The Marshall Mathers LP 2
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is the eighth studio album by the American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album is Eminem's last to have the involvement of independent label WEB Entertainment. It serves as a sequel to his third album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). The album was recorded from 2012 to 2013 with several different producers, with Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Skylar Grey, Rihanna, Nate Ruess, and rapper Kendrick Lamar, among others.
"Don't Front" redirects here. For the Joey Badass song, see 1999 (mixtape).The Marshall Mathers LP 2
November 5, 2013
March 2012 – October 2013[1]
78:28
- Dr. Dre (exec.)
- Rick Rubin (also exec.)
- Aalias
- Alex da Kid
- Cardiak
- DJ Khalil
- DVLP
- Emile
- Eminem
- Filthy
- Frank Dukes
- Frequency
- Jeff Bhasker
- Luis Resto
- M-Phazes
- S1
- Sid Roams
- Streetrunner
- Vincent Venditto
The idea of a sequel to The Marshall Mathers LP came about after Eminem recorded a handful of songs in the early stages of the creation of the album that reminded him of his earlier music, though Eminem wanted to experiment with "retro, vintage" sounds from turntablism for the sequel. The album draws influences from arena rock and old-school hip hop, mainly inspired by the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill era and LL Cool J's Radio era, while the production is more minimalist than Eminem's previous albums.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was regarded as one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The album was revealed during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards in August, alongside a preview of its lead single "Berzerk". The next two singles were "Survival" and "Rap God". "The Monster" (featuring Rihanna) was released as the album's fourth single and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's fifth single "Headlights" (featuring Ruess) was released in 2014.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling more than 792,000 copies in its first week. In March 2017, it was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2] It was met with positive reviews by critics, with praise directed at Eminem's technical rapping abilities and production choices. The album marked an improvement in a reception over Eminem's previous three albums, and was named on multiple best album year-end lists. It won Eminem a record sixth Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards.
Music and songs[edit]
The album's opening track "Bad Guy", produced by S1, M-Phazes, and Streetrunner, with a chorus sung by Sarah Jaffe,[35][36] has been described as a sequel to Eminem's "Stan" from The Marshall Mathers LP.[37] "Survival" features a chorus sung by Liz Rodrigues and production by DJ Khalil.[38] On the anthemic track, Eminem celebrates his return over "breakneck, arena-rock" electric guitars and "trashy" drums.[39] "Berzerk" is produced by Rubin and pays homage to old-school hip hop. With samples from the Beastie Boys' "The New Style" and "Fight for Your Right", and Billy Squier's "The Stroke", the track is "a punchy, guitar-and-beats driven song which channels Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and Licensed to Ill-era Beastie Boys."[40] The album also draws influence from LL Cool J's Radio era, while the production is more minimalist than Eminem's previous records.[41] Produced by DVLP, "Rap God" sees Eminem rapping over an EDM-inspired instrumental with varied flows. He pays tribute to many influential hip hop acts, but also proclaims himself an all-time best, with the closing line stating: "Why be a king when you can be a god?"[42] "The Monster" is a "dark", "demon-battling" song, with the production that was handled and provided by Frequency. The track features backing vocals from Bebe Rexha and a chorus by Rihanna.[27]
Artwork and packaging[edit]
The artwork was revealed on September 20, 2013 on Eminem's Twitter account.[43] The cover features a picture of Eminem's childhood home, although now the house is in a dilapidated state. It is very similar in design to the cover of the artwork from The Marshall Mathers LP; which also features a picture of the house, but with Eminem sitting on the porch, the windows uncovered and the door replaced by a screen door.[44] On October 25, 2013, the artwork for the deluxe edition was revealed. The deluxe artwork is a variation of the standard artwork, in which the 2 is red. On the internet, there are many other covers. For example, Eminem sitting at the doorstep of the house and on the door it is written, '19946'. Two days after the album was released, the house went up in flames for unknown reasons, damaging the upper portion of the home. As of 2014, the house had been demolished and plans to rebuild are in progress.[45] The deluxe edition comes with two discs, one being the standard album, and the other containing bonus tracks. The discs' artwork is designed after the Detroit city seal and flag, respectively.[46] The album's artwork direction was handled by Mike Saputo, with photography by Kevin Mazur. In December 2013, the album cover was named the tenth best of 2013 by Complex.[47]
Release and promotion[edit]
On October 29, 2012, the "Eminem Baseball Tribute Champ Hat" was made available on the official Eminem online store, with a side panel "dedicated to the landmark Eminem solo albums," and the final date being 2013, hinting at the release year for Eminem's eighth studio album.[48] On August 25, 2013, two Beats by Dre commercials aired during the MTV Video Music Awards revealed that Eminem's eighth studio album would be titled The Marshall Mathers LP 2 and would be released on November 5, 2013, with previews of the lead single "Berzerk" and its music video, where Eminem was shown with his hair dyed blond again.[49]
On September 5, 2013, it was announced that "Berzerk" would be used as the featured song for the 2013 season of ESPN Saturday Night Football on ABC from September 14 to December 7, and that a sneak peek for the song's music video would premiere during halftime of No. 14 Notre Dame at No. 17 Michigan on September 7;[50] Eminem was interviewed by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit during the halftime, and the clip, described as "awkward" and "bizzare", became a viral online video.[51]
Activision announced on September 9, 2013, that players who preordered Call of Duty: Ghosts would receive a bonus track in addition to "Survival".[52] The track listing was revealed on October 10, 2013.[53] On October 17, 2013, pre-order bundles featuring a deluxe CD and various merchandise options were made available on Eminem's website.[54]
During August 2013, Eminem performed four concerts in Europe. The group of shows featured supporting acts Slaughterhouse, Kendrick Lamar, EarlWolf (Tyler, The Creator & Earl Sweatshirt), Yelawolf, and Chance the Rapper.[55] In February 2014, Eminem toured Australia and New Zealand on the Rapture Tour. The four shows also featured Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, 360, David Dallas, and Action Bronson. Eminem reportedly handpicked the artists to join him on tour.[56][57]
Singles[edit]
On August 25, 2013, he revealed that the first single "Berzerk" would be released on August 27, 2013 in the US.[58] The song was premiered on Shade 45 the day before its retail release.[59] The single debuted at number two on the Canadian Hot 100,[60] number three on the US Billboard Hot 100,[61] and among the top 40 in many other countries. On September 9, 2013, the music video for "Berzerk" premiered on Vevo. The video featured cameo appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Kid Rock, Slaughterhouse, Mr. Porter, Yelawolf, Rick Rubin and Paul Rosenberg.[62]
On August 14, 2013, a song titled "Survival" featuring Liz Rodrigues, with production by DJ Khalil was premiered in the multiplayer trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts. A following press release revealed the first single from his eighth studio album would be released soon.[38][63] On October 8, 2013, "Survival" was released on iTunes for digital download as the album's second single along with its music video.[64][65] "Survival" has since peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.[61]
On October 14, 2013, the audio to "Rap God" premiered on Eminem's YouTube channel.[66] It was then released to iTunes the following day,[67] as the album's third single.[68] It debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[61] On November 27, 2013, the music video was released for "Rap God".[69]
On October 24, 2013, it was revealed that the Rihanna collaboration "The Monster", would be released as the album's fourth single.[70] The Frequency-produced song premiered on October 28, 2013.[71] The song was then released as the album's fourth official single the following day.[72] The song became Eminem's fifth single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[73] On December 16, 2013, the music video was released for "The Monster" featuring Rihanna.[74] "Headlights", which features American singer Nate Ruess, was released as the album's fifth single in Australia on February 5, 2014.[75][76] "Headlights" has since peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.[61]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United States, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling more than 792,000 copies in its first week, becoming the second-biggest debut of 2013 and the second-largest sales week of the year, only behind the debut of Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience, which bowed at number one with 968,000 in March. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 logs the sixth-biggest sales week of the past five years. The album also marks Eminem's seventh No. 1 album.[108] In its second week the album dropped to number two, selling 210,000 more copies.[109] In its third week the album returned to number one on the Billboard 200, selling 120,000 more copies.[110] In its fourth week the album dropped to number two on the Billboard 200, selling 199,000 more copies.[111] The album sold 1,727,000 copies in the United States in 2013, making it the second best-selling album of the year.[112] As of April 2015, the album has sold 2,244,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan.[113]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling over 143,000 copies, becoming Eminem's seventh consecutive No. 1 album in the UK. By achieving such a feat, Eminem became the first American act to score seven consecutive UK Number 1 albums and is now on par with The Beatles in second place for the most chart-topping UK albums in a row.[114] The album was the best-selling album of 2013 in Canada, with over 242,000 units sold.[115] In Australia, the album debuted at atop the ARIA Albums Chart, with only three days of chart sales, becoming his seventh No. 1 album in the country.[116][117] It remained at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart in its second week.[118] The Marshall Mathers LP 2 finished 2013 with 3.8 million copies sold worldwide.[2]
In 2013, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was ranked as the 16th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[119]
The following year, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was ranked as the fifth most popular album of 2014 on the Billboard 200.[120]
Notes
Sample credits[31]