm Shady" Bass BrothersEminem[a] 3:31 19. "Bad Meets Evil" (featuring Royce da 5'9") MathersRyan MontgomeryJeff BassMark Bass Bass BrothersEminem[a] 4:13 20. "Still Don't Give a Fuck" Bass BrothersEminem[a] 4:12 Total length: 59:39

The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Eminem. After it had originally scheduled for release on June 4, 2002, the album was released nine days earlier on May 26, 2002, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records due to pirating and bootlegging of it. The album saw Eminem take a substantially more predominant production role; most of it was self-produced, with his longtime collaborator Jeff Bass. It features guest appearances from Obie Trice, D12, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Dina Rae and Eminem's daughter Hailie Jade Scott-Mathers. The album incorporates a heavier use of rap rock than Eminem's previous albums, and its themes are predominantly based on Eminem's prominence in hip hop culture, as well as his ambivalent thoughts of fame. The album also features political commentary on the United States, including references to 9/11, Osama bin Laden, the War on terror, President George W. Bush, Lynne Cheney and Tipper Gore. Due to its less satirical and shock factor lyrical approach, The Eminem Show was regarded as Eminem's most personal album at the time and a step back from the Slim Shady alter ego. Widely considered the most anticipated album of 2002, The Eminem Show debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and stood there for six non-consecutive weeks. It sold over 1.3 million copies in its second week in the US, where it registered a full week of sales. It also topped the UK Albums Chart for five consecutive weeks. It produced four commercially successful singles, "Without Me", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "Superman", and "Sing for the Moment", and it features one of his most popular songs, "'Till I Collapse". The album was met with positive critical reviews, with praise directed at Eminem's mature, introspective lyricism and the album's experimental production. The Eminem Show was both the best-selling album of 2002 in the United States and the best-selling album worldwide of 2002, along with being the best-selling hip hop album in music history, and Eminem's most commercially successful album to date. The album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and its worldwide sales of 27 million copies make it one of the best-selling albums of all time and the second best-selling album of the 21st century. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album, while "Without Me" won Best Music Video. Blender, Muzik and LAUNCH named it the best album of 2002, and several publications named it among the best albums of the decade. Background Speaking to Spin, Eminem said, "Eventually, I might need some drama in my life to inspire me [...] With The Marshall Mathers LP, everything that everybody was saying–I took that, and it was my ammo. And then when shit died down a little bit, I had other turmoil in my personal life, so that was what I was able to dump out on The Eminem Show. Now, I just gotta wait for the next phase of my life. But something always seems to happen, man; something's always gotta be fucking turbulent."[2] Eminem cited that the inspiration for the album was taken from the Peter Weir-directed 1998 science fiction comedy-drama film The Truman Show. Jim Carrey starred in the film as the lead character Truman Burbank, a man who unwittingly lives inside a TV show, where his life is broadcast to viewers around the world.[2] Eminem spoke on the film's influence, saying, "My life felt like it was becoming a circus around that time, and I felt like I was always being watched [...] Basically, Jim Carrey wrote my album."[2] Recording Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2002, Eminem said ""Sing for the Moment" was the first song I wrote for the album; "Cleanin Out My Closet" was the second. I had the line in "Cleanin Out My Closet" — "I'd like to welcome y'all out to The Eminem Show"—and it was just a line, but I sat back and I was like, "My life is really like a fucking show." I have songs on the album that I wrote when I was in that shit last year, with a possible jail sentence hangin' over my head and all the emotions going through the divorce. I went through a lot of shit last year [lawsuits, divorce and the threat of jail time] that I resolved at the same time, all in the same year. And, yeah, that's when half of the album was wrote".[3] Eminem had started recording the album around the same time he was filming 8 Mile. Production was used for both the soundtrack of the film and his album. The album also saw Eminem take a substantially more predominant production role; most of it was self-produced, with his longtime collaborator Jeff Bass co-producing several tracks (mainly the songs which eventually became the released singles). Dr. Dre, in addition to being the album's executive producer, produced only three individual tracks: "Business", "Say What You Say", and "My Dad's Gone Crazy". Regarding his increase in producing, Eminem told Rolling Stone, "I actually know how to program a drum machine now. It used to be so simple—just writing lyrics and raps, laying vocals and leaving the studio was great. But now that I'm so into producing, it's a fucking job."[3] Music and lyrics Stylistically, The Eminem Show has a lighter tone than The Marshall Mathers LP[4] and incorporates a heavier use of rap rock than Eminem's previous albums,[5] featuring mixed guitar-driven melodies with hip-hop rhythms. In an interview with British magazine The Face in April 2002, Eminem said that he treated the album like it was a rock record. He continued that he "tried to get the best of both worlds" on the album.[6] Eminem spoke on specific rock influences, saying, "I listened to a lot of '70s rock growing up, when I was real little. When I go back and listen to them songs, like Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix...'70s rock had this incredible feel to it."[7] Notably, "Sing For The Moment" contains a sample of Aerosmith's "Dream On" as well as a reinterpretation of its guitar solo. Another rock sample on the album is the kick-clap beat of "'Till I Collapse", which is an interpolation of the intro from Queen's "We Will Rock You".[8] The themes of The Eminem Show are predominantly based on Eminem's prominence in hip hop culture and the subsequent envy towards him, as well as his thoughts on his unexpected enormous success and its consequential negative effects on his life.[4] The album also touches on Eminem's thoughts on themes surrounding American politics, including references to 9/11,[9] Osama bin Laden,[9] the war on terror[10] President George W. Bush,[11] Lynne Cheney[12] and Tipper Gore.[12] Speaking on his use of political commentary on the album, Eminem told Rolling Stone, "You put your shit out there for the world to see and to judge, and whoever agrees with you agrees with you. Even my most die-hard fans don't agree with everything I say. These are my views, this is how I see it. You may have your own opinion, but you may not get to project it to the world like I do."[3] Writing for Spin, rock critic Alan Light said that the album may have proved that Eminem is the most "dexterous, vivid writer in pop music".[13] The album also sees Eminem dissing several artists, including Mariah Carey, Moby, Canibus and Limp Bizkit, while Dr. Dre disses Jermaine Dupri on the song "Say What You Say".[12] Lyrically, the album displays a dramatic shift from the misogynistic and homophobic lyrics presented on The Marshall Mathers LP.[14] Eminem told Spin, "One of the frustrating things was people saying, 'He's got to cuss to sell records,' [...] That's why with this album, I toned it down a bit as far as shock value. I wanted to show that I'm a solid artist, and I'm here to stay."[15] Due to its less satirical and shock factor lyrical approach, The Eminem Show was regarded as a departure from Eminem's previous albums[4] with it being more personal and reflective and a step back of the Slim Shady alter ego.[16] Eminem said during an interview with MTV that he felt that The Eminem Show was his "best record so far".[17] In 2006, Q said that Eminem's first two albums "aired dirty laundry, then the world's most celebrated rapper [Eminem] examined life in the hall of mirrors he'd built for himself."[4] With the release of The Eminem Show, Eminem was considered to be more socially acceptable: there were no protests over his lyrics, boycotts, and talk shows discussing his impact on America's youth. A columnist of The New York Observer wrote that Eminem had become a "guilty pleasure" for baby boomers, describing him as "the most compelling figure to have emerged from popular music since the holy trinity of [Bob] Dylan, [John] Lennon, and [Mick] Jagger."[13] Censored version The "clean version" of The Eminem Show censors many more profanities and derogatory words than in clean versions of Eminem's previous albums, in which the words "goddamn", "prick", "bastard", "piss", "bitch", "ass", and "shit" were allowed.[18] This album allowed no profanities, and the profanities were either muted, obscured by sound effects, or back-masked.[18] In addition to this, entire sentences were sometimes removed from the censored version for being very sexually charged.[18] The entire song "Drips" was removed in early clean versions and is heard only as four seconds of silence moving on to the next track, "Without Me". Later on, digital releases of the clean version removed "Drips" completely, moving the next 11 songs up on the tracklist. Some copies of the clean version, however, feature an edited version of "Drips".[18] There are some inconsistencies in the clean version's censorship. In the skit "The Kiss", Eminem's shouting of the word "motherfucker!" is still audible in the censored version.[18] In the track, "Soldier", which is a continuation of "The Kiss", the word "bitch" was used three times, and can be clearly heard once.[18] "Hailie's Song" contains the back masked phrase "want her" which can be easily mistaken as "abort her" on both the explicit and clean versions.[18] Also, in "White America", the word "flag" is back masked when he raps, "To burn the flag and replace it with a parental advisory sticker".[18] Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Metacritic 75/100[19] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [20] Christgau's Consumer Guide A−[21] Entertainment Weekly B+[22] Houston Chronicle 4/5[23] NME 9/10[24] Pitchfork 9.1/10[25] Q [26] Rolling Stone [27] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [28] USA Today [29] The Eminem Show was met with critical acclaim.[19] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 20 reviews.[30] Alex Needham of NME hailed The Eminem Show as a "fantastic third album" that "is bigger, bolder and far more consistent than its predecessors".[24] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly felt the album's more personal lyrics "succeed in fleshing out Eminem's complexities and contradictions", nonetheless concluding that "[l]ike its predecessors, though, The Eminem Show is a testament to the skills of its star. The sludgy rapping of such guests as D12 only confirms Eminem's dizzying prowess, gob-spewing individuality, and wickedly prankish humor."[22] Writing for Rolling Stone, Kris Ex argued that Eminem "may have made the best rap rock album in history."[31] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani wrote that he "peels back some of the bullshit façade and reveals a little bit of the real Marshall Mathers" on an album that "displays a—dare I say it?—more 'mature' Eminem."[32] In his review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the album "proves Eminem is the gold standard in pop music in 2002, delivering stylish, catchy, dense, funny, political music that rarely panders".[20] Critic Robert Christgau wrote: "I think it represents an articulate, coherent, formally appropriate response to Eminem's changing position and role, one that acknowledges the privileges and alienations that accrue to all fame as well as the resolution of Marshall Mathers's worst traumas and the specifics of his success."[21] Edna Gundersen of USA Today wrote that Eminem is "as good as he gets but in the end inflicts more damage on himself, hoisting The Eminem Show to a level of self-absorption rivaled only by Woody Allen", and despite the presence of some mediocre tracks, he "displays an admirable dexterity in blending invective and invention, even though his approach is more reactionary than revolutionary."[29] Uncut wrote, "Behind the hype and the swagger, he's still baring enough of his soul for The Eminem Show to be compelling theatre."[33] Q was more mixed in its assessment, stating that as "Eminem outgrows his old alter-id, so the obligatory pantomime villainy, skits and crass cameos by Shady Records signings become a hindrance."[26] Marc L. Hill of PopMatters felt that the album lacked the shock factor of his previous albums and described it as "a disappointing combination of promising musical experimentation and uninspired lyrics."[34] Blender,[citation needed] Muzik[citation needed] and LAUNCH[citation needed] named The Eminem Show the best album of 2002. The album became Eminem's third to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, while "Without Me" won Eminem his first Best Music Video award.[35] The album swept the MTV Music Video Awards, winning four awards for Best Male Video, Video of the Year, Best Direction, and Best Rap Video. The album also won Best Album at the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards,[36] both Album of the Year and Top R&B/Hip Hop Album at the 2002 Billboard Music Awards,[37] both Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the 2003 American Music Awards, Best International Album at the 2003 Brit Awards, and International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2003.[38] Reappraisal The Eminem Show received critical praise by most music critics and is often debated as Eminem's most personal and best work. The album cemented Eminem's "three-peat" of classic hip hop albums, following the critical appraisal of The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.[39] In 2003, the album was ranked number 317 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and was later ranked at number 84 on the same magazine's Best Albums of the 2000s Decade.[40] In 2007, it was ranked number 63 by The National Association of Recording Merchandisers, in conjunction with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in their list of the Definite 200 Albums of All Time.[41] In 2012, Complex magazine deemed it a "classic" album that "cemented Eminem's place as one of the most important figures in rap history",[42] and has included it on their list of 100 Best Albums of the Complex Decade, placing it at number 5,[43] Following the 15th anniversary of the album, the Grammy Awards also described The Eminem Show as a "classic album".[44] Popdose ranked the album at 79 on its Best Albums of the Decade list.[45] In 2015, The Eminem Show was ranked number 56 on the Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums.[46] Commercial performance The Eminem Show was originally scheduled for release on June 4, 2002; however, pirated and bootlegged copies appeared online via peer-to-peer networks and began surfacing on the streets. It was provided by Rabid Neurosis (RNS), an MP3 warez release organisation who pirated the album twenty-five days prior to release.[47] Radio show Opie and Anthony broadcast the entire album on May 17, 2002.[48] Interscope decided to release the album earlier than planned, on May 28 to prevent bootlegging. However, many stores in the United States began selling it even earlier than the new release date on Sunday, May 26, and some put the album out as early as Friday.[49] Promotional posters in stores read, "America Couldn't Wait". Due to the premature release by many retailers on a Sunday, the album had only one day of official sales for the chart week and was unavailable in Walmart stores during that period.[49][50] The Eminem Show was Eminem's first album to include lyrics to all its songs inside the CD booklet.[51] Additionally, the first 2,000,000 copies of the album shipped in the United States included a bonus DVD with an exclusive interview and live footage.[50] A week before the album's release, it was the second-most played CD on computers, the highest ranking ever for an unreleased title.[52] It was considered the most anticipated album of 2002.[52] Despite the confusion over the exact release date, the album still managed to have a very successful debut on the charts. The Eminem Show debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling approximately 284,000 copies in its first day,[49] marking the first time an album had topped the chart from only a day's sale.[44] It sold 1,322,000 copies in the following week, its first full week of sales,[53][54] then sold 809,000 copies in its third week and 529,562 copies in its fourth week to bring its four-week sales total to just under 3 million copies.[55][56] The album sold 381,000 copies in its fifth week and topped the Billboard 200 for a fifth and final consecutive week.[57][58][59] On March 7, 2011, the album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping 10 million copies,[60] making it Eminem's second album to receive a Diamond certification in the United States. It has also achieved Diamond certification in Canada[61] and Double Diamond in Australia.[62] The Eminem Show has sold 27 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time and Eminem's best-selling album.[63] It reached number one in 18 other countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The album also spent five consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Albums Chart.[64] Expanded edition On May 24, 2022, Eminem announced the release of the expanded edition of the album on his social media to celebrate its 20th anniversary.[65] On May 26, 2022, Eminem released the new expanded edition, which contains instrumentals of selected tracks, freestyles and live versions of songs from previous albums performed with his longtime friend and collaborator Proof at Tramps, New York and Fuji Rock Festival, Japan. It also features four new tracks which were recorded during the initial recording sessions but not included in the original version of the album; "Stimulate", which was kept off the album due to time constraints and instead appeared on the bonus disc of the 8 Mile soundtrack album, "Bump Heads" and "The Conspiracy Freestyle" (which had appeared on other Shady Records releases), and an unreleased song, "Jimmy, Brian, and Mike", which had a verse and chorus re-recorded by Eminem especially for the expanded edition. Physical versions of the expanded edition will be available later this year, including a 4xLP vinyl set, CD, and cassette.[66] Along with Curtain Call 2, it was nominated for an Outstanding Anthology/Compilation/Reissue at the 2023 Detroit Music Awards. Track listing No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Curtains Up (Skit)" Marshall Mathers Eminem 0:30 2. "White America" MathersJeff BassLuis RestoSteve KingKevin Bell EminemJeff BassLuis Resto[a] 5:24 3. "Business" MathersAndre YoungTheron FeemsterMike Elizondo Dr. Dre 4:11 4. "Cleanin' Out My Closet" MathersBass EminemBass 4:57 5. "Square Dance" MathersBassResto EminemBass[a] 5:23 6. "The Kiss (Skit)" MathersBass Eminem 1:15 7. "Soldier" MathersRestoKingBellBassElizondo Eminem 3:46 8. "Say Goodbye Hollywood" MathersElizondoResto Eminem 4:32 9. "Drips" (featuring Obie Trice) MathersObie TriceDenaun PorterBass EminemBass 4:45 10. "Without Me" MathersBassMalcolm McLarenAnne DudleyTrevor HornBellUrban KrisShawn Baumgardner EminemBass[a]DJ Head[b] 4:50 11. "Paul Rosenberg (Skit)" Paul Rosenberg EminemDr. Dre 0:22 12. "Sing for the Moment" MathersBassRestoKingSteven Tyler EminemBass[a] 5:39 13. "Superman" (featuring Dina Rae) MathersBassKing EminemBass[b] 5:50 14. "Hailie's Song" MathersResto Eminem 5:20 15. "Steve Berman (Skit)" MathersSteve Berman Dr. Dre 0:33 16. "When the Music Stops" (featuring D12) MathersOndre MooreDenaun PorterVon CarlisleDeShaun HoltonRufus JohnsonFeemster EminemMr. Porter[a] 4:29 17. "Say What You Say" (featuring Dr. Dre) MathersFeemsterElizondo Dr. Dre 5:09 18. "'Till I Collapse" (featuring Nate Dogg) MathersNathaniel HaleRestoBrian May Eminem 4:57 19. "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (featuring Hailie Jade) MathersYoungFeemsterElizondo Dr. Dre 4:27 20. "Curtains Close (Skit)" Mathers Eminem 1:01 Total length: 77:19

Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 2004, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. As reflected in the album's title and cover art, the album was set to be Eminem's final studio album.[2] The album contains several lyrical themes, most notably Eminem's opposition to then-US president George W. Bush and parodies of Michael Jackson, and features more comedic themes and lyrics than his previous albums.[3] Critical reception of Encore was less favorable than Eminem's previous albums, with most of the second half being heavily criticized for its lackluster quality and lack of lyrical content, though "Mockingbird" and "Like Toy Soldiers" were particularly highly praised and retrospectively have been noted as being some of Eminem's best songs. The album has sold 11 million copies worldwide and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 17, 2004. Artwork and packaging The album featured two covers, the first cover features Eminem standing in front of an audience, bowing to the crowd. The tray insert features Eminem holding a gun behind his back. The inlay shows Eminem holding the pistol in his mouth without the jacket of his shirt and tie. The CD itself shows a note written by Eminem saying "To my family & all my friends, thank you for everything, I will always love you. To my fans, I'm Sorry, Marshall" with a bullet underneath the note. The note is also seen in the album's booklet, where Eminem is writing the note. Some pictures show Eminem shooting everybody, which refers to the ending of the album's title track. The second cover, used for the Collector's Edition, features the same audience from the inlay on a black background with a blood splat on the top right. Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Metacritic 64/100[5] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [4] Blender [6] Entertainment Weekly C−[7] The Guardian [8] NME 7/10[9] Pitchfork Media 6.5/10[10] Rolling Stone [11] Slant Magazine [12] Spin B[13] The Village Voice A[14] Encore received generally positive reviews from critics, but received more of a negative response compared to his past three albums.[15] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 64, based on 26 reviews.[5] Josh Love from Stylus Magazine felt Eminem was "dying" with this album, whose concept was "end-to-end mea culpa", full of "clarifications, rectifications and excuses", revising the history of "a man who knows he doesn't have much time left".[16] Scott Plangenhoef, writing for Pitchfork Media called Encore a "transitional record" and "the sound of a man who seems bored of re-branding and playing celebrity games".[10] BBC Music's Adam Webb believed it starts "fantastically" but ends "abominably", writing that it has too many "low points".[17] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly said Eminem "sacrifices the rich, multi-textured productions" of his two previous albums for "thug-life monotony, cultural zingers for petty music-biz score-settling, and probing self-analysis for juvenile humor". He concluded his review by saying that Eminem has become "predictable" on Encore, something that he wasn't before.[7] Stephen Thomas Erlewine was more enthusiastic in his review for AllMusic, calling the music "spartan", built on "simple unadorned beats and keyboard loops", and the lyrics "plain-spoken and literal".[4] Robert Christgau said Eminem still sounded "funny, catchy and clever, and irreverent past his allotted time", noting that even the bonus tracks "keep on pushing".[14] In Rolling Stone, he wrote that Encore was not as "astonishing" as The Marshall Mathers LP, but praised Eminem for maturing his lyrical abilities while retaining his sense of humor.[11] Steve Jones from USA Today also spoke positively about the album, calling Eminem's producing and lyrical skills as "top-flight" and noting that the record explores "the many sides of Marshall Mathers".[18] The album earned Eminem Grammy Award nominations in three categories at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the song "Encore", and Best Rap Solo Performance for the song "Mockingbird". Encore provoked some controversy over anti-Bush lyrics and lyrics that parodied and targeted Michael Jackson, who was upset about Eminem's depiction of him in the video for "Just Lose It".[19] On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States, George Bush,[20] after the song "We as Americans", as an unreleased bootleg, circulated with the lyrics "Fuck money, I don't rap for dead presidents. I'd rather see the president dead." This line was eventually used as a sample in Immortal Technique's single "Bin Laden", which featured Mos Def and Chuck D. The incident was later referenced in the video for his song "Mosh" as one of several news clips on a wall, along with other newspaper articles about other unfortunate incidents in Bush's career. The song eventually appeared on the album's bonus disc, with the word "dead" being reversed. Eminem's thoughts on the album In retrospect, Eminem said on numerous occasions that he considers Encore to be one of his worst albums. About the album's reception, Eminem said: "I'm cool with probably half that album. I recorded that towards the height of my addiction. 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, and 30 minutes because we had to get it done, and what came out was so goofy. That's how I ended up making songs like 'Rain Man' and 'Big Weenie'. They're pretty out there. If those other songs hadn't leaked, Encore would've been a different album."[21] In the Kamikaze interview he did with Sway Calloway, although he stated that "Encore... [is] not what I would consider one of my better albums", in the same interview, he considered it better than its follow-up Relapse.[22] He reiterates his statement about Encore in 2022 for the XXL's 25th anniversary issue and singled out the album as his first «misstep»: "It became a misstep and I struggled to get over the fact that I didn't do my best. My best would've been good enough if the leaks hadn't happened. But I released what I had at that point in time, and I feel that put a kind of a mark on my catalog. Encore did some decent numbers, but I was never that concerned with numbers. I was more so worried about what people think about the album. Critics and fans were important to me, and they were always at me about that project."[23][24] Commercial performance Encore was pushed up to a midweek release to countermeasure leaks; it sold 710,000 copies.[25] The following week, the album's first with a full seven days, it moved 871,000 copies, bringing the 10 day total to 1,582,000.[26] It was certified quadruple-platinum that mid-December.[27] Nine months after its release, worldwide sales of the album stood at 11 million copies.[28] The album made digital history in becoming the first album to sell 10,000 digital copies in one week.[29] As of November 2013, the album had sold 5,343,000 copies in the US.[30] Encore sold 125,000 copies in two days in the United Kingdom,[31] and has been certified quadruple-platinum. Track listing No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Curtains Up" (skit) 0:47 2. "Evil Deeds" Marshall MathersAndre YoungMike ElizondoMark BatsonChris Pope Dr. Dre 4:20 3. "Never Enough" (featuring 50 Cent and Nate Dogg) MathersYoungElizondoCurtis JacksonNathaniel Hale Dr. DreElizondo 2:40 4. "Yellow Brick Road" MathersLuis RestoSteve King EminemResto[a] 5:46 5. "Like Toy Soldiers" MathersRestoMarta MarreroMichael Jay Margules EminemResto[a] 4:57 6. "Mosh" MathersYoungElizondoMark BatsonPope Dr. DreBatson 5:18 7. "Puke" MathersRestoKingBrian May EminemResto[a] 4:08 8. "My 1st Single" MathersResto EminemResto[a] 5:03 9. "Paul" (skit) 0:32 10. "Rain Man" MathersYoungElizondoBatsonPope Dr. Dre 5:14 11. "Big Weenie" MathersYoungElizondoBatsonPope Dr. Dre 4:27 12. "Em Calls Paul" (skit) 1:12 13. "Just Lose It" MathersYoungElizondoBatsonPope Dr. DreElizondo 4:09 14. "Ass Like That" MathersYoungElizondoBatsonPope Dr. DreElizondo 4:26 15. "Spend Some Time" (featuring Obie Trice, Stat Quo and 50 Cent) MathersRestoObie TriceStanley BentonCurtis JacksonKingGary Wright EminemResto[a] 5:11 16. "Mockingbird" MathersResto EminemResto[a] 4:11 17. "Crazy in Love" MathersRestoAnn WilsonNancy WilsonRoger Fisher EminemResto[a] 4:02 18. "One Shot 2 Shot" (featuring D12) MathersRestoOndre MooreVon CarlisleDenaun PorterRufus Johnson EminemResto[a] 4:26 19. "Final Thought" (skit) 0:30 20. "Encore / Curtains Down" (featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) MathersYoungElizondoBatsonPopeJackson Dr. DreBatson 5:48 Total length: 76:53 Deluxe Edition Bonus Disc[32] No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 21. "We as Americans" MathersResto EminemResto 4:36 22. "Love You More" MathersResto EminemResto 4:42 23. "Ricky Ticky Toc" MathersRestoKing EminemResto 2:49 Total length: 89:00 Notes ^[a] signifies an additional producer. "Love You More" and the original version of "We As Americans" were leaked in 2003. Dr. Dre has cameo appearances in "Rain Man", "Just Lose It", and "Ass Like That". Fatt Father has a cameo appearance on "One Shot 2 Shot". Like Toy Soldiers contains a sample of Martika from her 1989 song "Toy Soldiers". Crazy In Love contains a sample of Ann Wilson from Heart's 1976 song "Crazy on You". "Curtains Down" is a skit at the end of "Encore", in which Eminem shoots everyone at his concert and then shoots himself, followed by a robotic voice saying "See you in hell, fuckers". Some of the pictures in the booklet make reference to this. The robotic voice heard on "Em Calls Paul" and in the "Curtains Down" skit is Eminem speaking with an electrolarynx. Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[33] Mike Elizondo – keyboards (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 20); guitar (tracks 6, 11, 13 and 20); sitar (track 14) Steve King – guitar (tracks: 4, 5, 7, 15, 17 and 18); bass (tracks: 4, 5, 7 and 17); mandolin (track 4); keyboards (track 11) Luis Resto – keyboards (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20) Mark Batson – keyboards on (tracks: 2, 6, 10, 11, 13 and 20); bass on (track 14) Che Vicious – programming (track 20)

Slim Shady EP is the only extended play by American rapper Eminem, released on December 10, 1997, through the Detroit-based record label Web Entertainment. Unlike his debut album Infinite, Slim Shady EP helped Eminem gain the interest of CEO Jimmy Iovine (co-founder of Interscope Records) and West Coast hip-hop rapper and producer Dr. Dre, who subsequently signed Eminem to his Aftermath Entertainment record label, and served as executive producer on his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP (1999). The EP introduces Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady. Since the EP was released before he was signed to Interscope and Aftermath, original copies are now highly valued. His lyrics are a marked departure from those found on Infinite, featuring constant references to drug use, sexual acts, mental instability, and over-the-top violence. Another departure was his exploration of more serious themes of dealing with poverty, his direct and self-deprecating response to criticism, and of marital and family difficulties. His flow is also noticeably different from Infinite where critics claimed he sounded too much like Nas and AZ. Eminem also began utilizing story telling on this EP. The production value of the music on the tracks — from previous collaborators DJ Head, The Bass Brothers, and Mr. Porter — was also noticeably higher than on prior album efforts. According to Billboard, at this point in his life Eminem had "realized his musical ambitions were the only way to escape his unhappy life". Background and production In 1996, his 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] Infinite achieved little commercial success and was largely ignored by Detroit radio stations, such as WJLB (97.9 FM in Detroit), and in specific tracks Eminem raps explicitly about this problem, like in "Just Don't Give a Fuck" "If I Had" and "Low Down, Dirty". The disappointment from this experience greatly influenced his lyrical style: "After that record, every rhyme I wrote got angrier and angrier. A lot of it was because of the feedback I got. Motherfuckers was like, 'You're a white boy, what the fuck are you rapping for? Why don't you go into rock & roll?' All that type of shit started pissing me off."[2] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of drugs and alcohol culminated in a suicide attempt: all these troubles became main themes of Slim Shady EP.[3] The disappointment of Infinite inspired Eminem to create the alter ego Slim Shady: "Boom, the name hit me, and right away I thought of all these words to rhyme with it".[2] Slim Shady served as Eminem's vent for his frustrations, and in 1997, he released the horrorcore extended play entitled Slim Shady EP simultaneously on cassette, vinyl, and CD.[4] During this time, Eminem and his wife Kim Scott lived in a high-crime neighborhood with their newborn daughter Hailie, where their house was burglarized numerous times.[2] After being evicted from his home, Eminem traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the Rap Olympics, an annual nationwide rap battle competition.[2] He placed second, and the staff at Interscope Records who attended the Rap Olympics sent a copy of the Slim Shady EP to company CEO Jimmy Iovine.[2] Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment. Dr. Dre recalled, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'"[2] Eminem and Dr. Dre subsequently began work on his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP. Artwork The cover depicts the opening intro as well as the first track, in which Slim Shady awakens Eminem and orders him to look in the mirror to see that he is "nothing without him". Eminem resists and screams in the background while Slim Shady yells back and laughs at Eminem's horror. By the second track, Eminem and Slim Shady become the same person. Eminem is also ordered by "Slim Shady" to look into the mirror, and the sound of glass breaking is heard, alluding once again to the cover.[4] The art also bears a similarity to Black Flag's 1981 debut album, Damaged. Release and reception According to an interview with Zane Lowe, Eminem made 500 copies of the EP, but sold only slightly higher than 250.[5] Though rare, reviews of the EP were generally mixed to positive. AllMusic gave the EP two and a half out of five stars without a written review.[6] XXL, despite originally giving the EP three out of five stars "L" rating,[7] listed it on their "100 Most Essential Rap EPs of All Time – The Best of the Short & Sweet" list. Eminem was featured in the March 1998 edition of The Source magazine's (#102), "Unsigned Hype" column. The author of the column highlighted two tracks from Eminem's Slim Shady EP: "Just the Two of Us", and "Murder, Murder".[1] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Intro (Slim Shady)" Eminem 1:05 2. "Low Down, Dirty" Denaun PorterKuniva 4:44 3. "If I Had..." DJ Rec 4:06 4. "Just Don't Give a Fuck" Denaun Porter 4:00 5. "Mommy" (skit) 0:39 6. "Just the Two of Us" DJ Head 4:20 7. "No One's Iller" (featuring Swifty McVay, Bizarre and Fuzz Scoota) DJ Head 4:58 8. "Murder, Murder" DJ Rec 4:40 9. "If I Had... (Radio Edit)" DJ Rec 4:01 10. "Just Don't Give A #?@! (Radio Edit)" DJ Rec 4:03 Total length: 28:32 Notes Recording started in the spring of 1997,[2] and was finished by July.[8]

Compton is the third studio album by American hip-hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on August 7, 2015, on Apple Music and the iTunes Store, with the physical editions released on August 21, 2015.[2] It is the follow-up to his second album, 2001 (1999), after the cancellation of the premeditated album, Detox. Production for the album took place with Detox, but the album itself was devised when production of the N.W.A biographical film Straight Outta Compton gave Dre the idea for a soundtrack, with album specific production taking place in 2013–2015 at several recording studios and was handled by a variety of high-profile record producers, including Dr. Dre himself, Focus..., Dem Jointz, Trevor Lawrence, Jr., DJ Dahi, Cardiak and Theron Feemster, among others. Compton features guest appearances from Anderson .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius, Craig Owens, King Mez, Justus, Kendrick Lamar, Candice Pillay, Jon Connor, Sly Pyper, Dem Jointz, The Game, Xzibit, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and others. The album debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200, selling 295,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Upon its release, Compton received acclaim from music critics. Background Following 11 years of unsuccessful work on his infamous Detox album, Dre officially canceled the project on August 1, 2015, during an episode of his Beats 1 radio show, The Pharmacy with Dr. Dre. He stated that the album did not meet his standards and had decided to scrap the project as a result. During the same episode, Dre announced that he would be releasing a brand-new album, entitled Compton, on August 7 on iTunes and Apple Music, with a physical release following on August 21. Earlier the same day in an interview with Power 99FM, Ice Cube had preemptively announced the album. The album was inspired by the N.W.A biographical film Straight Outta Compton and features a number of collaborators from various points in his career, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Xzibit, and The Game, among others. "During principal photography of Straight Outta Compton, I felt myself going to the studio and being so inspired by the movie that I started recording an album," Dre said on his radio show. "I kept it under wraps, and now the album is finished. It's bananas. It's an 'inspired by' album. It's inspired by Straight Outta Compton. We're gonna call the album Compton: The Soundtrack. I'm really proud of this." Dre also described the upcoming release as being his 'grand finale.'[3] This claim has turned out to be false and Dr. Dre hinted at a release of his upcoming fourth album.[4][5] Release and reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating AnyDecentMusic? 7.8/10[6] Metacritic 82/100[7] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [1] The A.V. Club B+[8] The Daily Telegraph [9] The Guardian [10] The Independent [11] NME 7/10[12] Pitchfork 8.8/10[13] Rolling Stone [14] Spin 7/10[15] USA Today [16] Compton was released by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records on August 7, 2015, to widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 82, based on 36 reviews.[7] Following two weeks of Apple exclusivity, the album was released for other streaming services as well as music stores on August 21.[17] Rolling Stone critic Jonah Weiner deemed the album "by turns confounding and enthralling" while writing that it "contains some of his most ambitious, idea-stuffed production ever" and that "Dre's rhyming (aided as always by co-writers) is impressive".[14] Robert Christgau from Vice was somewhat less enthusiastic, naming "Genocide" and "Animals" as highlights while writing that the record benefitted significantly from Dre's absence from half the songs because of so many guest artists.[18] At the end of the year, Compton was named the 32nd best album of 2015 by Pitchfork,[19] while The Guardian ranked it 35th.[20] Commercial performance Prior to its release, there was heavy anticipation on whether Compton or Luke Bryan's Kill the Lights would debut at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart.[21] Ultimately, Compton debuted at number 2 with 295,000 equivalent album units; it sold 278,558 copies in its first week, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting the album's streaming activity and track sales.[22] Compton is Dr. Dre's third solo album to debut at number one on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[22] The album remained in the chart's top ten for the next several weeks,[23][24][25] and, as of June 2016, the album has sold over 600,000 copies in the United States.[26] Compton has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Compton debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart after selling 45,721 copies (including 2,079 streaming sales),[27] becoming Dr. Dre's first number-one album in the UK.[28] It outsold its nearest competitor, Frank Turner's Positive Songs for Negative People, by over 28,000 combined chart sales.[28] Additionally, as the physical version of the album was not released until two weeks later,[29] Dr. Dre became the first artist in history to top the UK Albums Chart with a non-physical release.[27] Compton has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In 2015, Compton was ranked as the 45th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[30] Track listing No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Intro" Andre YoungBernard Edwards, Jr.Dontae Winslow Focus...Dr. DreWinslow 1:15 2. "Talk About It" (featuring King Mez and Justus) YoungMorris Ricks IIJustin MohrleDacoury NatcheMichael McHenryJean KouameRyan BuendiaKyle Edwards DJ DahiFree School 3:15 3. "Genocide" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius and Candice Pillay) YoungKendrick DuckworthRicks IIMarsha AmbrosiusSly JordanCandice PillayDwayne Abernathy, Jr.Charlie WilsonLonnie SimmonsRudy Taylor Dem Jointz 4:26 4. "It's All on Me" (featuring Justus and BJ the Chicago Kid) YoungMohrleRicks IIRoosevelt Harrell IIIBryan Sledge BinkDr. Dre 3:47 5. "All in a Day's Work" (featuring Anderson .Paak and Marsha Ambrosius) YoungBrandon AndersonRicks IIAmbrosiusMohrleKhalil Abdul-RahmanNatcheDaniel Tannenbaum DJ KhalilDJ Dahi 5:13 6. "Darkside / Gone" (featuring King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius and Kendrick Lamar) YoungRicks IITyheim CannonCraig BalmorisJulian NixonDuckworthAmbrosiusMohrlePaul McCartneyLinda McCartneyDenny LaineJimmy McCullochJoe EnglishGeoff Britton "Darkside" produced by Best Kept SecretDr. Dre"Gone" produced by D.R.U.G.S. BeatsDr. Dre 3:53 7. "Loose Cannons" (featuring Xzibit, Cold 187um and Sly Pyper) YoungAlvin JoinerRicks IIJordanEdwards, JrTrevor Lawrence, Jr.Gregory Hutchinson Focus...Lawrence, Jr.Dr. Dre 4:13 8. "Issues" (featuring Ice Cube, Anderson .Paak and Dem Jointz) YoungRicks IIAbernathy, Jr.AndersonEdwards, Jr.Lawrence, Jr.Curtis ChambersTheron FeemsterO'Shea JacksonSelda Bağcan Focus...ChambersLawrence, Jr.Neff-UDr. Dre 3:41 9. "Deep Water" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Justus and Anderson .Paak) YoungDuckworthRicks IIMohrleAndersonEdwards, Jr.Carl McCormickNatcheAbernathy, Jr. Focus...CardiakDJ DahiDem JointzDr. Dre 5:11 10. "One Shot One Kill" (performed by Jon Connor featuring Snoop Dogg) YoungJon Freeman, Jr.PillayEdwards, Jr.Lawrence, Jr.Calvin Broadus, Jr.Luca CavinaTommaso CollivaEnrico GabrielliMassimo MartellottaFabio Rondanini Focus...Lawrence, Jr.Dr. Dre 3:25 11. "Just Another Day" (performed by The Game featuring Asia Bryant) YoungJayceon TaylorAsia BryantStanley BentonLawrence, Jr.FeemsterThepporn Petchubon Lawrence, Jr.Feemster 2:21 12. "For the Love of Money" (featuring Jill Scott, Jon Connor and Anderson .Paak) YoungFreeman, Jr.Ricks IIAndersonMohrleMcCormickHerbert Stevens IVJill ScottAnthony HendersonBryon McCaneCharles ScruggsStanley HowseSteven HowseEric Wright Cardiak 4:08 13. "Satisfiction" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Marsha Ambrosius and King Mez) YoungRicks IIAmbrosiusAbernathy, Jr.Broadus, Jr. Dem Jointz 4:24 14. "Animals" (featuring Anderson .Paak) YoungAndersonRicks IIJordanChristopher Martin DJ PremierBMB SpaceKid 3:47 15. "Medicine Man" (featuring Eminem, Candice Pillay and Anderson .Paak) YoungMarshall MathersPillayMohrleAndersonRicks IIAbernathy, Jr.Edwards, Jr.Chambers Dem JointzFocus... 4:14 16. "Talking to My Diary" YoungRussell BrownAnthony JohnsonMario Johnson DJ SilkMista ChocDr. Dre 4:23 Total length: 61:40 The album was mastered by Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering, LA[31] Notes[32] "Intro" features additional vocals by Candice Pillay and Dem Jointz. "Talk About It" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan and Marsha Ambrosius. "Genocide" features additional vocals by King Mez, Dem Jointz, Candice Pillay and Sly Jordan. "It's All on Me" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan and King Mez. "All in a Day's Work" features additional vocals by King Mez, Sly Jordan, Danny Tannenbaum and Jimmy Iovine. "Darkside" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan. "Gone" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan. "Loose Cannons" features additional vocals by King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius, Anderson .Paak and Joslynn Brown. "Issues" features additional vocals by Snoop Dogg, King Mez, Xzibit, Dem Jointz, Candice Pillay and Joslynn Brown. "Deep Water" features additional vocals by Wyann Vaughn, King Mez, Cheynne L. Surratt, The Game and Joslynn Brown. "One Shot One Kill" features additional vocals by Dr. Dre, Dem Jointz, Anderson .Paak, Craig Owens and Candice Pillay. "Just Another Day" features additional vocals by Wyann Vaughn. "For the Love of Money" features additional vocals by Lia Mack. "Animals" features additional vocals by DJ Premier and Eric "Blu2th" Griggs. "Medicine Man" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan. "Talking to My Diary" features additional vocals by Slim the Mobster, Anderson .Paak, Sly Jordan, Theron Feemster and Focus…. Sample credits[32] "Intro" contains narration from the television program, Compton Black City, provided by T3 Media and CBS News. "Genocide" contains a sample of "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", written by Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons and Rudy Taylor, performed by The Gap Band. "It's All on Me" contains a sample of "The Lord Will Make a Way" performed by the S.C.I. Youth Choir. "Darkside" contains excerpts of Eazy E from Julio G's Westside Radio. "Gone" contains a sample of "Spirits of Ancient Egypt", written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, Joe English and Geoff Britton, performed by Wings. "Loose Cannons" contains a sample of "Underground Session" arranged and performed by Janko Nilovic. "Issues" contains a sample of "İnce İnce Bir Kar Yağar", originally written by Aşık Mahzuni Şerif and performed by Selda Bağcan. "One Shot One Kill" contains elements of "Ogni Riferimento A Fatti Accaduti E’ Puramente Casuale", written by Luca Cavina, Tommaso Colliva, Enrico Gabrielli, Massimo Martellotta, Fabio Rondanini, performed by Calibro 35 "Just Another Day" contains a sample of "Fang Jai Viangjan", written and performed by Thepporn Petchubon. "For the Love of Money" contains a sample of "Foe tha Love of $", written by Anthony Henderson, Bryon McCane, Charles Scruggs, Stanley Howse, Steven Howse and Eric Wright, performed by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Eazy-E and elements of "Vendesi Saggezza E Cervello Di Seconda Mano" (Alberto Gaviglio-Michele Conta) arranged and performed by La Locanda delle Fate, taken from the album "Forse le lucciole non si amano più", 1977 Polydor

Dr. Dre – Detoxification Dr. Dre - Detoxification album cover More images Label: Frequent Music – FMG-801, Frequent Music – FMG801, Frequent Music – FMG801-CD Format: CD, Compilation, Unofficial Release Country: US Released: 2008 Genre: Hip Hop Style: 1 The Truth Featuring – Devin The Dude 2 Whos Next Featuring – Clyde Carson 3 In Town Featuring – Nate Dogg 4 Come On Featuring – Stat Quo 5 Out Of Control Featuring – Keith Murray, Redman 6 The Office Featuring – Snoop* 7 Shade Sheist Featuring – Knoc.Turnal*, Nate Dogg, Xzibit 8 Talkin Big Shit 9 Fuck All Yall Featuring – Hittman, Knoc Turnal* 10 Do You Know Featuring – Daz*, Snoop* 11 Dont Sleep Featuring – The Doc* 12 The Take Over Featuring – Eminem 13 The Kush Featuring – King Tee 14 Baller 15 Represent Featuring – 50 Cent 16 Next Level 17 Drama 18 Think About It Featuring – Xzibit 19 Places To Go 20 The Rock Featuring – Method Man Pressed By – GMI-CA Barcode (Text): 1 87245 12311 1 Barcode (String): 187245123111 Matrix / Runout: GMI081408-4059826 19867-PR FMG801 DR. DRE GMI-CA

DR DRE 2001 - INSTRUMENTALS ONLY FULL ALBUM No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Lolo (Intro)" (featuring Xzibit and Tray Deee) 0:41 2. "The Watcher" Andre YoungMarshall Mathers 3:26 3. "Fuck You" (featuring Devin the Dude and Snoop Dogg) YoungBrian BaileyDevin CopelandCalvin Broadus 3:25 4. "Still D.R.E." (featuring Snoop Dogg) Shawn CarterScott Storch 4:30 5. "Big Ego's" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBradfordStorchTracy CurryRichard Bembery 3:58 6. "Xxplosive" (featuring Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Six-Two) YoungBaileyRicardo BrownCraig LongmilesNathaniel HaleChris Taylor 3:35 7. "What's the Difference" (featuring Eminem and Xzibit) BradfordAlvin JoinerMathersBemberyStefan Harris 4:04 8. "Bar One (Skit)" (featuring Traci Nelson, Ms. Roq, and Eddie Griffin) 0:50 9. "Light Speed" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBrown 2:41 10. "Forgot About Dre" (featuring Eminem) Mathers 3:42 11. "The Next Episode" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Kurupt) YoungBrownBaileyBradfordBroadus 2:41 12. "Let's Get High" (featuring Hittman, Kurupt, and Ms. Roq) YoungBaileyMathersBrownRacquel Weaver 2:27 13. "Bitch Niggaz" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Hittman, and Six-Two) YoungBaileyBradfordBroadusLongmiles 4:13 14. "The Car Bomb (Skit)" (featuring Mel-Man and Charis Henry) 1:00 15. "Murder Ink" (featuring Hittman and Ms. Roq) YoungBaileyWeaver 2:28 16. "Ed-Ucation" (featuring Eddie Griffin) 1:32 17. "Some L.A. Niggaz" (featuring Hittman, Defari, Xzibit, Knoc-turn'al, Time Bomb, King T, MC Ren, and Kokane) YoungBaileyJoinerDuane Johnson, Jr.Royal HarborMarquese HolderRoger McBride 4:25 18. "Pause 4 Porno (Skit)" (featuring Jake Steed) 1:32 19. "Housewife" (featuring Kurupt and Hittman) YoungBaileyBradfordBrownCurry 4:02 20. "Ackrite" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBradford 3:39 21. "Bang Bang" (featuring Knoc-turn'al and Hittman) YoungBaileyMathersHarbor 3:42 22. "The Message/Outro" (featuring Mary J. Blige and Rell) Ryan MontgomeryRobert Hall, Jr.Crystal Johnson 5:30 Total length: 68:01

2001 (also referred to as The Chronic 2001 or The Chronic II) is the second studio album by American rapper and hip hop producer Dr. Dre. It was released on November 16, 1999, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records as the follow-up to his 1992 debut album, The Chronic. The album was produced mainly by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, as well as Lord Finesse, and features several guest contributions from Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Xzibit, Eminem, and Nate Dogg. 2001 exhibits an expansion on Dre's debut G-funk sound and contains gangsta rap themes such as violence, crime, promiscuity, sex, drug use, and street gangs. The album debuted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 516,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles that attained chart success and has been certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); as of August 2015 the album has sold 7,800,000 copies in the United States. 2001 received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised the production and music, although some found the lyrics objectionable. Title and release In 1995, the original successor to The Chronic was to be titled The Chronic II: A New World Odor (Poppa's Got A Brand New Funk). However, this version of the album was scrapped after Dre departed from Death Row Records. After the creation of Aftermath Entertainment, the album was initially titled Chronic 2000 until Priority Records, who had become Death Row Records' new distributor decided, in conjunction with Death Row's founder and then-CEO Suge Knight, to call their newest compilation album Chronic 2000. Death Row owned the trademark for The Chronic as did Interscope Records who previously distributed the Death Row catalogue. Knight became aware of the title of Dr. Dre's album when notification for the trademark use was required by his label, Aftermath Records. When Aftermath heard that Priority and Death Row planned to use the same name for their album, Dre sought legal action. According to his lawyer Howard King, "both sides agreed that we'd allow the other to use the title, and then let the public decide which one they preferred".[5] After the release of Death Row's Chronic 2000, Interscope announced that Dr. Dre's album would now be named Chronic 2001: No Seeds through teaser posters displaying a "Summer '99" release date. Amongst the roster of guests listed on the posters were rappers Sticky Fingaz and RBX, who neither were featured on the finished album. Years later, in an interview with Sticky Fingaz, he stated the song featuring himself and RBX was the Eminem song "Remember Me?", which, at Eminem's request, was put aside for his then-upcoming album, The Marshall Mathers LP. Shortly after, Interscope began the main promotional campaign displaying a new release date, "October 26th 1999", and a new logo that drops the subtitle No Seeds. At this point, Priority decided not to honor the original agreement and threatened to sue Dr. Dre if the Chronic trademark were to be used in any capacity. Dre eventually decided to release the album as simply 2001 on November 16, 1999[5][6] In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Dre spoke about his motivation to record the album and how he felt that he had to prove himself to fans and media again after doubts arose over his production and rapping ability. These doubts came from the fact that he had not released a solo studio album since 1992's The Chronic. He stated: For the last couple of years, there's been a lot of talk out on the streets about whether or not I can still hold my own, whether or not I'm still good at producing. That was the ultimate motivation for me. Magazines, word of mouth, and rap tabloids were saying I didn't have it anymore. What more do I need to do? How many platinum records have I made? O.K., here's the album – now what do you have to say?[7] The album was first intended to be released like a mixtape; with tracks linked through interludes and turntable effects, but it was changed to be set up like a film. Dr. Dre stated, "Everything you hear is planned. It's a movie, with different varieties of situations. So you've got build-ups, touching moments, aggressive moments. You've even got a 'Pause for Porno.' It's got everything that a movie needs."[7] Speaking of how he did not record the album for club or radio play and that he planned the album simply for entertainment with comical aspects throughout, he commented "I'm not trying to send out any messages or anything with this record. I just basically do hard-core hip-hop and try to add a touch of dark comedy here and there. A lot of times the media just takes this and tries to make it into something else when it's all entertainment first. You shouldn't take it too seriously."[7] Recording Some of the lyrics on the album used by Dre have been noted to be penned by several ghostwriters including Eminem, Jay-Z, and Hittman. Royce da 5'9" was rumored to be a ghostwriter on the album[8] and though he was noted for writing the last track, "The Message",[9] he is not credited by his legal name or alias in the liner notes. A track he recorded on the album, originally named "The Way I Be Pimpin'", was later retouched as "Xxplosive". "The Way I Be Pimpin'" has Dr. Dre rapping penned verses by Royce and features Royce's vocals on the chorus. Royce wrote several tracks such as "The Throne Is Mine" and "Stay in Your Place" which were later cut from the album. The tracks have been leaked later on several mixtapes, including Pretox.[10] The album's production expanded on that of The Chronic, with new, sparse beats and reduced use of samples which were prominent on his debut album.[11][12] Co-producer Scott Storch talked of how Dr. Dre used his collaborators during recording sessions: "At the time, I saw Dr. Dre desperately needed something. He needed a fuel injection, and Dre utilized me as the nitrous oxide. He threw me into the mix, and I sort of tapped on a new flavor with my whole piano sound and the strings and orchestration. So I'd be on the keyboards, and Mike [Elizondo] was on the bass guitar, and Dre was on the drum machine."[13] Josh Tyrangiel of Time has described the recording process which Dr. Dre employs, stating "Every Dre track begins the same way, with Dre behind a drum machine in a room full of trusted musicians. (They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.) He'll program a beat, then ask the musicians to play along; when Dre hears something he likes, he isolates the player and tells him how to refine the sound."[14] Music Production The album primarily featured co-production between Dr. Dre and Mel-Man and was generally well-received by critics. AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that Dr. Dre had expanded on the G-funk beats on his previous album, The Chronic, and stated, "He's pushed himself hard, finding new variations in the formula by adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae, resulting in fairly interesting recontextualizations" and went on to say, "Sonically, this is first-rate, straight-up gangsta."[11] Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair depicted the album as "Chilly keyboard motifs gliding across gut-punching bass lines, strings and synths swooping in and out of the mix, naggingly familiar guitar licks providing visceral punctuation".[12] NME described the production as "patented tectonic funk beats and mournful atmospherics".[15] PopMatters praised the production, stating that "the hip-hop rhythms are catchy, sometimes in your face, sometimes subtle, but always a fine backdrop for the power of Dre's voice."[16] Jon Pareles of The New York Times mentioned that the beats were "lean and immaculate, each one a pithy combination of beat, rap, melody and strategic silences".[17] The album marked the beginning of Dr. Dre's collaboration with keyboardist Scott Storch, who had previously worked with The Roots and is credited as a co-writer on several of 2001's tracks, including the hit single "Still D.R.E.". Storch would later go on to become a successful producer in his own right and has been credited as a co-producer with Dr. Dre on some of his productions since.[18] Lyrics The lyrics on the album received criticism and created some controversy. They include many themes associated with gangsta rap, such as violence, promiscuity, street gangs, drive-by shootings, crime, and drug usage. Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the only subject matter on the album was "violence, drugs, pussy, bitches, dope, guns, and gangsters" and that these themes have become repetitive and unchanged in the last ten years.[11] Critics noted that Dr. Dre had differed from his effort to "clean up his act" which he tried to establish with his 1996 single, "Been There, Done That" from Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath.[7][12] NME mentioned that the album was full of "pig-headed, punk-dicked, 'bitch'-dissing along with requisite dollops of ho-slapping violence, marijuana-addled bravado and penis-sucking wish fulfillment."[15] Massey noted that the lyrics were overly explicit but praised his delivery and flow: "His rhymes are quick, his delivery laid back yet full of punch."[16] The rhymes involve Dr. Dre's return to the forefront of hip hop, which is conveyed in the singles "Still D.R.E." and "Forgot About Dre". Many critics cited the last track, "The Message"; a song dedicated to Dr. Dre's deceased brother, as what the album could have been without the excessively explicit lyrics,[15][17] with Massey calling it "downright beautiful" and "a classic of modern rap".[16] Singles "Still D.R.E." Duration: 29 seconds.0:29 The song exhibits a departure by Dr. Dre from the production style of his previous album, The Chronic (1992). Problems playing this file? See media help. Three singles were released from the album: "Still D.R.E.", "Forgot About Dre" and "The Next Episode". Other tracks "Fuck You", "Let's Get High", "What's the Difference" and "Xxplosive" were not officially released as singles but received some radio airplay which resulted in them charting in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[19] "Still D.R.E." was released as the lead single in October 1999. It peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 32 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 11 on the Hot Rap Singles.[19] It reached number six on the UK single charts in March 2000.[20] The song was nominated at the 2000 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but lost to The Roots and Erykah Badu's "You Got Me".[21] "Forgot About Dre" was released as the second single in 2000 and like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 3 on the Rhythmic Top 40.[19] It reached number seven on the UK single charts in June 2000.[20] The accompanying music video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 2000. The song won Dr. Dre and Eminem Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards.[21] "The Next Episode" was released as the third and final single in 2000. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 2 on the Rhythmic Top 40.[19] It peaked at number three on UK single charts in February 2001.[20] It was nominated at the 2001 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but the award went to another single from the same album to Dr. Dre and Eminem for "Forgot About Dre".[21] Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [11] Encyclopedia of Popular Music [22] Entertainment Weekly A−[12] Los Angeles Times [23] NME 6/10[15] Q [24] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [25] The Source 4.5/5[26] Spin 7/10[27] XXL 5/5[28] 2001 received generally positive reviews from critics.[29] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated, "2001 isn't as consistent or striking as Slim Shady, but the music is always brimming with character."[11] Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair praised the production, calling it "uncharacteristically sparse sound" from Dr. Dre and that it was as "addictive as it was back when over 3 million record buyers got hooked on The Chronic and Snoop Dogg's Dre-produced Doggystyle" and went on to commend Dr. Dre, stating, "If any rap producer deserves the title "composer", it's he."[12] NME mentioned that Dr. Dre didn't expand the genre, but it was "powerful enough in parts, but not clever enough to give Will Smith the fear".[15] PopMatters writer Chris Massey declared that "Musically, 2001 is about as close to brilliant as anyone gangsta rap album might possibly get."[16] Christopher John Farley of Time stated that "The beats are fresh and involving, and Dre's collaborations with Eminem and Snoop Dogg have ferocity and wit."[30] Although he was ambivalent towards the album's subject matter and guest rappers, Greg Tate of Spin was pleasantly surprised by "the most memorable MC'ing on this album com[ing] from Dre himself, Eminem notwithstanding" and stated, "Whatever one's opinion of the sexual politics and gun lust of Dre's canon, his ongoing commitment to formal excellence and sonic innovation in this art form may one day earn him a place next to George Clinton, if not Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, or Miles Davis."[27] In a negative review, Robert Christgau from The Village Voice found Dr. Dre's lyrics distastefully misogynistic, writing "It's a New Millennium, but he's Still S.L.I.M.E. ... For an hour, with time out for some memorable Eminem tracks, Dre degrades women every way he can think of, all of which involve his dick."[31] Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot said Dr. Dre's production boasted unique elements but "the endless gangsta babble, with its casual misogyny and flippant violence," sounded flagrantly trite.[32] AllMusic's Erlewine spoke of how the number of guest rappers affected the album and questioned his reasons for collaborating with "pedestrian rappers". He claimed that "the album suffers considerably as a result [of these collaborations]". Erlewine criticized the lyrics, which he said were repetitive and full of "gangsta clichés".[11] Sinclair mentioned similar views of the lyrics, calling them "filthy", but noted "none of [this] should diminish Dre's achievement".[12] NME spoke of how the lyrics were too explicit, stating, "As the graphic grooves stretch out, littered with gunfire, bombings and 'copters over Compton, and the bitch-beating baton is handed from Knock-Turnal to Kurupt, 2001 reaches gangsta-rap parody-level with too many tracks coming off like porno-Wu outtakes."[15] Massey referred to the lyrics as a "caricature of an ethos [rather] than a reflection of any true prevailing beliefs."[16] In 2006, Hip Hop Connection ranked 2001 number 10 on its list of the 100 Best Albums (1995–2005) in hip hop.[33] In a 2007 issue, XXL gave the album a retrospective rating of "XXL", their maximum score.[28] In Rolling Stone's The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time, where Dr. Dre was listed at number 54, Kanye West talked of how the track "Xxplosive" inspired him: "'Xxplosive', off 2001, that's [where] I got my entire sound from—if you listen to the track, it's got a soul beat, but it's done with those heavy Dre drums. Listen to 'This Can't Be Life,' a track I did for Jay-Z's Dynasty album, and then listen to 'Xxplosive'. It's a direct bite."[34] Commercial performance A July 6, 2000 Detroit concert ticket from the Up in Smoke Tour. During the hype of the nu metal era, the band Korn kept Dr. Dre from hitting number 1 in America's Billboard 200 with their album Issues, which sold 575,000 copies in its first week.[35] As a result, the album debuted at number 2 on the chart, with first-week sales of 516,000 copies.[36] It also entered at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[37] The album was successful in Canada, where it reached number 2 on the charts.[38] The record was mildly successful in Europe, reaching number 4 in the United Kingdom, number 7 in Ireland, number 15 in France, number 17 in the Netherlands and number 26 in Norway. It peaked at number 11 on the New Zealand album chart.[39] Closing out the year 2000, the album was number 5 on the Billboard Top Albums and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[40][41] It re-entered the charts in 2003, peaking on the UK Albums Top 75 at number 61 and on the Ireland Albums Top 75 at number 30.[42] The album was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 21, 2000.[43] It is Dr. Dre's best selling album, as his previous album, The Chronic, was certified three times platinum.[44] As of August 2015, the album has sold 7,800,000 copies in the United States.[45] Track listing Credits adapted from liner notes.[46] All songs produced by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, except for "The Message" which is produced by Lord Finesse. No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Lolo (Intro)" (featuring Xzibit and Tray Deee) 0:41 2. "The Watcher" Andre YoungMarshall Mathers 3:26 3. "Fuck You" (featuring Devin the Dude and Snoop Dogg) YoungBrian BaileyDevin CopelandCalvin Broadus 3:25 4. "Still D.R.E." (featuring Snoop Dogg) Shawn CarterScott Storch 4:30 5. "Big Ego's" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBradfordStorchTracy CurryRichard Bembery 3:58 6. "Xxplosive" (featuring Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Six-Two) YoungBaileyRicardo BrownCraig LongmilesNathaniel HaleChris Taylor 3:35 7. "What's the Difference" (featuring Eminem and Xzibit) BradfordAlvin JoinerMathersBemberyStefan Harris 4:04 8. "Bar One (Skit)" (featuring Traci Nelson, Ms. Roq, and Eddie Griffin) 0:50 9. "Light Speed" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBrown 2:41 10. "Forgot About Dre" (featuring Eminem) Mathers 3:42 11. "The Next Episode" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Kurupt) YoungBrownBaileyBradfordBroadus 2:41 12. "Let's Get High" (featuring Hittman, Kurupt, and Ms. Roq) YoungBaileyMathersBrownRacquel Weaver 2:27 13. "Bitch Niggaz" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Hittman, and Six-Two) YoungBaileyBradfordBroadusLongmiles 4:13 14. "The Car Bomb (Skit)" (featuring Mel-Man and Charis Henry) 1:00 15. "Murder Ink" (featuring Hittman and Ms. Roq) YoungBaileyWeaver 2:28 16. "Ed-Ucation" (featuring Eddie Griffin) 1:32 17. "Some L.A. Niggaz" (featuring Hittman, Defari, Xzibit, Knoc-turn'al, Time Bomb, King T, MC Ren, and Kokane) YoungBaileyJoinerDuane Johnson, Jr.Royal HarborMarquese HolderRoger McBride 4:25 18. "Pause 4 Porno (Skit)" (featuring Jake Steed) 1:32 19. "Housewife" (featuring Kurupt and Hittman) YoungBaileyBradfordBrownCurry 4:02 20. "Ackrite" (featuring Hittman) YoungBaileyBradford 3:39 21. "Bang Bang" (featuring Knoc-turn'al and Hittman) YoungBaileyMathersHarbor 3:42 22. "The Message/Outro" (featuring Mary J. Blige and Rell) Ryan MontgomeryRobert Hall, Jr.Crystal Johnson 5:30 Total length: 68:01 Notes "The Watcher" contains additional vocals from Eminem and Knoc-Turn'al "Still D.R.E" was written by Jay-Z. "What's the Difference" contains additional vocals from Phish. "The Next Episode" contains additional vocals from Kurupt and Nate Dogg. "Some L.A. Niggaz" contains uncredited vocals from Hittman. "The Message" contains hidden vocals from Tommy Chong. "Housewife" is also featured on Kurupt's album,"Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha" Sample credits[47] "Lolo (Intro)" contains a sample of "Deep Note" by James A. Moorer. "Big Ego's" contains samples of "Theme from The Persuaders!" by John Barry and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Rose Royce. "Xxplosive" contains a sample of "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers and interpolates "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" by Snoop Dogg. "What's the Difference" contains a sample of "Parce Que Tu Crois" by Charles Aznavour. "Bar One (Skit)" contains a sample of "Poundin'" by Cannonball Adderley. "Light Speed" contains a sample of "I'm Still #1" by Boogie Down Productions. "Forgot About Dre" contains a sample of "The Climb" by No Doubt. "The Next Episode" contains replayed elements of "The Edge" by David McCallum. "Let's Get High" contains samples of "Backstrokin'" by The Fatback Band and "High" by Skyy. "Bitch Niggaz" contains a sample of "Top Billin'" by Audio Two. "The Car Bomb (Skit)" contains a sample of "Time Is Passing" by Sun. "Murder Ink" contains samples of "Halloween Theme" by John Carpenter and "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze. "Ed-Ucation" contains samples of "Diamonds Are Forever" by Franck Pourcel. "Housewife" interpolates "Bitches Ain't Shit" by Dr. Dre.

Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath is a compilation album by American and West Coast rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on November 26, 1996, as the first album on Aftermath Entertainment. The album was mainly produced by Aftermath's production team, the Soul Kitchen, which consisted of Dr. Dre, Bud'da, Flossy P, Stu-B-Doo, and Chris "The Glove" Taylor. Background Dre's scarce vocals, newly critiquing gangsta rap, marked Dre's reemergence after his March 1996 departure from Death Row Records, where Dre himself had propelled gangsta rap into the mainstream. (Dre had co-founded Death Row Records in 1991 amid his embattled split from Ruthless Records and its pioneering, gangsta rap group N.W.A.)[2] The 1996 album's first single, "East Coast/West Coast Killas", features prominent rappers from California and New York rebuking rap's recently ugly East–West "war." Dre participates himself on the chorus and the music video features a cameo appearance by Southern rapper, Scarface. The second single, a Dre solo, is the only track with Dre as main vocalist, "Been There, Done That." Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic link Entertainment Weekly B+ link Muzik 6/10[3] Rap Pages magazine (mixed) link The Rolling Stone Album Guide link A platinum seller,[4] the album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and at #3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop-Albums charts. Nonetheless, quite unlike Dre's prior album—The Chronic, released in December 1992 as Dre's debut solo album and Death Row Records' first album—Dre's new offering, not a standout, received mixed reviews and lukewarm appraisals. The Glove, among the album's coproducers, reasoned, "People were upset because they wanted a 'Dr. Dre' album. They weren't looking for a compilation album. That's what messed that up. Plus the single 'Been There, Done That' was cool, but it was taking away from the gangster style that people wanted."[5] Himself commenting on the album, Dre remarked, "It was just okay. That was a hit and miss."[6] More broadly, Dre explained, "That point of my life, musically, it was just off balance. I was off track then and trying to find it. It was a period of doubt. . . It happens with artists. Everything isn't going to be out of the park."[7] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Aftermath (The Intro)" (RC, Sharief and Sid McCoy) Dr. Dre, Mel-Man 2:51 2. "East Coast/West Coast Killas" (Group Therapy (RBX, KRS-One, B-Real and Nas)) Dr. Dre, Stu-B-Doo, Stocks McGuire 4:54 3. "Shittin' on the World" (D-Ruff, Hands-On and Mel-Man) Dr. Dre, Mel-Man 4:58 4. "Blunt Time" (RBX, Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) Dr. Dre, Stu-B-Doo 4:22 5. "Been There, Done That" (Dr. Dre) Bud'da, Dr. Dre 5:10 6. "Choices" (Kim Summerson) Ewart A. Wilson Jr., Floyd Howard, Glen Mosley 4:45 7. "As the World Keeps Turning" (Cassandra McCowan, Mike Lynn, Flossy P and Stu-B-Doo) Flossy P, Chris "The Glove" Taylor 4:43 8. "Got Me Open" (Hands-On, Dr. Dre) Bud'da 4:19 9. "Str-8 Gone" (King T) Bud'da 4:33 10. "Please" (Maurice Wilcher and Nicole Johnson) Maurice Wilcher 4:22 11. "Do 4 Love" (Jheryl Lockhart) Bud'da 3:23 12. "Sexy Dance" (Cassandra McCowan, Jheryl Lockhart and RC) Bud'da, Dr. Dre 4:55 13. "No Second Chance" (Who'z Who) Rodney Duke, Rose Griffin 4:49 14. "L.A.W. (Lyrical Assault Weapon)" (Sharief) Stu-B-Doo 4:24 15. "Nationowl" (Christian Nowlin) Bud'da 4:06 16. "Fame" (Jheryl Lockhart, King T and RC) Dr. Dre, Chris "The Glove" Taylor 4:30 Sample credits "East Coast/West Coast Killas" | Quincy Jones - "Ironside" "Shittin' on the World" | The Fuzz - "I Love You for All Seasons" "Blunt Time" | Quincy Jones - "Summer in the City" "Choices" | Isaac Hayes - "Look of Love" "Got Me Open" | K-Def & Larry O - "Real Live Shit" "Do 4 Love" | Heath Brothers - "Smiling Billy Suite Pt. 2" "Fame" | David Bowie - "Fame"

Label: Aftermath Entertainment – 2022, Mixtape Coalition – MTC22 Format: CDr, EP, Limited Edition, Unofficial Release Country: USA & Canada Released: 2022 Genre: Hip Hop Style: Gangsta, G-Funk, Hardcore Hip-Hop 1 Gospel Featuring – Eminem 3:30 2 The Scenic Route Featuring – Anderson .Paak, Rick Ross 3:02 3 Black Privilege 2:51 4 ETA Featuring – Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg 3:57 5 Fallin Up Featuring – Cocoa Sarai, Thurzday 3:23 6 Diamond Mind Featuring – Nipsey Hussle, Ty$ 4:53

The Chronic is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.[3] The Chronic was Dr. Dre's first solo album after he departed the West Coast hip hop group N.W.A and its label Ruthless Records over a financial dispute. It includes insults towards Ruthless Records and its owner, former N.W.A member and assembler Eazy-E. It features many appearances by then-emerging American rapper Snoop Dogg, who used the album as a launch pad for boosting his solo career. The album's title derives from a slang term for high-grade cannabis, and its cover is an homage to Zig-Zag rolling papers. In 2023, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the album was reissued by Dr. Dre's current label Aftermath Entertainment, Death Row Records, and Interscope Records. The Chronic reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has been certified triple platinum with sales of three million copies in the United States,[4][5] making Dre one of the top ten best-selling American performing artists of 1993.[6] The Chronic spent eight months in the Billboard Top 10.[7] The album's three singles became top ten Billboard singles.[8] "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Rap Singles and Hot R&B Singles charts.[8] Dr. Dre's production popularized the G-funk subgenre within gangsta rap. The Chronic has been widely regarded as one of the most important and influential albums of the 1990s and one of the best-produced hip-hop albums.[9][10][11] In 2019, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[12] Music Production The production on The Chronic was seen as innovative and ground-breaking, and received universal acclaim from critics. AllMusic commented on Dr. Dre's efforts, "Here, Dre established his patented G-funk sound: fat, blunted Parliament-Funkadelic beats, soulful backing vocals, and live instruments in the rolling basslines and whiny synths"[10] and that "For the next four years, it was virtually impossible to hear mainstream hip-hop that wasn't affected in some way by Dre and his patented G-funk."[13] Unlike other hip hop acts (such as The Bomb Squad) that sampled heavily, Dr. Dre only utilized one or few samples per song.[14] In Rolling Stone's The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time, where Dr. Dre was listed at number 56, Kanye West wrote on the album's production quality: "The Chronic is still the hip-hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. It's the benchmark you measure your album against if you're serious."[15] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the production, writing "The bottom register is swampy synthesizer bass lines that openly emulate Parliament-Funkadelic; the upper end is often a lone keyboard line, whistling or blipping incessantly. In between are wide-open spaces that hold just a rhythm guitar, sparse keyboard chords."[16] Pareles observed that the songs "were smoother and simpler than East Coast rap, and [Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg] decisively expanded the hip-hop audience into the suburbs."[17] Until this point, mainstream hip hop had been primarily party music (for example, Beastie Boys)[18] or pro-empowerment and politically charged (for example, Public Enemy or X-Clan), and had consisted almost entirely of samples and breakbeats.[19][20] Dr. Dre ushered in a new musical style and lyrics for hip hop. The beats were slower and mellower, samples from late 1970s and early 1980s funk music. By mixing these early influences with original live instrumentation, a distinctive genre known as G-funk was created.[16] Lyrics "Fuck wit Dre Day" Duration: 30 seconds.0:30 The diss track conveys an aggressive production style, as well as critical lyrics aimed at rappers Eazy-E, Luke Campbell and Tim Dog. Problems playing this file? See media help. The album's lyrics caused some controversy, as the subject matter included sexism and violent representations. It was noted that the album was a "frightening amalgam of inner-city street gangs that includes misogynist sexual politics and violent revenge scenarios". Most of the N.W.A members were addressed on the album; Eazy-E and Ice Cube were dissed on the second single "Fuck Wit Dre Day", while MC Ren however was shouted out on the album's intro.[21] Dr. Dre's dissing of former bandmate, Eazy-E, resulted in vicious lyrics, which were mainly aimed at offending his enemy with homosexual implications, although it was noted to have "a spirited cleverness in the phrasing and rhymes; in other words, the song is offensive, but it's creatively offensive".[22] Snoop Dogg, who had a significant role on the album, was praised for his lyrics and flow, and it was stated that, "Coupled with his inventive rhymes, Snoop's distinctive style made him a superstar before he'd even released a recording of his own"[23] and that his involvement was as important to the album's success as its production.[24] Touré of The New York Times remarks that "While Snoop delivers rhymes delicately, the content is anything but. Growing up poor, often surrounded by violence, and having served six months in the Wayside County jail outside of Los Angeles (for cocaine possession) gave Snoop Dogg experiences upon which he draws."[25] Snoop Dogg later commented on the "reality" of his lyrics, stating, "My raps are incidents where either I saw it happen to one of my close homies or I know about it from just being in the ghetto. I can't rap about something I don't know. You'll never hear me rapping about no bachelor's degree. It's only what I know and that's that street life. It's all everyday life, reality."[25] Singles Three singles were released from the album: "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", "Fuck wit Dre Day" and "Let Me Ride". "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" was released as the first single on November 19, 1992. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and Hot Rap Singles.[26] It sold over a million copies and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it Platinum on March 24, 1993.[27] The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1994 Grammy Awards,[28] but lost to Digable Planets' "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)". Steve Huey of AllMusic named it "the archetypal G-funk single" and added "The sound, style, and performances of "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" were like nothing else on the early-'90s hip-hop scene."[23] He praised Snoop Dogg's performance, stating "[Snoop Dogg's] flow was laconic and relaxed, massively confident and capable of rapid-fire tongue-twisters, but coolly laid-back and almost effortless at the same time".[23] It was voted in a VH1 poll as the 13th best song of the 1990s.[29] "Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody's Celebratin')" was released as the second single on May 20, 1993, and like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[26] It sold over 800,000 units and the RIAA certified it Gold on October 8, 1993.[27] Allmusic writer Steve Huey stated that the song was "a classic hip-hop single", citing Dr. Dre's production as "impeccable as ever, uniting his signature whiny synth melodies with a halting, descending bass line, a booming snare, and soulful female vocals in the background"[22] and alluded to Snoop Dogg, stating "Attitude was something Snoop had by the boatload, his drawling, laid-back delivery projecting unassailable control – it sounded lazy even though it wasn't, and that helped establish Snoop's don't-give-a-damn persona."[22] The track contains direct insults to rappers East coast rapper Tim Dog, 2 Live Crew member Luke, and Dre's former accomplices Eazy-E & Ice Cube. "Let Me Ride" was released as a cassette single on September 13, 1993.[30] It experienced moderate success on the charts, reaching number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot Rap Singles.[26] The song won Dr. Dre Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1994 Grammy Awards.[31] On this song and "Nuthin but a "G" Thang", Time magazine noted that Dr. Dre's verses were delivered with a "hypnotically intimidating ease" and made the songs feel like "dusk on a wide-open L.A. boulevard, full of possibility and menace".[32] Critical reception Contemporary professional reviews Review scores Source Rating Chicago Tribune [33] Entertainment Weekly A+[34] Los Angeles Times [35] Rolling Stone [21] The Source 4.5/5[36] USA Today [37] The Village Voice C+[38] In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, Havelock Nelson wrote that the album "drops raw realism and pays tribute to hip-hop virtuosity."[21] Entertainment Weekly said that it "storms with rage, strolls with confidence, and reverberates with a social realism that's often ugly and horrifying".[34] Matty C of The Source claimed that Snoop Dogg's "Slick Rick-esque style" produces "new ground for West Coast MCs" and that the album is "an innovative and progressive hip-hop package that must not be missed."[36] Edna Gundersen of USA Today found "Dre's prowess as beat-master and street preacher" to be "undeniable".[37] Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times wrote that, although the rappers lack "quick wit" and "rhythmic virtuosity", Dre's artistry is "on a par with Phil Spector's or Brian Wilson's." Gold argued that, because Dre recreates rather than samples beats and instrumental work, the finished album's fidelity is not inflected by that of "scratchy R&B records that have been played a million times", unlike productions from East Coast hip hop.[35] Greg Kot was less enthusiastic in the Chicago Tribune, deeming The Chronic superficial, unrefined entertainment, while writing that "Dre combines street potency with thuggish stupidity in equal measure."[33] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau dismissed it as "sociopathic easy-listening" and "bad pop music" whose innovation—Dre's departure from sampling—is not inspired by contemporary P-Funk, but rather blaxploitation soundtracks, which led him to combine preset bass lines with imitations of "Bernie Worrell's high keyb sustain, a basically irritating sound that in context always signified fantasy, not reality—stoned self-loss or, at a best Dre never approaches, grandiose jive."[38] He felt that the brutal lyrical threats were vague and lacked detail,[39] but that Snoop Dogg rhymed "drolly" and less dully than Dre.[40] Select's Adam Higginbotham opined that The Chronic was not as strong as releases from other gangster rap artists such as Ice Cube and Da Lench Mob and found it neither as "musically sharp, nor as lyrically smart as the latter".[41] His review concluded that the album sounded like "all the pedestrian bits from The Predator", but that it was still better than anything Eazy-E had released.[41] In a retrospective piece, Jon Pareles from The New York Times said that The Chronic and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle "made the gangsta life sound like a party occasionally interrupted by gunplay".[17] AllMusic's Steve Huey compared Dr. Dre to his inspiration, George Clinton, stating "Dre's just as effortlessly funky, and he has a better feel for a hook, a knack that improbably landed gangsta rap on the pop charts".[10] Rhapsody writer Brolin Winning named the album as "an untouchable masterpiece of California Gangsta Rap" and that it had "track after track of G-Funk gems".[42] In Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, it was noted that "Dre funked up the rhymes with a smooth bass-heavy production style and the laid-back delivery of then-unknown rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg."[43] Time magazine's Josh Tyrangiel states that Dr. Dre created "a sound that defined early 90s urban L.A. in the same way that Motown defined 60s Detroit".[32] Laura Sinagra, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), said that The Chronic "features system-busting Funkadelic beats designed to rumble your woofer while the matter-of-fact violence of the lyrics blows your smoke-filled mind".[44] Accolades Retrospective professional reviews Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [10] Blender [45] Encyclopedia of Popular Music [46] Mojo [47] MusicHound R&B 4.5/5[48] Pitchfork 10/10[49] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [44] Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10[50] XXL 5/5[51] In 1994, "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" and "Let Me Ride" were nominated at the 36th Grammy Awards, with the latter winning Best Rap Solo Performance for Dr. Dre.[31] That year, readers of Hip Hop Connection voted it the fourth best album of all time, leading the magazine to speculate, "In a few years' time, it could even be remembered as the best rap album of all time."[52] The Chronic was included in Vibe magazine's list of the 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century,[53] and the magazine later included it in their list of the Top 10 Rap Albums of All Time, dubbing it a "decade-defining opus".[54] The record was ranked eighth in Spin magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s",[55] and in 2005, it was ranked at number thirty-five in their list of the "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005".[56] Rolling Stone ranked The Chronic at number 138 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[43] and at 37 in their 2020 update. In 2005, MTV Networks listed The Chronic as the third greatest hip hop album in history.[57] The following year, Time magazine named it as one of "The All-Time 100 Albums".[32] In a retrospective issue, XXL magazine awarded The Chronic a perfect "XXL" rating.[51] The Source, who originally gave the album a rating of 4.5 out of 5 mics in 1993, would later include it in their list of the 100 Best Rap Albums; in 2008, the magazine's former editor Reginald Dennis remarked that he "would have given it a five" in retrospect—the magazine's editors had a strict rule forbidding five-mic ratings at the time—and that "no one could have predicted the seismic shift that this album would produce".[58] The Chronic is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[59] Commercial performance As of 2015, the album has sold 5.7 million copies in the United States,[4] and was certified Triple Platinum by RIAA on November 3, 1993.[60] It is Dr. Dre's second-bestselling album, as his follow-up album, 2001, was certified sextuple Platinum.[61] The album first appeared on music charts in 1993, peaking on the Billboard 200 at number three, and peaking on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number one.[62] The Chronic spent eight months in the Billboard Top 10.[7] The album's three singles became top ten Billboard singles.[8] "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number one on both the Hot Rap Singles and Hot R&B Singles charts.[8] "Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" became a top ten single on four different charts, including the Hot R&B Singles (number 6) and the Hot 100 (number 8).[8] The Chronic didn't chart on the UK Albums Chart until 2000. It re-entered the charts in 2003, peaking on the Ireland Albums Top 75 at number 48, and on the UK Albums Top 75 in 2004 at number 43.[63] As of 2015, it has sold 260,814 copies there.[64] All songs produced by Dr. Dre. # Title Songwriter(s)[71] Performer(s) Samples[71] Length 1 "The Chronic (Intro)" Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Colin Wolfe Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers "Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Solomon Burke "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players "Country Cooking" by Jim Dandy "The Shalimar" by Gylan Kain "Colour Me Funky" by Parliament 1:57 2 "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')"[nb 1] Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Colin Wolfe First verse: Dr. Dre Second verse: Snoop Dogg Interlude: RBX Third verse: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre Outro: Snoop Dogg Outro vocals: Jewell "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic "Funkentelechy", "The Big Bang Theory", "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament 4:52 3 "Let Me Ride" Dr. Dre, RBX, Snoop Dogg Verses: Dr. Dre Refrain: Snoop Dogg Vocals: Ruben, Jewell "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Swing Down, Sweet Chariot (Live)" by Parliament "Kissing My Love" (Drums) by Bill Withers "Funky Drummer" (Drums) by James Brown 4:21 4 "The Day the Niggaz Took Over" Dr. Dre, RBX, Snoop Dogg, Dat Nigga Daz Chorus: Snoop Dogg, RBX First verse: Dat Nigga Daz Second verse: Dr. Dre Third verse: RBX Fourth verse: Dat Nigga Daz Outro: Snoop Dogg Samples LA uprising documentary "Birth of a Nation 4x29x92" (directed by Matthew McDaniels) "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)" by Boogie Down Productions 4:33 5 "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" Snoop Dogg, D.O.C., Dr. Dre Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" by Leon Haywood "Uphill (Peace of Mind)" by Kid Dynamite "B Side Wins Again" by Public Enemy 3:58 6 "Deeez Nuuuts" Dr. Dre, Dat Nigga Daz, Snoop Dogg, Colin Wolfe, Nate Dogg Intro: Warren G Chorus: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre First verse: Dr. Dre Second verse: Dat Nigga Daz Third verse: Dr. Dre Outro: Nate Dogg "Chestnuts" by Rudy Ray Moore Excerpt from Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Runaway Corpse" "Pull Fancy Dancer/Pull" by One Way 5:06 7 "Lil' Ghetto Boy" Snoop Dogg, D.O.C., Dr. Dre First verse: Snoop Dogg Second verse: Dr. Dre Third verse: Snoop Dogg Backing vocals: Dat Nigga Daz, Nate Dogg "Little Ghetto Boy" by Donny Hathaway "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae "The Get Out of the Ghetto Blues" by Gil Scott-Heron 5:27 8 "A Nigga Witta Gun" D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre Dr. Dre "Big Sur Suite" by Johnny "Hammond" Smith "Who's the Man (With the Master Plan)" by The Kay Gees "Friends" by Whodini 3:52 9 "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg Intro: RBX Verses: Dr. Dre Chorus: Snoop Dogg, BJ Outro: Snoop Dogg Audio sample from The Mack "Vegetable Wagon" by Donny Hathaway "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch "Pot Belly" by Lou Donaldson 3:48 10 "The $20 Sack Pyramid" (skit) D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre Intro: Dr. Dre Vocals: Snoop Dogg, Samara Show host: Big Tittie Nickie Contestant 1: The D.O.C. Contestant 2: Samara "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex 2:53 11 "Lyrical Gangbang" Kurupt, RBX, The Lady of Rage, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, D.O.C. First verse: The Lady of Rage Second verse: Kurupt Third verse: RBX "Damn" by The Nite-Liters "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin "Played Like a Piano" by King Tee "Hole in the Head" by Cypress Hill 4:04 12 "High Powered" Dr. Dre, RBX, Colin Wolfe Intro: Dr. Dre Backing vocals: Lady of Rage Verses: RBX Outro: Dat Nigga Daz "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren 2:44 13 "The Doctor's Office" (skit) Dr. Dre, Kevin Lewis, Jewell, The Lady of Rage Jewell, The Lady of Rage, Dr. Dre "Back in Bed" by Jewell 1:04 14 "Stranded on Death Row" Kurupt, RBX, The Lady of Rage, Snoop Dogg Intro: Bushwick Bill First verse: Kurupt Second verse: RBX Third verse: The Lady of Rage Fourth verse: Snoop Dogg Outro: Bushwick Bill "Do Your Thing (Live)" by Isaac Hayes "If It Don't Turn You on (You Outta Leave It Alone)" by B.T. Express "The Jam" by Graham Central Station 4:47 15 "The Roach" (The Chronic Outro)" RBX, The Lady of Rage, Dat Nigga Daz Verses: RBX Chorus: Emmage, Ruben Backing vocals: Dat Nigga Daz, The Lady of Rage, Jewell "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)", "Colour Me Funky" by Parliament "Impeach the President" (Drums) by The Honey Drippers 4:36 16 "Bitches Ain't Shit" Dr. Dre, Colin Wolfe, Snoop Dogg, The D.O.C., Kurupt, Dat Nigga Daz Chorus: Snoop Dogg First verse: Dr. Dre Second verse: Dat Nigga Daz Third verse: Kurupt Fourth verse: Snoop Dogg Outro: Jewell "Adolescent Funk" by Funkadelic "Let's Get Small" by Trouble Funk 4:48

Sello: Four Ways To Rock – none Formato: Cassette, Album País: Canada Publicado: 1996 Género: Hip Hop Estilo: Jazzy Hip-Hop A1 Preview (live) A2 Sebutones Def A3 Flux Capacity A4 Preview A5 Peach Rmx A6 Goin' Splits B1 Interview (live) B2 Osteriophysid B3 Multiple Organisms B4 Security Screws B5 Transmision

The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel (sometimes stylized as The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel[5]) is the only studio album by Deep Puddle Dynamics, a collaboration between Sole, Doseone, Alias, and Slug. It was released on Anticon in 1999. The title of the album comes from a "western haiku" by Jack Kerouac.[6] Critical reception The album received a favorable coverage from URB, Spin, CMJ, and The Wire.[7] It is part of Cokemachineglow's Top 60 Albums of the 2000s, appearing in the "Honorable Mentions" section.[8] Michael Endelman of CMJ New Music Monthly said, "these cerebral MCs turn their emotional hang-ups (dejection, alienation, disaffection, etc.) into their calling card."[2] Dave Segal of The Stranger called it "one of underground hiphop's most understatedly adventurous documents, both sonically and lyrically".[9] A 2006 review for Sputnikmusic called it "the best hip-hop album of all time, and unfortunately one that will never make it very far out of the underground."[10] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Deep Puddle Theme Song" DJ Abilities 6:54 2. "The Candle" Moodswing9 5:53 3. "Thought vs. Action" DJ Abilities 3:50 4. "Where the Wild Things Are" DJ Abilities 5:23 5. "June 26th, 1998" Jel 6:19 6. "The Scarecrow Speaks" Ant 5:56 7. "I Am Hip Hop (Move the Crowd)" Jel 5:59 8. "Heavy Ceiling" Jel 5:29 9. "June 26th, 1999: A. Slight" DJ Mayonnaise 5:53 10. "June 26th, 1999: B. Exist" DJ Mayonnaise 3:04 11. "June 26th, 1999: C. Purpose" Alias 3:26 12. "June 26th, 1999: D. Mothers of Invention" Jel 3:04 Total length: 61:15 2002 reissue version bonus track No. Title Producer(s) Length 13. "Rainmen" (Controller 7 Remix) Controller 7 5:23 Total length: 66:38

Hemispheres is the first solo album by American hip hop artist Doseone, released in 1998.[2] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Bronchial Cleansing" Mr. Dibbs 1:05 2. "Civilization" Mr. Len 3:57 3. "Spitfire" (featuring Lionesque) J. Rawls 5:39 4. "Self Explanitory" J. Rawls 4:18 5. "Voluntary Passive Euthanasia" J. Rawls, Fat Jon 4:42 6. "2 Ton Can of Wupass" Jel 4:43 7. "As for Bias" G-Fresh 4:34 8. "That Ol' Pagan Shit" J. Rawls 5:25 9. "Etherial Downtime" Jel 6:56 10. "Neapolitan" J. Rawls, Fat Jon, Aktual Solar 5:23 11. "Genres" (featuring Kris Brown) J. Rawls 6:30

1 Intro Sixtoo Sebutones 01:00 2 We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins, Jr. Sebutones 03:54 3 Trust No One Sixtoo Sebutones 05:14 4 Interlude Sixtoo Sebutones 00:27 5 The Masked Man Sixtoo Sebutones 03:07 6 05 Professionals Sixtoo Sebutones 05:17 7 Dead Man Don't Walk Sixtoo Sebutones 04:02 8 Newport Sixtoo Sebutones 04:04 9 Apocalypse Party Sixtoo Sebutones 03:00 10 01/29/2020 Sixtoo Sebutones 03:27 11 Intelligent Freaks Sixtoo Sebutones 01:13 12 Dazed & Confused Sixtoo Sebutones 03:27 13 Whiteys on the Moon Sixtoo Sebutones 01:08 14 Go Back Sixtoo Sebutones 04:15 15 Nibiru Sixtoo Sebutones 03:07 16 Ballistics Testing Sixtoo Sebutones 00:43 17 Outlawed Truths Sixtoo Sebutones 04:29 18 Tranquilized Tones Sixtoo Sebutones 03:01 19 Viral Pneumonia Sixtoo Sebutones 02:52 20 Simba Ain't Shit Sixtoo Sebutones 01:19 21 Chalk Sixtoo Sebutones 03:15 22 Punk Song Sixtoo Sebutones 03:15

The Art of War is the third studio album by hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony which was released on July 29, 1997. The album sold 394,000 units in its first week of release. The album was certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA in June 1998. It was the first double-album from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album included the platinum-single "Look into My Eyes", and the gold-single "If I Could Teach the World". The whole album is produced by DJ U-Neek. A sequel to the album The Art of War: World War III was released on December 10, 2013. Background The album was rumored to be called "DNA Level C" which is Cleveland backwards. "The Art of War" was created largely as a response to rappers deemed "Clones" (copycats) by the group. Such rappers included Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Twista & The Speedknots & Three 6 Mafia. In the wake of his father's death and Tomica Wright now heading Ruthless, Bizzy Bone was not happy, and thus did not appear for many shows or promotions. Now calling the shots, many tracks were altered by Tomica Wright, attempting to head the group into a new direction. Such tracks include Thug Luv with Sylk-E. Fyne, If I Could Teach the World, Friends, Ready 4 War, Handle The Vibe with Flesh-n-Bone and many others. While the group appeared at Sprite Nite on BET, Keenan Ivory Wayans (with Bizzy), and several other promotions, their tour began to lag without Bizzy. Music and lyrics In "Ready 4 War," Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (along with Mr. Majesty) called out Crucial Conflict directly by name, with Majesty even stating, "I'll watch you ride the rodeo straight to the bottom". The tracks "Handle The Vibe," "Look Into My Eyes," "Body Rott," "Ready 4 War," "Hatin' Nation," Wasteland Warriors," "All Original," "Whom Die They Lie" and "U Ain't Bone" can all be considered as diss tracks.[citation needed] They also changed the name of "Friends" for the cassette version to "How Many of Us Have Them". 2Pac wrote his verse for "Thug Luv" in 1 minute and 51 seconds as confirmed by Bizzy Bone.[citation needed] Singles The first single for this album was Look Into My Eyes, which was also on the Batman & Robin soundtrack. Neither Bizzy nor Flesh-n-Bone was featured in the video. The next single was "If I Could Teach the World". Bizzy did not appear in this video either. "Thug Luv" and "Body Rott" were also released to radio as singles. Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1] Entertainment Weekly B[2] Rolling Stone [3] The Source 4/5 The Art of War received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with some critics calling the album sonically superior to its predecessor, E. 1999 Eternal. While others criticizing the album for its length, including extended disses towards other rappers, leading to repetitive song play. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said, "While the group is capable of producing a catchy single, they don't have the personality to sustain an album, much less a double-disc set. By the end of the second disc, they have repeated all of their ideas at least five times apiece, and only a few of those ideas resulted in actual songs in the first place."[4] J.D. Considine of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B" rating, stating, "Lest the smooth sound of 'Look Into My Eyes' leaves you thinking the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are really just pop-friendly softies, this 28-song double disc, The Art of War, offsets its slow-and-sweet numbers with bloodthirsty workouts like the shotgun-spiked 'Thug Luv'. But after two hours of these singsong melodies, War seems more like a siege than a surgical strike."[5] Rolling Stone gave the album three and a half stars out of a possible five.[3] Krayzie Bone said in a 2015 interview with HipHopDX that The Art of War was Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's best album, even better than E. 1999 Eternal. Comparing to Eternal, whose songs he claimed were planned and written years before they were recorded, where in contrast The Art of War consisted entirely of newer material that he and the other group members had sat in the studio to create. The response to these statements from mainstream media and fans has been evenly divided. Rapper Wiz Khalifa included the album in his list of "25 Favorite Albums" for Complex. Track listing All tracks produced by DJ U-Neek World War 1 No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Retaliation (Intro)" Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, DJ U-Neek 2:21 2. "Handle The Vibe" Antoinette Colandreo, BTNH, U-Neek 4:40 3. "Look into My Eyes" BTNH, U-Neek 4:19 4. "Body Rott" BTNH, U-Neek 5:01 5. "It's All Mo' Thug" BTNH, U-Neek 5:12 6. "Ready 4 War" (featuring Mr. Maje$ty) Majesty, Marilyn McLeod, Pam Sawyer, BTNH, U-Neek,Cedric Feaster jr. 4:36 7. "Ain't Nothin' Changed (Everyday Thang Part II)" Barry J. Eastmond, BTNH, U-Neek 4:43 8. "Clog Up Yo Mind" BTNH, U-Neek 5:01 9. "It's All Real - performed by Krayzie Bone" Krayzie Bone, BTNH, U-Neek 5:08 10. "Hard Times (Skit)" BTNH, U-Neek 2:49 11. "Mind of a Souljah - performed by Layzie Bone" Layzie Bone, BTNH, U-Neek 4:39 12. "If I Could Teach the World" BTNH, U-Neek 4:24 13. "Family Tree" K. McCord, BTNH, U-Neek 5:49 World War 2 No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Mo' Thug (Skit)" BTNH, U-Neek 1:40 2. "Thug Luv" (featuring 2Pac) 2Pac, BTNH, U-Neek 5:08 3. "Hatin' Nation" BTNH, U-Neek 5:12 4. "7 Sign - performed by Bizzy Bone" (featuring Mr. Maje$ty) Bizzy Bone, BTNH, U-Neek, Cedric Feaster Jr. 4:48 5. "Wasteland Warriors" (featuring Souljah Boy) Souljah Boy, BTNH, U-Neek 4:28 6. "Neighborhood Slang (Skit)" BTNH, U-Neek 1:29 7. "U Ain't Bone" BTNH 5:04 8. "Get Cha Thug On - performed by Wish Bone (featuring Tre)" Wish Bone, U-Neek 4:02 9. "All Original" BTNH, U-Neek 4:58 10. "Blaze It (Skit)" Larry Blackmon, BTNH, U-Neek 2:08 11. "Let The Law End" BTNH, U-Neek 3:36 12. "Whom Die They Lie" BTNH, U-Neek 4:24 13. "How Many of Us Have Them (Friends)" BTNH, U-Neek 5:10 14. "Evil Paradise" Tim Stahl, BTNH, U-Neek 4:48 15. "Mo' Thug Family Tree (featuring Mo Thugs Family)" BTNH, U-Neek 5:37 Sample credits World War 1 "Handle the Vibe" contains a sample of "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)" as performed by Boogie Down Productions "It's All Mo' Thug" contains a sample of "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" as performed by Isaac Hayes "Ready 4 War" contains a sample of "Love Hangover" as performed by Diana Ross "Ain't Nothin Changed (Everyday Thang Part 2)" contains a sample of "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" as performed by Freddie Jackson "Hard Times" contains a sample of "Love.... Can Be So Wonderful" as performed by The Temprees "Family Tree" contains a sample of "If you play your cards right by Kevin Mccord 'Hardtimes" contains a sample of "Love can be so wonderful" by The Temprees World War 2 "Blaze It" contains a sample of "Why Have I Lost You" as performed by Cameo "Evil Paradise" contains a sample of "White Horse" as performed by Laid Back "Thug Luv" contains a sample of "Friday the 13th Original Theme" by Harry Manfredini "U Ain't Bone" contains a sample of "Ring the Alarm" as performed by Tenor Saw "Friends" contains a sample of "Friends" as performed by Whodini All samples here are as listed on the Art of War booklet. Appearances Krayzie Bone appears on 25 tracks. Layzie Bone appears on 22 tracks. Bizzy Bone appears on 18 tracks. Wish Bone appears on 15 tracks. Flesh-n-Bone appears on 6 tracks. The vinyl release omits the tracks 1, 6 and 12 on WW2.

Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's is a compilation album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2001. The album collects the previously released EP's, Ford One, Ford Two, and The Lucy EP. Recording Some of the sessions were produced at the home studio of Jason Heinrichs, also known as Anomaly. In an obituary for Heinrichs in 2002, Slug described the recordings: "It was the first time we’d seen anyone use a computer and grid to record and sequence music. He supplied the sound effect of the squealing pig on one of our songs ("Nothing But Sunshine") and we laughed for a long time."[2] Reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [3] Pitchfork 7.3/10[4] RapReviews 8/10[5] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [6] Spin 7/10[7] The Village Voice A−[8] Stanton Swihart of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, commenting that "its stronger moments are among the most forward-thinking hip-hop ever made."[3] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote, "The beer-soaked ennui of the hip-hop depressive hasn't been captured this evocatively since before Basehead found Jesus".[9] In 2015, it was ranked at number 14 on Fact's "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list.[10] Track listing No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Between the Lines" Ant 5:19 2. "Like Today" Ant 4:02 3. "Tears for the Sheep" Ant 2:51 4. "Guns and Cigarettes" Ant 4:21 5. "Don't Ever Fucking Question That" Ant 4:17 6. "It Goes" Ant 4:27 7. "If I Was Santa Claus" Ant 3:50 8. "Aspiring Sociopath" Ant 5:24 9. "Free or Dead" Jel 4:46 10. "Party for the Fight to Write" Ant 3:53 11. "Mama Had a Baby and His Head Popped Off" Ant 4:24 12. "They're All Gonna Laugh @ You" Jel 2:04 13. "Lost and Found" Jel 4:39 14. "The Woman with the Tattooed Hands" Ant 3:30 15. "Nothing but Sunshine" Moodswing9 5:10 16. "Homecoming" (hidden track; featuring El-P) El-P 4:38