Infinite
Artwork of the original 1996 cassette release
Studio album by
Eminem
ReleasedNovember 12, 1996
RecordedDecember 1995 – June 1996
GenreHip hop
Length37:54
LabelWEB Entertainment
Producer
Eminem chronology
Infinite
(1996)		 Slim Shady EP
(1997)

Infinite is the debut studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 1996, through Web Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at the Bass Brothers' studio, with production handled by Denaun Porter and Eminem himself.[1] The album features guest vocals from fellow Detroit rappers Proof, Denaun Porter, Eye-Kyu, Three and Thyme, as well as singer Angela Workman.

Physical copies of Infinite were released on cassette and vinyl, and Eminem sold the copies from the trunk of his car in Detroit. It is not officially available on any online music stores and only the title track, "Infinite", has been made available on Spotify. On November 17, 2016, five days after the 20th anniversary of the album, Eminem posted a remix of the title track that was remastered, made by the Bass Brothers, to his Vevo channel, releasing it digitally for the first time. Retrospectively, the album received mixed reviews from music critics—it was a commercial failure, selling around 1000 copies. Since the album was made before Eminem garnered mainstream attention and signed to Interscope, physical copies have appreciated in value.

Background and recording

I was driving in my car back in '95 or '96 and heard him on the radio. It was like, "Whoa, who is this?" He was doing an open mic with [WJLB-FM programmer Lisa Orlando] in Detroit. And I was like, "Wow, who is this kid? I've gotta get him over to the studio." That's when I called out to the radio station and asked, "Put me on the phone with the guy."

– Mark Bass, 2016[2]

In 1992, Eminem signed with FBT Productions, which had been run by Jeff and Mark Bass; they are known as the Bass Brothers. Eminem also held a minimum-wage job that involved cooking and washing dishes at Gilbert's Lodge restaurant in St. Clair Shores for some time.[3] Inspired by Tupac Shakur's Me Against the World and Nas's Illmatic, Eminem began writing Infinite. After the birth of his daughter Hailie, 23-year-old Eminem headed to the Bass Brothers basement to record the album. The album was completed by the summer of 1996 and was released on Web Entertainment in the fall.[3][4][5]

Eminem was encouraged by others for the album, noted to sound like Nas and AZ.[6] Mr. Porter produced the majority of the album, while Proof programmed the drums.[7]

Composition and lyrics

Eminem purposely made Infinite's songs "radio-friendly" in hopes of getting played on Detroit radio stations;[7] only around a thousand copies of the album were made.[8] Subjects covered on Infinite included Eminem, him and his grandma's struggle with raising Hailie Jade Mathers, Eminem's newborn daughter, while on limited funds and his strong desire to become rich.[3] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and his abuse of drugs and alcohol resulted in a suicide attempt.[9] Eminem recalled: "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of feedback saying that I sounded like AZ. Infinite was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It was a growing stage. I felt like Infinite was like the demo that just got pressed up."[6]

Release and reception

On November 12, 1996, Infinite was released by Web Entertainment.[2] It's not known exactly how many copies Infinite sold. Eminem stated in his autobiography The Way I Am (2008) that it sold "maybe 70 copies".[10] However, other sources stated that the album sold a few hundred copies[2] or even a thousand copies.[11] Eminem's overall disappointment with Infinite's lack of success inspired him to develop his famous Slim Shady alter ego, which became present in his later works.[1]

On May 14, 2009, thisis50.com re-released it for free download on their website to build anticipation for Eminem's sixth studio album Relapse (2009); this was his comeback album.[5][10][12] On November 17, 2016, a remix of the album's title track "Infinite" was released in commemoration of the album's 20th anniversary five days after the event. The remix was followed by a documentary about the making of Infinite, also released the same day.[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
RapReviews5.5/10[14]

Retrospective reviews of Infinite from music critics were mixed. AllMusic gave it an "Editor Score" of 2.5 out of 5 stars, without a review.[13] Rob Kenner of Complex gave the album a mixed review, saying Eminem "has yet to develop his own distinctive style", and that it was a "competent but unremarkable effort".[15] Mosi Reeves from Rolling Stone stated, that "Probably the most surprising thing on Infinite is hearing [Eminem] rap, 'In the midst of this insanity, I found my Christianity through God' on 'It's O.K.'", noting that spiritual elements had not played a large role in his later works' lyrics.[2] According to Christian hip-hop media outlet Rapzilla, Eminem would pray before shows in the early 2000s. On a 2022 remix of Kanye West's "Use This Gospel", Eminem raps faith-based lines such as "I put all of my trust and faith in You, Father," and "my Savior I call on to rescue me ... He is my shepherd. I'm armed with Jesus, my weapon is prayer."[16]

In a more positive review, Tedd Maider of Consequence of Sound describes Infinite as "a more genuine glimpse of the rapper that is Eminem", and commented that it is "quick-witted and unique rhyming", "lyrical chops, raw style beats, and mentality" could only be matched by his third studio album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000).[17]

Track listing

Track listing and credits taken from album booklet.[18] All songs produced by Denaun Porter, except where noted.

Infinite track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Infinite"
 4:11
2."W.E.G.O." (Interlude)  0:26
3."It's O.K." (featuring Eye-Kyu)
  • Mathers
  • Willie Drake
  • Porter
 3:29
4."Tonite"
  • Mathers
  • Porter
 3:45
5."313" (featuring Eye-Kyu)
  • Mathers
  • Drake
  • Porter
 4:11
6."Maxine" (featuring Denaun Porter and Three)
  • Mathers
  • Porter
  • Porter
  • Eminem[a]
3:55
7."Open Mic" (featuring Thyme)
  • Mathers
  • Bernard Russell
  • Porter
 4:02
8."Never 2 Far"Mathers 3:38
9."Searchin'" (featuring Eye-Kyu)
  • Mathers
  • Drake
  • Porter
  • Angela Workman
 3:45
10."Backstabber"
  • Mathers
  • Porter
 3:24
11."Jealousy Woes II"
  • Mathers
  • Porter
  • Porter
  • Eminem[a]
3:19
Total length:37:54

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Sample credits

  • "Tonite" contains a sample of "Let This River Flow" performed by Googie and Tom Cappola.
  • "313" contains a sample of "A Secret Place" performed by Grover Washington Jr.
  • "Maxine" contains a sample of "Dolphin Dance" performed by Grover Washington, Jr.
  • "Open Mic" contains a sample of "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" performed by Curtis Mayfield, and "World Go Round" performed by Naughty by Nature.
  • "Never 2 Far" contains a sample of "Right on Time" performed by Maze.
  • "Searchin'" contains a sample of "The Dude" performed by Quincy Jones.
  • "Backstabber" contains samples of "Fuckin' Backstabber" performed by Soul Intent, "Jealous" performed by LL Cool J, and "Get Down" performed by Craig Mack.
  • "Jealousy Woes II" contains samples of "Say What" performed by Idris Muhammad, "Jealous" performed by LL Cool J, and "The World Is Yours" performed by Nas.

Personnel

Credits adapted from album booklet.[18]

  • Eminem – vocals, production
  • Kevin Wilder – mixing, recording
  • Robert "Flipside" Handy – mixing, recording
  • Mr. Porter – production
  • Jeff Bass – executive production
  • Mark Bass – executive production
  • DJ Butter Fingers – scratches

References

  1. 1 2 3 James, Andy. "How the Failure of 'Infinite' Turned Eminem Into Slim Shady". DJBooth. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Reeves, Mosi (November 17, 2016). "Eminem's 'Infinite': Producers Revisit, Remix MC's Inauspicious Debut". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Bozza, Anthony (2003). Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem. New York, New York, United States: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 1-4000-5059-6.
  4. ↑ Biography of Eminem: The life and times of Eminem, in one convenient little book. Hyperink. July 24, 2012. ISBN 9781614644996.
  5. 1 2 Rodriguez, Jayson (May 13, 2009). "Eminem's First Album, Infinite, Now Available For Download". MTV. MTV. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Eminem biography". Eminem.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  7. 1 2 Ryon, Sean (April 21, 2012). "Mr. Porter Talks Debut Album "tHe mEmO," Eminem's First Album "Infinite"". HipHopDX. IPC Media. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  8. ↑ Padania, Jesal "Jay Soul" (August 12, 2008). "Eminem: Infinite". RapReviews. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  9. ↑ Ankeny, Jason; Torreano, Bradley. "Eminem – Biography". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Michaels, Sean (May 14, 2009). "Eminem's rare debut available for free download". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Eminem Total Albums Sold". Brain. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Eminem's rare debut album released free online". NME. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Infinite - Eminem". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  14. ↑ Padania, Jesal (August 12, 2008). "Eminem :: Infinite :: Web Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  15. ↑ Kenner, Rob (November 12, 2013). "Eminem "Infinite" (1996)". Complex. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  16. ↑ Law, Jeannie Ortega (August 31, 2022). "Eminem raps about God, calls Jesus his Savior on No. 1 album in US". The Christian Post. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  17. ↑ Maider, Tedd (December 13, 2009). "Dusting 'Em Off: Eminem – Infinite". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  18. 1 2 Infinite (Media notes). Eminem. United States: Web Entertainment. 1996. 0382556977426.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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