Eminem Encore Original Tracklist [updated] Jun 2026

The alteration of the Encore tracklist marks one of the great "What Ifs" in music history. The album still went 5x Platinum, but the critical backlash deeply affected Eminem, contributing to his five-year hiatus from solo albums before returning with Relapse in 2009.

: Another fierce battle track aimed at his critics and rivals, showcasing the razor-sharp flow of the Eminem Show era.

In late 2003, nearly a year before Encore hit shelves, seven unreleased Eminem tracks leaked onto the internet. They were quickly compiled by bootleggers into an infamous underground EP titled Straight from the Lab . eminem encore original tracklist

Released in November 2004, Eminem’s Encore arrived at the peak of his powers—but also marked the beginning of a critical decline. Often remembered for its goofy singles ("Just Lose It") and the infamous "Accents Era" (which would later plague Relapse ), the album is frequently cited as Marshall Mathers’ creative low point. But for hardcore fans, there has always been a lingering question: Was the album we got the album he intended?

In late 2004, Eminem was the undisputed king of hip-hop. He was fresh off the massive success of The Slim Shady LP , The Marshall Mathers LP , and The Eminem Show . The world eagerly anticipated his fifth major-label album, Encore . The alteration of the Encore tracklist marks one

If the leak never happened, the album would have looked like this (using released tracks):

To understand the ghost tracklist of Encore , one must look back to late 2003. At the absolute peak of his global stardom, Eminem was working on the album while simultaneously managing a severe, escalating addiction to prescription sleeping pills and painkillers. In late 2003, nearly a year before Encore

(Optional add: "When I’m Gone" from Curtain Call as a secret track).

"Bully" is arguably one of the most vicious diss tracks Eminem ever recorded—directed at Ja Rule and Irv Gotti, with a hook about Columbine that was so controversial it never saw a proper commercial release. "When I’m Gone" is one of his most emotionally devastating songs. Removing these from the standard tracklist weakened the album’s emotional backbone.

The following table highlights how the final 2004 release differed from the "intended" version due to the leaks: Original Intended Song Final Album Replacement Reason for Change (Moved to Bonus Disc) Leaked early; replaced by new recordings Love You More (Moved to Bonus Disc) Leaked early; replaced by "Crazy In Love" Bully Big Weenie Last-minute replacement after "Bully" leaked Monkey See, Monkey Do Rain Man Last-minute "goofy" replacement Christopher Reeves Ass Like That Scrapped due to Reeve's death Come On In One Shot 2 Shot Swapped with the D12 collaboration

Fun fact - the "Paul" skit on Encore was originally about "Christopher Reeves", only to get replaced after the song was cut from t... Paul (skit) Just Lose It