Eminem Encore Original Tracklist _best_ May 2026

In 2004, Eminem was on top of the universe. The Eminem Show had sold 10 million copies. 8 Mile had won an Oscar. He was a global pariah and a pop hero simultaneously. Then came Encore — an album fans have spent nearly two decades debating: brilliant finale or bloated farewell?

But the album we got isn’t the album he made.

The original tracklist for Encore leaked months before release. It was darker, tighter, and more personal. Here’s a reconstruction based on interviews and session leaks:

Original Encore Tracklist (circa early 2004):

  1. We As Americans
  2. Love You More
  3. Bully
  4. Come On In (feat. D12)
  5. Never Enough (feat. 50 Cent & Nate Dogg)
  6. Yellow Brick Road
  7. Like Toy Soldiers
  8. Mosh
  9. Puke
  10. Just Lose It
  11. Spend Some Time (feat. Obie Trice, Stat Quo, 50 Cent)
  12. One Shot 2 Shot (feat. D12)
  13. Encore / Curtains Down (feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent)

Then everything changed.

In mid-2004, the unfinished album leaked onto peer-to-peer networks. Eminem was furious. In a panic, he scrapped three of the most aggressive, political tracks: "We As Americans," "Love You More," and the infamous "Bully" — a venomous, homophobic attack on critics and (allegedly) Michael Jackson. He rushed into the studio and recorded three new, goofier tracks to replace them: Rain Man, Big Weenie, and My 1st Single — songs that fans now routinely call the worst of his career.

The result? The Encore we know is split in half. Disc 1 (tracks 1–11) is classic Eminem: political rage, pop satire, and heartbreaking addiction confessions (Like Toy Soldiers). Disc 2 (tracks 12–15) is a fart-joke carnival, where he mocks his own legacy.

Had the original tracklist survived, Encore might be remembered differently — a lean, angry sequel to The Eminem Show. Instead, it became the first true sign that the pills were winning. The leaked originals eventually appeared on Encore’s bonus disc — buried, like ghosts of a better album.

In a way, the leak saved Eminem. The rushed, silly tracks were so poorly received that even he seemed embarrassed. He went quiet for four years. When he returned with Relapse, he was sober. But Encore — in both its leaked and released forms — remains the perfect, messy monument to a genius starting to crack under his own weight.

Eminem’s fourth major-label album, Encore, remains one of the most polarizing and fascinating chapters in hip-hop history. Released in November 2004, the project was intended to be the grand finale to the legendary run established by The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, and The Eminem Show. However, a massive online leak forced Eminem to scrap his vision and record new material in a matter of days.

The result was a disjointed project that swapped introspective classics for bizarre, slapstick humor. For years, fans have obsessed over the "original" tracklist—the version of Encore that was supposed to cement Eminem’s legacy before the leak changed everything. The Leak That Changed Everything

In early 2004, several high-quality tracks intended for Encore surfaced on peer-to-peer sharing networks. In an era before streaming, a leak of this magnitude was devastating. Eminem, fueled by frustration and a growing dependency on sleeping medication, decided that if fans had already heard the music, it was no longer "valuable." eminem encore original tracklist

He retreated to the studio and recorded several replacement tracks in a blurred, manic state. These songs—notably "Big Weenie," "Rain Man," and "My 1st Single"—featured nonsensical lyrics and toilet humor that stood in stark contrast to the polished production of his previous work. Reconstructing the Original Tracklist

While an official "pre-leak" tracklist has never been released by Shady Records, Eminem has confirmed in interviews and his autobiography, The Way I Am, which songs were pulled. By looking at the tracks moved to the Encore Deluxe Edition bonus disc and songs that appeared on later projects, we can reconstruct the masterpiece that almost was. The "Lost" Pillars

These three tracks were the emotional core of the original album but were moved to the Deluxe Edition bonus disc after they leaked:

"We As Americans": A politically charged anthem that famously drew Secret Service attention for its lyrics about the President.

"Love You More": A raw, brutal look at a toxic relationship, considered by many to be superior to "Love the Way You Lie."

"Ricky Ticky Toc": A classic Shady flow over a minimalist, hypnotic beat. The Replacement Casualties

To make room for the three songs above, Eminem added what are now considered the "middle-stretch" fillers. In the original vision, the following songs likely never would have existed: "Rain Man" "Big Weenie" "Ass Like That" "My 1st Single" What the Original Experience Would Have Felt Like

The original Encore was designed to be a darker, more mature reflection on fame. Without the "silly" songs, the album maintains a consistent, moody atmosphere.

A Focused Narrative: Songs like "Yellow Brick Road" and "Toy Soldiers" would have felt more impactful without being interrupted by fart noises and burps.

Political Weight: With "We As Americans" and "Mosh" back-to-back, the album would have been the most significant political statement of Eminem's career.

The Perfect "Encore": The album ends with Eminem literally shooting the crowd and himself. In the original context, this was a haunting metaphor for his retirement from the industry. The Legacy of the Encore Leak In 2004, Eminem was on top of the universe

The Encore leak didn't just change an album; it changed Eminem’s career trajectory. The critical backlash to the "silly" songs led to a five-year hiatus before he returned with Relapse in 2009.

Today, fans often create "OG Encore" playlists, swapping out the filler tracks for the leaked gems. When listened to this way, Encore transforms from a flawed experiment into a worthy successor to The Eminem Show. It remains a "what if" that continues to spark debate in the hip-hop community.

The original tracklist for Eminem's "Encore" (2004) features the following:

  1. "Mosh"
  2. "Darkness"
  3. "Sing for the Moment"
  4. "Like Toy Soldiers"
  5. "My 1st Single"
  6. "Go"
  7. "My Dad's Gone Crazy"
  8. "Steve Jobs"
  9. "When I'm Gone"
  10. "Cleanin' Out My Closet"
  11. "Love the Way You Lie (Skit)"
  12. "Love the Way You Lie"
  13. "Not Afraid"
  14. "Dear Friend"

Features on the tracklist are:

Eminem’s fourth major-label album, Encore, remains one of the most polarizing and fascinating chapters in hip-hop history. Released in November 2004, the project was famously derailed by a massive internet leak, forcing Eminem to scrap several songs and record new material in a matter of days. This led to a jarring shift in tone, replacing high-concept lyricism with the "zany," toilet-humor-heavy tracks that define the album's middle section.

To understand the "original" tracklist, one must look at the songs recorded between 2003 and early 2004 that were ultimately leaked by the group Straight from the Lab or relegated to bonus discs and soundtracks. The Impact of the 2003 Leaks

In late 2003, a collection of Eminem tracks leaked online. At the time, Eminem was arguably the biggest star on the planet, and the "Straight from the Lab" EP leak devastated his creative process. Because these songs were intended for the upcoming album, Eminem felt he could no longer use them as primary tracks, leading him to record "filler" songs like "Big Weenie," "Rain Man," and "My 1st Single" to meet his release deadline. The "Lost" Songs of the Original Encore

While an official "pre-leak" tracklist has never been released by Shady Records, fans and historians have pieced together the songs that were meant to provide the album’s emotional and thematic core:

"We as Americans": This was intended to be the album's mission statement. It featured a controversial line about the President that triggered a Secret Service investigation. After the leak, it was moved to the Encore Deluxe Edition bonus disc.

"Love You More": Widely considered one of Eminem’s best "toxic relationship" songs, this track was also moved to the bonus disc following the leaks. Its darker, more serious tone fits the The Eminem Show era much better than the final cuts of Encore.

"Bully": A scathing diss track aimed at Benzino and Ja Rule. This was intended to be the final word on his various feuds at the time but was left off the album entirely after leaking. We As Americans Love You More Bully Come

"Can-I-Bitch": A humorous, storytelling diss track targeting Canibus. While lighter in tone, it possessed a lyrical sharpness that many felt was missing from the "silly" songs that eventually made the cut.

"Monkey See, Monkey Do": A hard-hitting street record that addressed the dangers of the music industry and his ongoing beefs. Reconstructing the Tracklist

If the leaks had never occurred, many speculate that the middle "humor" section of Encore would have been replaced by these more substantive works. A "perfect" version of the original Encore would likely have looked like this: Curtains Up (Intro) Evil Deeds Never Enough (ft. 50 Cent & Nate Dogg) Yellow Brick Road Like Toy Soldiers Bully We as Americans Monkey See, Monkey Do Love You More Spent Some Time (ft. Obie Trice, Stat Quo & 50 Cent) Mockingbird Crazy in Love One Shot 2 Shot (ft. D12) Encore / Curtains Down Why the Change Matters

The version of Encore that hit shelves was a commercial juggernaut but a critical disappointment compared to The Marshall Mathers LP. The "original" tracklist suggests an album that was a direct, more mature successor to The Eminem Show. Instead, the world received a project fueled by Eminem's growing frustration with the industry and his increasing struggles with prescription drug use, which he later admitted influenced the "goofy" recording sessions for the replacement tracks.

Today, Encore is viewed as a cult classic by some and a missed opportunity by others. The "original" tracklist remains one of the great "what ifs" in rap history.

2. The Omission of "Bully" & "When I’m Gone"

"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.

Personnel (selected)

The Fan-Made "Original" Tracklist (How it should have flowed)

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

  1. We As Americans
  2. Bully
  3. Love You More
  4. Yellow Brick Road
  5. Like Toy Soldiers
  6. Monkey See, Monkey Do
  7. Mosh
  8. Spend Some Time
  9. Crazy In Love
  10. One Shot 2 Shot
  11. Come On In
  12. Encore / Curtains Down

How to Experience the Original Encore Today

If you want to hear Eminem’s original vision, do not stream the standard Encore. Instead, assemble the following playlist (available on YouTube, Spotify via local files, or by buying the 2004 bootleg vinyl pressings):

| # | Song Title | Source | |---|---|---| | 1 | We As Americans | Encore (Deluxe) | | 2 | Love You More | Encore (Deluxe) | | 3 | Yellow Brick Road | Encore (Standard) | | 4 | Like Toy Soldiers | Encore (Standard) | | 5 | Mosh | Encore (Standard) | | 6 | Mockingbird | Encore (Standard) | | 7 | Spend Some Time | Encore (Standard) | | 8 | Never Enough | Encore (Standard) | | 9 | Bully | Encore (Deluxe) | | 10 | One Shot 2 Shot | Encore (Standard) | | 11 | Encore / Curtains Down | Encore (Standard) |

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

Listen to this sequence. You will hear a rapper at the peak of his powers, struggling with fame, addiction, and politics—not making fart jokes. You will hear the Encore that should have been.

3. The Cohesion Factor

The original Encore had a clear three-act structure:

The final Encore has no such structure. It swings violently from "Mockingbird" (tear-jerking sincerity) to "Big Weenie" (cartoonish pettiness), giving listeners whiplash.



Google Chrome

By default, Google Chrome will attempt to send you to a different application in order to use FTP as you can see below when I try to download Qckvu3 from Artwork's web site:

Chrome's default behavior for FTP transfers

To correct this, first type into the address bar: chrome://flags and you will see the following window:

the chrome://flags window

Now type into the search bar: enable-ftp

You should see the flag for enable-ftp. If it is set to Default or to Disabled, press the label/button and select Enabled.

set the Chrome flag for enable-ftp to Enable.

Now all you need to do is to press the button labeled Relaunch at the bottom of the window. This will restart Chrome and your change will take effect.

Once you have done this, you should be able to download Artwork's software from our web site using Chrome.

successful use of FTP after changing chrome://flag enable-ftp to Enable



Microsoft Edge

Since recent versions of Microsoft Edge are built on Chrome, the instructions for enabling ftp on Edge are exactly the same as those for Chrome. (see above)