Infinite (Eminem album)

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

Infinite
Artwork for original official US cassette release
Studio album by Eminem
Released	November 12, 1996
Recorded	1995–96
Genre	Hip hop
Length	37:54
Label	Web Entertainment
Producer	Eminem Jeff & Mark Bass (exec.) Mr. Porter
Eminem chronology
Infinite (1996) Slim Shady EP (1997)

The copies were made on cassette and vinyl, and Eminem sold them out of the trunk of his car in Detroit. It is not officially available on any online music stores. However, on November 17, 2016, five days after the 20th anniversary of the album, Eminem posted a remaster and remix of the title track, made by the Bass Brothers, to his Vevo channel, made available digitally for the first time. Infinite was a commercial failure, selling around 1,000 copies. Retrospectively, the album received mixed reviews from critics.

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, the rapper initially signed with FBT Productions, which has been run by brothers Jeff and Mark Bass. Eminem also held a minimum-wage job cooking and washing dishes at Gilbert's Lodge restaurant at St. Clair Shores for some time.[3] Infinite was recorded in 1995[4] and released under the Bass brothers' independent label Web Entertainment the following year.[3]

Eminem was encouraged by others, who noted he sounded similar to rapper AZ.[5] Mr. Porter produced the majority of the album, while Proof programmed the drums.[6]

Composition

Eminem purposely made Infinite's songs "radio-friendly" in hopes of getting on the air on Detroit radio stations.[6] Only around a thousand copies of the album were made.[7] Subjects covered in Infinite included his and his grandma's struggles with raising Hailie Jade Mathers, Eminem's newborn daughter while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[3] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of drugs and alcohol resulted in a suicide attempt.[8] Eminem recalls: "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."[5]

On May 14, 2009, Thisis50.com re-released it as a free download on their website to build anticipation for Eminem's comeback album Relapse.[4][9][10] On November 17, 2016, a remix of the album's title track "Infinite" was released in commemoration of the album's 20th anniversary, followed by a documentary about the making of the album on the same day.

Reception

It is not known exactly how many copies Infinite sold. Eminem stated in The Way I Am that it sold "maybe 70 copies".[9] However, other sources state the album sold a few hundred copies[2] or even 1,000 copies.[11] Eminem's overall disappointment with the album's lack of success inspired him to develop his famous Slim Shady alter ego present in his later works.[12]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
RapReviews.com	5.5/10[14]

Retrospective reviews of the album are 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] Rolling Stone states that "Probably the most surprising thing on Infinite is hearing [Eminem] rap, 'In the midst of this insanity, I found my Christianity'" on "It's O.K.", noting that spiritual elements had not played a large role in his later lyrics.[2] Eminem later referred to the album on his songs "Not Afraid" (2010) and "Castle", from his 2017 album Revival.

In a more positive review, Tedd Maider of Consequence of Sound describes the album as "a more genuine glimpse of the rapper that is Eminem", and that its "quick-witted and unique rhyming", "lyrical chops, raw style beats, and mentality" could only be matched by The Marshall Mathers LP.[16]

Track listing

Track listing and credits taken from album booklet.[17] All songs produced by Mr. Porter, except where noted.

Infinite

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Infinite"	Marshall Mathers Denaun Porter		4:11
2.	"W.E.G.O. (Interlude)" (skit performed by Proof and DJ Head)			0:26
3.	"It's O.K." (featuring Eye-Kyu)	Mathers W. Drake Porter		3:29
4.	"Tonite"	Mathers Porter		3:45
5.	"313" (featuring Eye-Kyu)	Mathers W. Drake Porter		4:11
6.	"Maxine" (featuring Mr. Porter and Three)	Mathers Porter W. Strong	Porter Eminem^[a]	3:55
7.	"Open Mic" (featuring Thyme)	Mathers Thyme Porter		4:02
8.	"Never 2 Far"	Mathers Porter		3:38
9.	"Searchin'" (featuring Mr. Porter and Angela Workman)	Mathers Porter 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

• "Infinite" contains a sample of "Hot Wind" performed by Les Baxter.
• "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[17] and Discogs.[18]

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

References

1. Nick Hasted (4 November 2011). The Dark Story of Eminem. Omnibus Press. pp. 61–. ISBN 978-0-85712-716-7.
2. Reeves, Mosi (November 17, 2016). "Eminem's 'Infinite': Producers Revisit, Remix MC's Inauspicious Debut". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
4. Rodriguez, Jayson (May 13, 2009). "Eminem's First Album, Infinite, Now Available For Download". MTV. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
5. "Eminem biography". Eminem.com. Interscope Records. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
6. 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 April 4, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
7. Padania, Jesal "Jay Soul" (August 12, 2008). "Eminem: Infinite". Rap Reviews. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
8. Ankeny, Jason; Torreano, Bradley. "Eminem – Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
9. Michaels, Sean (May 14, 2009). "Eminem's rare debut available for free download". The Guardian. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
10. "Eminem's rare debut album released free online". NME. May 14, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
11. "Eminem Total Albums Sold". Retrieved July 22, 2017.
12. James, Andy (November 18, 2016). "How the Failure of 'Infinite' Turned Eminem Into Slim Shady". DJBooth. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
13. "Infinite - Eminem". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
14. Padania, Jesal (August 12, 2008). "Eminem :: Infinite :: Web Records". RapReviews.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
15. Kenner, Rob (November 12, 2013). "Eminem "Infinite" (1996)". Complex. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
16. Maider, Tedd (December 13, 2009). "Dusting 'Em Off: Eminem – Infinite". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
17. Infinite (Media notes). Eminem. United States: Web Entertainment. 1996. 0382556977426.CS1 maint: others (link)
18. "Eminem – Infinite". Discogs. Retrieved July 20, 2017.