The Eminem Show [20th Anniversary Expanded Edition]

by Eminem

Overview

It's all about the title. First time around, Eminem established his alter ego, Slim Shady -- the character who deliberately shocked and offended millions, turning Eminem into a star. Second time at bat, he turned out The Marshall Mathers LP, delving deeper into his past while revealing complexity as an artist and a personality that helped bring him an even greater audience and much, much more controversy. Third time around, it's The Eminem Show -- a title that signals that Eminem's public persona is front and center, for the very first time. And it is, as he spends much of the album commenting on the media circus that dominated on his life ever since the release of Marshall Mathers. This, of course, encompasses many, many familiar subjects -- his troubled childhood; his hatred of his parents; his turbulent relationship with his ex-wife, Kim (including the notorious incident when he assaulted a guy who allegedly kissed her -- the event that led to their divorce); his love of his daughter, Hailie; and, of course, all the controversy he generated, notably the furor over his alleged homophobia and his scolding from Lynne Cheney, which leads to furious criticism about the hypocrisy of America and its government. All this is married to a production very similar to that of its predecessor -- spare, funky, fluid, and vibrant, punctuated with a couple of ballads along the way. So, that means The Eminem Show is essentially a holding pattern, but it's a glorious one -- one that proves Eminem is the gold standard in pop music in 2002, delivering stylish, catchy, dense, funny, political music that rarely panders (apart from a power ballad "Dream On" rewrite on "Sing for the Moment" and maybe the sex rap "Drips," that is). Even if there is little new ground broken, the presentation is exceptional -- Dre never sounds better as a producer than when Eminem pushes him forward (witness the stunning oddity "Square Dance," a left-field classic with an ominous waltz beat) and, with three albums under his belt, Eminem has proven himself to be one of the all-time classic MCs, surprising as much with his delivery as with what he says. Plus, the undercurrent of political anger -- not just attacking Lynne Cheney, but raising questions about the Bush administration -- gives depth to his typical topics, adding a new, spirited dimension to his shock tactics as notable as the deep sentimental streak he reveals on his odes to his daughter. Perhaps the album runs a little too long at 20 songs and 80 minutes and would have flowed better if trimmed by 25 minutes, but that's a typical complaint about modern hip-hop records. Fact is, it still delivers more great music than most of its peers in rock or rap, and is further proof that Eminem is an artist of considerable range and dimension. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	12/16/2022
Label:	Aftermath
UPC:	0602445958030

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eminem   Primary Artist,Vocals,Spoken Word
Tony Yayo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Paul D. Rosenberg   Primary Artist,Vocals
D12   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Steve Berman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Spoken Word
Dina Rae   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Lloyd Banks   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Proof   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Hailie Jade   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Dr. Dre   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Paul Rosenberg   Primary Artist,Spoken Word
Nate Dogg   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals
50 Cent   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
ESQ.   Primary Artist
Obie Trice   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Ken Kaniff   Primary Artist,Vocals,Spoken Word
Joe Perry   Guitar,Soloist
Shy Felder   Vocals (Background)
Steve King   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Voiceover,Spoken Word,Guitar (Bass)
Ondre Moore   Vocals
Ron Feemster   Keyboards
Louis Resto   Keyboards
Gary Kozlowski   Vocals (Background)
Lynette Purdy   Vocals (Background)
Marshall Mathers   Vocals
Conesha Monet Owens   Vocals (Background)
Kuniva   Vocals
Jeff Bass   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Co-Producer,Guitar (Bass)
Theron Feemster   Keyboards
Luis Resto   Keyboards
Denaun Porter   Co-Producer
Bizarre   Vocals
Swifty McVay   Vocals
Mike Elizondo   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Timbaland   Vocals,Spoken Word
Traci Nelson   Vocals (Background)
Kon Artis   Vocals
Barbara Wilson   Vocals (Background)
Conesha Owens   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Dr. Dre   Mixing,Producer,Executive Producer
50 Cent   Composer
Tony Campana   Recording,Engineer
Kevin Bell   Composer
Mauricio Iragorri   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Jonathan Mannion   Photography
Mark Bass   Composer,Executive Producer
Urban Kris   Assistant Engineer
Marc Labelle   A&R
Kevin Dresser   Design
Nathaniel Hale   Composer
Curtis Jackson   Composer
Michael Strange Jr.   Assistant Engineer
Mike Strange   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Assistant Engineer
Steve King   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer,Drum Programming
Theron Feemster   Composer
Jeffrey Bass   Composer
Tyler   Composer
Von Carlisle   Composer
Ondre Moore   Composer
DeShaun Dupree Holton   Composer
Ron Feemster   Composer
James McCrone   Assistant Engineer
DJ Head   Producer,Programming,Drum Programming,Additional Production
Alex Reverberi   Assistant Engineer
Larry Chatman   Project Coordinator
Jason Noto   Design,Art Direction
Christian Clancy   Project Manager
R. Arthur Johnson   Composer
Kirdis Tucker   Project Coordinator
Marshall Mathers   Composer
Bob Canero   Assistant Engineer
Francis Forde   Assistant Engineer
Rufus Johnson   Composer
Eminem   Additional Production,Mixing,Composer,Producer
Les Scurry   Production Coordination
Lloyd Banks   Composer
Jeff Bass   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Executive Producer,Additional Production
Steve "B" Baughman   Mixing,Engineer
Marvin Bernard   Composer
Brian Gardner   Mastering Engineer,Mastering
Luis Resto   Composer
Denaun Porter   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Ralph Tresvant   Composer
Ronnie DeVoe   Composer
Richard Huredia   Engineer,Recording
Ricky Bell   Composer
Marti Frederiksen   Recording,Guitar Engineer
Malcolm McLaren   Composer
DJ Green Lantern   Mixing
Steve Baughman   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Michael Elizondo   Composer
Mel-Man   Drum Programming
Michael Bivins   Composer
Obie Trice   Composer
Mike Elizondo   Composer,Producer
Tom Coster   Composer
Anne Dudley   Composer
Brian "Big Bass" Gardner   Mastering
Young   Composer
Thomas Rounds   Assistant Engineer
Brian May   Composer
Trevor Horn   Composer
Andre Young   Composer
Steven Tyler   Composer
Tony Yayo   Composer
Sarah Catlett   A&R
Tom Rounds   Assistant Engineer
Joel Martin   Production Coordination
Paul Rosenberg   Composer,Performer