Maps of Music

Relapse (2009)

Where the lyrics of Relapse take you, and where it was really made.

Eminem later said he went back to Relapse and cringed at it, and he ranked it near the bottom of his own discography, yet fans came to treat it as a cult classic.

Key places

Former production team's studio (2009)

Recording site 54 Sound — The source ties 54 Sound to Eminem's former production team, including the Bass Brothers, who are also credited with working on 25 tracks for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sessions moved to Orlando (2009)

Recording site Parc Studios — Recording sessions were moved to Orlando, Florida, in July or August 2008. The source gives only the city, so this point marks the city center. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Relapse: sixth studio album by the American rapper Eminem
• Released May 15, 2009 through Shady Records, Goliath Artists, Aftermath Entertainment, WEB Entertainment, and Interscope Records
• Horrorcore concept album about drug rehabilitation and relapse
• Features the return of the Slim Shady alter ego
• Eminem plays a serial killer using various accents
• Skits include performances by Dominic West, Paul Rosenberg, and Angela Yee, among others
• Guest appearances by Dr. Dre and 50 Cent
• Reissue released December 21 adds Drake, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne
• Eminem described it as reminiscent of The Slim Shady LP (1999) and The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

Background

• First studio album after a hiatus that followed Encore (2004)
• Hiatus caused by writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication
• Eminem canceled the European leg of the Anger Management Tour in summer 2005
• Best friend and fellow rapper Proof was later shot and killed outside a Detroit nightclub
• Eminem relapsed into prescription drug abuse after Proof's death
• Hospitalized in December 2007 for a methadone overdose
• Began a 12-step program in early 2008
• Said he got sober on April 20, 2008

Recording

• Recording began in mid-2008, after the 12-step program
• Dr. Dre produced most of the album, with Eminem producing 'Beautiful' himself
• Jeff Bass of the Bass Brothers worked with Eminem on 25 tracks
• Sessions moved to Orlando, Florida, in July or August 2008
• 'Beautiful' was started in rehab and finished after he left

Cover

• Cover first published through Eminem's Twitter account on April 21, 2009
• Head shot formed from a mosaic of thousands of pills
• Sticker resembles a prescription label naming Eminem as the patient and Dr. Dre as the doctor

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Marshall Bruce Mathers III, born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri; American rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive.
• Known for rap flow and conscious rap including political criticism and social commentary; widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.
• Credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and the acceptance of white rappers in popular music.
• Debut album Infinite (1996) was a commercial failure; Slim Shady EP (1997) led to signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope.
• The Slim Shady LP (1999) brought mainstream popularity; The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002) each sold over one million copies in a single week.
• The Eminem Show became the best-selling album worldwide in 2002; Recovery (2010) was the best-selling album worldwide in 2010.
• Co-founded Shady Records in late 1999; the label signed D12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater and Cashis.
• Starred in 8 Mile (2002); "Lose Yourself" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first hip-hop act to win it.
• Over 220 million records sold; eleven number-one albums on the Billboard 200, with The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024) the latest.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 in his first year of eligibility.

Reception

At release

• Reviews were mixed; critics generally praised the production
• Critics were divided over the writing
• Critics criticized Eminem's accents
• Metacritic: 'mixed or average reviews' with a weighted average of 59 out of 100 from 27 critic scores
• The Independent's Andy Gill found the album 'drably repetitive'
• NME's Louis Pattison found the wordplay strong but the album too jaded to count as a return to form
• Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson questioned the horror-show grandstanding as the album strayed from narrative
• The Times called it an album that sits between what Eminem could still do and what had been feared
• The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin panned it as facile shock mixed with gory horrorcore
• MSN Music's Robert Christgau called it a 'dud' and accused Eminem of sensationalism
• Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield called it a more painful, honest, and vital record, on par with or better than The Eminem Show (2002)
• AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as musically white-hot, dense, and dramatic
• The Daily Telegraph praised its honest depiction of drug addiction and overuse
• Vibe's Benjamin Meadows-Ingram praised the lyricism although the concept was 'spotty'
• Los Angeles Times's Ann Powers called it impressively focused but not transcendent

Reappraisal

• Despite the lukewarm reception, the album gained a strong cult following
• Many now consider it one of Eminem's classic albums
• Mark Batson, co-producer with Dr. Dre, said it was not well received at the time but is now considered a classic
• Paul Rosenberg singled out 'Underground' as one of his favorite songs
• Eminem criticized the album in the song 'Not Afraid' on Recovery (2010)
• In 2013, Eminem said he did not hate the record but doubted it was his best work
• In 2020, Eminem's opinion became more positive

Records

• Debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 with 608,000 copies sold in its first week
• Stayed at number 1 for two weeks
• Reached number 1 in 12 other countries
• Sold 64,000 copies in its first week in Canada and debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart
• Became the best-selling rap album of 2009
• Certified double platinum by the RIAA on August 27, 2010
• Certified triple platinum by the RIAA in 2022
• Won Best Rap Album at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards
• 'Crack a Bottle' topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Eminem bought the Effigy Studio in Ferndale, Michigan, in 2007 and ended his working relationship with much of his former production team of the 54 Sound recording studio, including the Bass Brothers
• The album cover's head shot is built from a mosaic of thousands of pills
• The cover was first published through Eminem's Twitter account on April 21, 2009
• The skit 'Dr. West' opens the album with Dominic West voicing a drug counselor who turns out to be Slim Shady
• Eminem said he recorded at least 50 to 60 songs for the album and grew more drastic with the accents on each one
• In 2020, Eminem's opinion of Relapse became more positive, and he rapped in its style on 'Discombobulated'

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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