So why is Eminem’s Encore on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Beyond Eminem’s superior rapping skills by any objective scale, he also has an Beyond Eminem’s objectively superior rapping skills, he has an extraordinary ability to slip deftly and playfully into different personas and characters.
Example: in “Rain Man,” Eminem plays multiple parts, and a standout comes when he references the Bible, taking on the part of a southern preacher-type guy. The fact that he can do this while simultaneously rapping (at the highest level) and carrying on the song’s lyrical narrative at the same time never fails to blow my mind.
Now in the Bible, it says:
“Thou shalt not watch two lesbians in bed
Have homosexual sex
Unless, of course, you were given the consent to join in
Then, of course, it’s intercourse, and it’s bisexual sex
Which isn’t as bad
‘Long as you show some remorse for your actions
Either before, during, or after
And underneath the playfulness and all of the other layers, there’s a hypersmart hard poke at religion with regard to sexual mores as to what is “acceptable” (or not) in terms of what people consensually do with their bodies.
Like a genius comedic actor who also has the ability to thrive in dramatic roles, Eminem songs that turn off all of the gleeful playfulness, smack talk, and snark sometimes hit hardest and best.
“Mockingbird” is a powerhouse of a rap song without any hint of comedy. A gorgeous and melancholy melody on piano (that’s pulled from the “Hush, Little Baby” lullaby) and a light breakbeat track allow Eminem’s superior flow to take the full spotlight.
I’ll never forget that Christmas, I sat up the whole night crying
‘Cause Daddy felt like a bum—see, Daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and Mom
I truly believe that Eminem doesn’t get enough credit as a songwriter – there’s an element of honesty and specificity in his lyrics that are the hallmark of great writing.
And then there’s “Just Lose It,” which is both flat out hilarious and one of my favorite Eminem tracks of all. Your mileage will vary on the swipes at Michael Jackson, but overall I find it to be both super funny and a slinky, funky hip-hop cut.
And “Never Enough” is an effective, hard hitting and hard funk number featuring 50 Cent and Nate Dogg.
Some stats & info about Eminem – Encore
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Hip Hop, Rap, Hardcore Rap, Dance Music
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars (!!)
- When was Encore released? 2004
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #227 out of 1,000
Eminem’s Encore on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Eminem’s Encore that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Everybody report to the dance floor – it’s your chance for a little romance-or.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.