Eminem's fifth studio album, Encore, was released on November 28, 2004, and marked a significant departure from his previous work. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling over 4 million copies in the United States alone. However, what many fans may not know is that the original tracklist for Encore was significantly different from the one that was ultimately released.
Scrapped after the actor's death in Oct 2004; eventually reworked into "Brand New Dance" (2024). "Come On In" Later released as "6 in the Morning" on the D12 album The Final (Released) Tracklist This is the version that hit shelves on November 12, 2004: Curtains Up Evil Deeds Never Enough (ft. 50 Cent & Nate Dogg) Yellow Brick Road Like Toy Soldiers My 1st Single (Replacement song) Big Weenie (Replacement song) Em Calls Paul Just Lose It Ass Like That (Replacement song) Spend Some Time (ft. Obie Trice, Stat Quo & 50 Cent) Mockingbird Crazy in Love One Shot 2 Shot Final Thought Encore / Curtains Down (ft. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent)
This original lineup presents a much darker and more focused narrative than the final product. It places aggressive political commentary tracks like "We As Americans" and "Love You More" directly in the main sequence, giving the album a cohesive, hard-hitting edge. Notably absent are the goofier tracks that later became synonymous with the album's criticism, such as "Rain Man," "Big Weenie," and "My 1st Single."
Eminem later reflected on Facebook that if the leaked tracks had stayed, the album's caliber would have rivaled The Eminem Show . eminem encore original tracklist
The original Encore tracklist remains one of hip-hop’s greatest "What Ifs." If the album had remained intact, it likely would have been remembered as a fitting, classic conclusion to Eminem's legendary prime era.
The album fans ultimately received was a double-disc affair, but its core identity was split. The standard version of Encore contained the rushed material, including the infamous comedic trifecta of "Rain Man," "Big Weenie," and "Ass Like That".
This is the definitive history of the original Encore tracklist, the songs that were lost, and how a massive internet leak altered a hip-hop classic. The Context: Eminem at His Peak (2003–2004) Eminem's fifth studio album, Encore, was released on
In late 2004, Marshall Mathers was preparing to release Encore , the highly anticipated follow-up to his diamond-certified magnum opus, The Eminem Show . He was at the absolute peak of his commercial power and global fame.
| Aspect | | The Final Released Album | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Core Tracks | "We As Americans," "Love You More," "Bully," "Christopher Reeves" | "Rain Man," "Big Weenie," "My 1st Single," "Ass Like That" | | Tone | Dark, political, introspective, aggressive | Goofy, juvenile, disjointed, drug-induced | | Quality | Often cited by producers as being near the caliber of The Eminem Show | Widely panned by critics for lazy writing and silly concepts | | Context | A coherent, planned farewell from a conscious artist | A rushed patch-job to fill space and hit a deadline |
To understand the "original" tracklist, one must look at the songs recorded between 2003 and early 2004 that were ultimately leaked by the group Straight from the Lab or relegated to bonus discs and soundtracks. The Impact of the 2003 Leaks Scrapped after the actor's death in Oct 2004;
Before the leaks derailed the process, Eminem's vision for his fifth album was remarkably different. During the recording sessions, the material was intended to follow the sharp, politically charged, and deeply personal tone set by his previous work, particularly The Eminem Show . A wealth of material was recorded between the 8 Mile soundtrack's success in late 2002 and the planned album sessions in 2003.
Imagine an Encore that opened with "We As
While an official original tracklist was never released, Eminem has confirmed in interviews with Shade 45 that certain songs were intended to be centerpiece tracks before the leak.
