First, I would like to say that Encore is probably my least favorite Em album. At least, that's what I've been thinking for years.
Although, I think considering the era in which it was released, perhaps it's more fair to say that Encore was his most disappointing album when you look at what came before it - TES, 8 mile/8 mile soundtrack, Straight from the Lab, Get Rich or Die tryin, Invasion 1-3, etc. He was at his very best RIGHT BEFORE Encore... even just a matter of months.
Now, before everyone calls me retarded, overweight, deaf, etc. Let me elaborate.
What is it that everyone seems to be able to agree on?
That Encore is pretty sweet ASIDE from - My First Single, Rainman, Just Lose it and Ass Like That.
I don't feel that I need to get into why the rest of the package is up to snuff. I think you all realize that Yellow Brick Road, Like Toy Soldiers, Crazy in Love, Mockingbird, We As Americans, Love you More, etc. are all great. It's those "really bad" songs listed above that bring Encore down.
I would like to propose that perhaps Eminem intended for each of those songs to be heard in a different context and that it flew over everyone's heads (at no fault of their own.)
I think those songs are more Shady than nearly anything he's put out post hiatus. There's a point to them. Perhaps a lot of you have even considered this before but you need to hear it from someone else before it clicks aka the power of suggestion.
Those songs are a giant "Fuck you, I'll write this and you will listen to it (He references this in the last line of Ass like that) and make me millions. Fuck what you like."
It's not that they're complete shit that anyone could write either. Look at the second and third verses from "My first single". They're fucking incredible from a technical standpoint. Most rappers could not rhyme or flow that well. It's just the subject matter (and in that song, the loud clapping in the beat) that no one likes. I think it's brilliant. What artist has tried that before? He's adding those shitting, puking & toilet noises on purpose. He's gotta know that no one is going to think "Hey, that really adds to the song. I like it better with this!"
He was probably hoping people would see it as "Holy shit why would he do that to his own song?"
Now take into consideration the Straight from the Lab leak right before Encore.
Do you think Em was slightly pissed off? I remember reading something from an interview about it.
Remember, before he went on hiatus he was at his creative peak. He said in some interview "I was 4-5 songs in and they all leaked onto the fucking internet." He was probably thinking "Ok... Fuck you then. Enjoy this." and thought people would see what he was doing and actually love it.
There is no fucking way songs like "Big weenie" were to be taken at face value. "Weenie?"
Now what is it we hate about songs like big weenie? "Weenie." It's fucking stupid. Not just that word but the concept around it. But he did it that way on purpose, for sure.
I think he threw a couple of hints around just in case it went over everyone's heads "I just did a whole song and I didn't say SHIT" "I was going to take some TIME to sit down and write you a little poem" The name "Puke" itself.
I think he took a huge risk with this CD and it didn't work out for him.
I think his intention with those songs was to make songs with as terrible subject matter as possible and have it be shady as fuck through subtext... Giant "FUCK YOU" to everyone. A ballsy "Fuck you" to everyone.
But no one got it.
I'm re-thinking where I'd place Encore in contrast to the rest of the Eminem albums and I'm thinking it may deserve way more respect than it gets.