Dr. Dre echoed Eminem's sentiments, stating that the original tracklist was "a bit too experimental" and that they ultimately decided to "re-scale" the album to make it more commercial.
He immediately flew to Los Angeles to join Dr. Dre for emergency recording sessions. In a state of panic and under the fog of his addiction, he frantically wrote and recorded an entirely new set of songs to fill the gaps. Songs like and "Ass Like That" were born in these sessions, written in 20 or 30 minutes as quick, silly replacements for the more serious and politically charged tracks that had been lost.
This led to a frantic recording session in mid-2004, where he produced tracks like "Ass Like That," and "Big Weenie." While these songs were meant to fill the gap and provide radio-friendly singles, they changed the album's tone from the intended serious rap album to a comedic, whimsical project. eminem encore original tracklist
This speculative tracklist is starkly different from the released version. It excludes later additions like "Big Weenie," "Rain Man," and "My 1st Single," replacing them with the politically charged "We As Americans" and the deeply personal "Love You More." Critics have long argued that this version would have been a stronger artistic statement, one without the "goofy" tracks that Eminem came to regret.
However, one significant track often mentioned in discussions about 'Encore' but not on this list is 'Cleanin' Out My Closet.' Interestingly, due to label interference and controversy surrounding some lyrics, 'Encore' was initially planned to have more tracks. Dre for emergency recording sessions
To understand the original tracklist, we must look at what was stolen and what was forced into existence to fill the void. When the 2003 leaks compromised Eminem's studio sessions, it fundamentally changed the narrative direction of the album. The Stolen Gems (Moved to Deluxe Disc or Shelved)
But the pressure was immense. By late 2003, Eminem had developed a severe dependency on sleep medication, specifically Ambien and Valium. In interviews years later, he described being a "zombie," recording vocals while barely conscious. He initially conceptualized Encore as a spiritual sequel to The Eminem Show —a mature, introspective, politically charged, and lyrically dense project. This led to a frantic recording session in
"Christopher Reeves" (later reworked as "Brand New Dance" on The Death of Slim Shady after the actor passed away).