| Infinite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of the original 1996 cassette release | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 12, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | January 1995 – June 1995 | |||
| Studio | Bass Brothers basement | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 37:54 | |||
| Label | WEB Entertainment | |||
| Producer |
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| Eminem chronology | ||||
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| Eminem studio chronology | ||||
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Infinite is the debut album by the American rapperEminem. It was released throughWEB Entertainment on November 12, 1996. Recording sessions took place at theBass Brothers' studio, with production on the album handled byDenaun Porter and Eminem himself.[1] The album features guest vocals from fellow Detroit-native rappersProof, Porter, Eye-Kyu, Moe Men-E, Three and Thyme, as well as the New York–based singer Angela Workman.
Physical copies ofInfinite were released oncassette andvinyl, and Eminem sold them from the trunk of his car in Detroit. The album is not available at any online music stores and only the title track, "Infinite", was made available onSpotify 20 years later.[2] On November 17, 2016, five days after the 20th anniversary of the album, the official EminemYouTube channel posted a remix of the title track,[3] made by the Bass Brothers, releasing it digitally for the first time. Retrospectively, the album has received mixed reviews from music critics. It was a commercial failure, selling around 70 out of around 1,000 copies made as claimed by Mathers in his bookThe Way I Am. Since the album was made before Eminem garnered mainstream attention and signed toInterscope Records andDr. Dre'sAftermath Entertainment, physical copies have appreciated in value.
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."
In 1992, Eminem signed a deal withFBT Productions, a record label run by Jeff and Mark Bass, who are known as the Bass Brothers. Eminem also held aminimum-wage jobs that involved cooking and washing dishes at Gilbert's Lodge restaurant inSt. Clair Shores for some time.[5] Inspired byTupac Shakur'sMe Against the World andNas'sIllmatic, Eminem began writingInfinite. After the birth of his daughter, Hailie, Eminem headed to the Bass Brothers basement to record the album. The album was completed by the summer of 1996 and was released in the autumn of that same year onWeb Entertainment.[5][6][7]
Eminem was encouraged by others for the album, noted to sound likeNas andAZ.[8]Mr. Porter produced the majority of the album, whileProofprogrammed thedrums.[9]
Eminem purposely madeInfinite's songs "radio-friendly" in hopes of getting played on Detroit radio stations;[9] only around a thousand copies of the album were made.[10] Subjects covered onInfinite 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.[5] After the release ofInfinite, Eminem's personal struggles and his abuse of drugs and alcohol resulted in a suicide attempt.[11] 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 likeInfinite was like the demo that just got pressed up."[8]
On November 12, 1996,Infinite was released by Web Entertainment.[4] It is not known exactly how many copiesInfinite sold. Eminem stated in hisautobiographyThe Way I Am (2008) that it sold "maybe 70 copies".[12] However, other sources stated that the album sold a few hundred copies[4] or even a thousand copies.[13] Eminem's overall disappointment withInfinite's lack of success inspired him to develop his famousSlim Shady alter ego, which became present in his later works.[1]
On May 14, 2009,thisis50.com re-released the album for free download on their website to build anticipation for Eminem's sixth studio album,Relapse (2009); this was his comeback album.[7][12][14] 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 ofInfinite, also released the same day.[1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [15] |
| RapReviews | 5.5/10[16] |
Retrospective reviews ofInfinite frommusic critics were mixed.AllMusic gave it an "Editor Score" of 2.5 out of 5 stars, without a review.[15] Rob Kenner ofComplex 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".[17] Mosi Reeves fromRolling Stone stated, that "Probably the most surprising thing onInfinite is hearing [Eminem] rap, 'In the midst of this insanity, I found myChristianity throughGod' on 'It's O.K.'", noting that spiritual elements had not played a large role in his later works' lyrics.[4] According to Christian hip-hop media outletRapzilla, Eminem would pray before shows in the early 2000s. On a 2022 remix ofKanye 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 withJesus, my weapon is prayer."[18]
In a more positive review, Tedd Maider ofConsequence of Sound describesInfinite 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 albumThe Marshall Mathers LP (2000).[19]
Track listing and credits taken from album booklet.[20] All songs produced byDenaun Porter, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Infinite" | 4:11 | ||
| 2. | "W.E.G.O. (Interlude)" | 0:26 | ||
| 3. | "It's O.K." (featuring Eye-Kyu) |
| 3:29 | |
| 4. | "Tonite" |
| 3:45 | |
| 5. | "313" (featuring Eye-Kyu) |
| 4:11 | |
| 6. | "Maxine" (featuring Denaun Porter and Three) |
|
| 3:55 |
| 7. | "Open Mic" (featuring Thyme) |
| 4:02 | |
| 8. | "Never 2 Far" | Mathers | 3:38 | |
| 9. | "Searchin'" (featuring Eye-Kyu) |
| 3:45 | |
| 10. | "Backstabber" |
| 3:24 | |
| 11. | "Jealousy Woes II" |
|
| 3:19 |
| Total length: | 37:54 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
Credits adapted from album booklet.[20]
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