Relapse
by Eminem
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 1078 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 889 out of 1078
  2. Mixed: 114 out of 1078
  3. Negative: 75 out of 1078

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  1. axelkoch
    Nov 16, 2012
    7
    So the beginning is awesome, but tracks 3 to 8 are poor. But after that, there's no bad song left and the album gives you entertaining songs. It's not his best album, but what are critics complaining? His rap skills are still great and he also got a couple of good wordplays in here. So what? I had a good time with Relapse, it's a good CD. Deep, sad and also the other side, which I wouldn'tSo the beginning is awesome, but tracks 3 to 8 are poor. But after that, there's no bad song left and the album gives you entertaining songs. It's not his best album, but what are critics complaining? His rap skills are still great and he also got a couple of good wordplays in here. So what? I had a good time with Relapse, it's a good CD. Deep, sad and also the other side, which I wouldn't describe as funny, let's rather say entertaining. PS: In 'Stay Wide Awake' he's rapping the whole second verse ending on -me - This is just fantastic!… Expand
  2. tonto
    Jul 28, 2021
    8
    This was Eminem's comeback album. Creatively, it's much more impressive than Recovery, with songs like Medicine Ball, Hello, Elevator, Stay Wide Awake that are horrorcore or shocking. It's a disturbed album, but there are some radio-friendly tracks like Crack a Bottle and Beautiful. This was an album I listened to all the time in high school.
  3. alireza0fa
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    On of the most underrated albums of all time...
    Just listen to beautiful, deja vu, insane, my darling, hello, crack a bottle to see the lyrical genius of this man. With great production by Dr Dre.
  4. hiphop97
    May 27, 2013
    7
    This album is no where near Marshalls as the accents can be annoying to some but I thought the lyricism that encore lacked was made up for in this album. This album deals with sensitive themes so do not listen to it if you are easily offended.
  5. relaspe666
    Jan 12, 2014
    10
    My favorite album of all time , I for one actually like the accent's as he's rhyme scheme's are amazing , the darkest album of all time , and went threw hell and back, standout tracks are ... ALL OF THEM !!! A MUST HAVE, a classic, ive been listeing to the album nonstop for almost a year staight now and still not tired of it love it
  6. flametail23
    Jul 14, 2019
    8
    I used to hate this album...Now I love it. The accents no longer bother me and the 29 tracks fly by when ever I take a listen. There are of course a couple of tracks that could definitely be removed especially....'We Made You' but, tracks like 'Same Song and Dance' more than make up for any mediocre moments with its beautifully crafted beat and haunting chorus.
  7. Holocene
    Feb 26, 2015
    7
    I think that this album, 'Relapse' is far better than 'Recovery', 'Marshall Mathers LP 2' and 'SHADY XV'

    Eminem is becoming worse.

    Although it isn't a masterpiece and Eminem himself disliked this album, this was quite good.
  8. convalesce
    Mar 19, 2015
    7
    I will start out with everyone else by saying the only reason this album is bad is because of the voice that he somehow pulled out of a hat to reveal to a surprised audience. If you listened to more than couple songs and actually listened to this album front to back you will get where I am coming from. Listening to this album front to back reveals the insane production along with theI will start out with everyone else by saying the only reason this album is bad is because of the voice that he somehow pulled out of a hat to reveal to a surprised audience. If you listened to more than couple songs and actually listened to this album front to back you will get where I am coming from. Listening to this album front to back reveals the insane production along with the blood-curdling subject matter like "3 a.m." and "Insane". I will admit, songs like, "Bagpipes from Baghdad" are impossible to listen to. Yet, it has songs like "Beautiful" and even though it has "the voice", "Stay Wide Awake" has one of the most impressive rhyme pattern I have ever seen in a rap song. Listen to this album looking for rhyme patterns. While yes, his voice is annoying and not fun to listen to; but he does that so he can rhyme more vocabulary that he could not do before. "My Darling" is one of his best songs out there.… Expand
  9. Shady313
    Mar 21, 2015
    9
    9/10 .................................................................................................................................................
  10. viettungvuong
    May 20, 2019
    10
    This album is overhated in my opinion. Apart from the accent, the production is excellent, Em's rhyme schemes are really good, his lyrical content is also good
  11. Absinth
    Dec 21, 2022
    10
    In my opinion this is one of eminems best. I recommend buying the deluxe edition (Refill). It's a great horrorcore album which has moments of beauty & craziness. The production is almost flawless and still holds up all these years later.

    It's 100% worth your time.

    Recommended tracks: Deja vu, Beautiful, Same song & Dance, Insane.
  12. FruitJuice
    Jul 18, 2017
    7
    good album.....................................................................................................................................................................
  13. MalcolmE
    Nov 4, 2018
    10
    i absolutely love the disturbing and eerie vibe aswell as the serial killer theme. People complain about the accents but i find them hilarious. His flow and wordplay is incredible here. This album feels like it brings me into another world for an hour and 16 minutes. Few album does that to me.

    Favorite Tracks: Stay Wide Awake, 3 A.M., Beautiful, Deja Vu, Bagpipes From Baghdad Least    i absolutely love the disturbing and eerie vibe aswell as the serial killer theme. People complain about the accents but i find them hilarious. His flow and wordplay is incredible here. This album feels like it brings me into another world for an hour and 16 minutes. Few album does that to me.

    Favorite Tracks: Stay Wide Awake, 3 A.M., Beautiful, Deja Vu, Bagpipes From Baghdad

    Least Favorite Tracks: Hello, We Made You (But i dont dislike either of them. I find their hook / chorus to be abit dull tho)

    My Rating: 10/10    … Expand
  14. Dragonfly02
    Mar 4, 2018
    7
    It's not his best project, but it's not his worst project. I didn't like the rape jokes.
  15. ToiletBoy
    Dec 26, 2017
    8
    Off-putting middle eastern accents aside, Relapse has some of Eminem's most impressive flows. It’s almost hard to describe what makes his wonky, murderous, goofy verses so interesting. They just are. The way Same Song And Dance plays like a movie is a definite highlight, and the INSANE rhythm on Stay Wide Awake really blow my mind. Not to mention the amazing, dark production handled by Dr.Off-putting middle eastern accents aside, Relapse has some of Eminem's most impressive flows. It’s almost hard to describe what makes his wonky, murderous, goofy verses so interesting. They just are. The way Same Song And Dance plays like a movie is a definite highlight, and the INSANE rhythm on Stay Wide Awake really blow my mind. Not to mention the amazing, dark production handled by Dr. Dre, This album was weird in a bad way in 2009, in 2017 it's weird in a good way.… Expand
  16. XknightReaper
    Jan 22, 2020
    9
    This Album is criminally underrated the only song I can see people hating is we made you and even I hate it but the rest range from great to amazing
  17. Rap_Reviews
    Jan 20, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Eminem best album in terms of production & flow. Beautiful & Deja Vu are classic, Must be the ganja is a skip all day but expect that song I enjoy every song on Relapse. Relapse is a horrorcore masterpiece & a big improvement from Encore. After that many years people are knowing it's brilliance & this album will take few more years to consider a classic. Most underrated album of all time… Expand
  18. MX_G
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    I once was an big Eminem fan (I still have a really corny Eminem shirt lmao) and while this changed over time, because Im not the biggest fan of recovery and mmlp2, I see why people like it, but not me, tho.
    Revival is terrible (besides of Framed, which btw sounds like an throwaway from this project.)
    and Kamikaze is just mediocre and overhyped by sheep like stans. This is just an    I once was an big Eminem fan (I still have a really corny Eminem shirt lmao) and while this changed over time, because Im not the biggest fan of recovery and mmlp2, I see why people like it, but not me, tho.
    Revival is terrible (besides of Framed, which btw sounds like an throwaway from this project.)
    and Kamikaze is just mediocre and overhyped by sheep like stans.
    This is just an Masterpiece, an misunderstood one, even by the artist himself, i cant even describe how I love this gem.T he production is 9/10 - Its just extremely dark Dre beats, which are atmospheric
    and hypnotizing, really dont like the Must be the Ganja snare and some other beats where "just" good )
    the lyrics are 10/10 (probably bis best rhymed Album, just look at stay wide awake)
    It has bangers like Old Time´s Sake, Crack a bottle and Underground
    It has some of his best emotional songs like deja vu and beautiful
    It has some of the best horrorcore songs of all time, not just by Eminem (whilst not being the biggest fan of horrorcore) like 3 a.m., Same Song & Dance and by far the best Stay Wide Awake (every **** syllable rhymes).
    Its merely hated by critics because of its accents, but what most people dont seem to notice, is that its an concept Album about a serial killer version of slim shady, dealing with drug addiction and the accents are part of that weird (Ed Gein like) story.
    It's dark, it's twisted, and it's brilliant. Relapse is one of the smartest things Em's ever done, and no one ever knows it because they focus too much on the accents he pulls.

    Ratings:
    Dr. West - Skit ---/10 (Skits are´nt rated)
    3.a.m 9/10 ( Great Horrorcore with amazing hook)
    My Mom 8/10 (Great Reggea like hook, funny and over the top humor)
    Insane 8/10( The same as I said already on My Mom, btw this track is **** up)
    BFB 10/10( Funny lines bout Mariah, great production)
    Hello 10/10 (Love this Druggy Lifestyle Story)
    Tonya - Skit ---/10 (Skits are´nt rated)
    SS&D 10/10 ( Chilling atmosphere and creepy whilst funny lines, love the creativity here)
    WMD 7/10
    Medicine Ball 8/10 ( Decent IDGAF attitude track)
    Paul - Skit ---/10 (Skits are´nt rated)
    Stay Wide Awake 10/10 (11/10) (Great Rhymes, best hook on the Album, thrilling story)
    Old Time´s Sake 9/10 (My 3rd favorite Dre/Eminem collab)
    Must be the Ganja 5/10 (Em just delivers all lines board, the production isnt great either, its an Emienm Song bout Ganja, do I need to say more?)
    Mr. Mathers - Skit ---/10 (Skits are´nt rated)
    Deja Vu 10/10 (Emotional, Depressing, and cathy hook)
    Beautiful 10/10 ( The Same as Deja VU but with a great sample and alot of rock influenced sound)
    CaB 9/10 ( Great Collab entertaining,but kinda killed the atmosphere of the tracks before.)
    Steve Bergmann - Skit ---/10 (Skits are´nt rated)
    Underground 10/10 ( Wow, what an outro? Best production on the Album, chilling vibes, fast delivered and great lyrics, besides some weird f*ggot lines, not to sure, why Eminem still cant stop, while they dindt bother me on his last Albums, these were just a little bit too far, not quiete sure, if its just to fit, the ken kaniff skit at the end, maybe this parts are from him)

    WOW what an great album that is slept on to often, in my opinion on of the 100 best albums of this milenia so far...
    (maybe top 25)    … Expand
  19. STAINKAY
    Aug 14, 2020
    7
    beats are fire flows too but accents shoud go away i like the cover/theme some songs are annoying
    like my mom, must be the ganja but i still like the album.
  20. Cianlawrence1
    Jan 24, 2020
    10
    This album is so darkly twisted that i think its a masterpiece. Amazing sons throughout the album
  21. DunceCapn
    Nov 3, 2021
    8
    The man was literally so bored with the English language he wanted to rap with accents to play on words and make them rhyme differently...
  22. tuxpingviini
    Sep 3, 2022
    10
    This is Eminem's best album. I don't understand how anyone can dislike it. Eminem's delivery is immaculate on every track, accompanied by some Dr. Dre's best production, and the album keeps a cohesive theme from front to back.
  23. Jr88
    Jan 19, 2020
    10
    A masterpiece in his classe. Horror,flows,crazy ideas and stuff that's only Eminem can think and said.
  24. yoranwillemsen
    Jan 24, 2020
    10
    Goat album. One of his best works. It is pretty underrated and a shame it was trashed when it came out.
  25. Charltonman
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    THE MOST underrated comeback album of all time. Relapse is an absolute masterpiece, and despite a rocky tracklist, it has aged extremely well. The storyline makes this possibly the greatest horrorcore album of all time. The rhyme schemes and flow are unmatched.
  26. slimshady99
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    This album shout every one facking mouth its was pure fire thanks agian em ❤️
  27. cgolding
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    This is one of the most underrated Eminem albums out. Just listen to the wordplay and the way he uses that accent to create some of the best rhymes of the decade. Bagpipes from Baghdad is my favourite Eminem song.
  28. Ryanscaggs
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    Greatest album ever
  29. JustNed
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated underrated… Expand
  30. ViTRiFY
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    This is my favorite Eminem album out of em all. He bends words well and uses accents which I personally like. Nothing to mention the rhyme schemes are AMAZING!
  31. SlimGary
    Jan 22, 2020
    10
    One of the best album ever made. I listen to it since I'm a kid, and I won't stop to! Eminem is GOAT
  32. Codeling
    Aug 7, 2021
    8
    It is a great album. Best Eminem beats and hooks are on this one.
    Best songs: Beautiful, Deja Vu
    Worst songs: -
  33. Shenossih
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    This album should already be a classic. It's the last real horrorcore, conceptual, perfect rap album we'll ever hear (since the world turned into PG). Dre's production was increadible, and Eminem was on his best lyrical mind. Never gets old. I hope people will wake up one day.
  34. Bellator06
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    the concept and production are just amazing , eminem's best work since MMLP , the accents in some songs can be a little off putting but the lyrical content makes up for it , songs like deja vu and beautiful are his best of all time and probably the best rap songs of all time
  35. Klol
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    It does have its flaws, but overall, I find it a great experience. The production by Dr. Dre is amazing, definitely has some of my favorite beats ever.
  36. i-kill-me
    Sep 10, 2020
    10
    Truly masterpiece.3 am,insane,hello,same song and dance,medicine ball,must be the ganja,old times sake,deja vu,beautiful,crack a bottle and underground are my favorites.This album is definitely much better than Recovery,MMLP2 and Revival.Beat,flow and lyrics this album is criminally underrated.
  37. Whippd
    Dec 17, 2020
    10
    Most creative and technical album. Em goes all out. Incredible rhymes, flows and beats.
  38. The-X-Territory
    Jan 24, 2021
    8
    Yes, I fall within the category of people who enjoy this album. Whilst I can understand peoples distaste for this album, I personally don't have many problems with the weird accents (at least they're not as bad as they are on Ass Like That... that is obnoxious). Personally I find the accents here entertaining more than anything else, but more importantly, the lyrical ability portrayed hereYes, I fall within the category of people who enjoy this album. Whilst I can understand peoples distaste for this album, I personally don't have many problems with the weird accents (at least they're not as bad as they are on Ass Like That... that is obnoxious). Personally I find the accents here entertaining more than anything else, but more importantly, the lyrical ability portrayed here is phenomenal. Songs such as Beautiful, Crack a Bottle and Underground get played constantly in my headphones and I never get tired of them.… Expand
  39. EvanKilter
    Aug 2, 2021
    9
    Relapse is catchy. Don't know what y'all on about in all honesty, accents are a little much but theres alot of character on what he was trying to do. Production is flawless for the most part.
  40. WarudoDZ
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    GREATEST ALBUM OF THE HISTORY WITH 2001, THIS ALBUM IS A MASTERPIECE the beats is incredible , is a horror movie in album of EMINEM AND THIS IS NOT FAIL , GOAT
  41. Thiago555888
    Dec 6, 2021
    9
    Ótimas músicas e consistência, muito bem apresentado o assuntos que envolveram ele nos anos em que ele ficou em clinica de reabilitação, a lírica feroz do Eminem presente em todo o álbum, e tem ótimos instrumentais.
  42. Slimshade
    Jan 11, 2022
    9
    man this one of my favourite em's album because of the pen used in this one was so high that if eminem wrote a diss whit this style it will destroy that person instantly but also it talks about the dark side of fame and drugs
  43. shady159866
    Mar 30, 2022
    10
    Marshall Mathers god 4ever!,no excuse to say,he's the best rapper,why at least 75 characters?
  44. Erebus_Bay
    Jul 7, 2022
    8
    THIS ALBUM IS SO GOOD. Okay, compared to Em's top 3 it doesn't hold up as well, however this Album is an incredible good Horrorcore Album. From songs like Same Songs And Dance to Buffalo Bill. In my opinion, this is the most Slim Shady Album ever. The rhyme schemes and wordplay are insane. There are some duds but most of the songs are awesome. HOWEVER, if you are looking for catchy hooks,THIS ALBUM IS SO GOOD. Okay, compared to Em's top 3 it doesn't hold up as well, however this Album is an incredible good Horrorcore Album. From songs like Same Songs And Dance to Buffalo Bill. In my opinion, this is the most Slim Shady Album ever. The rhyme schemes and wordplay are insane. There are some duds but most of the songs are awesome. HOWEVER, if you are looking for catchy hooks, you are looking in wrong place. This album still has some serious bangers from 3 a.m. to Bagpipes From Bagdad all the way to Forever. We also have some Incredible Deep tracks like Deja Vu and My Darling. Beautiful however is incredibly overplayed, sentimental, and corny.… Expand
  45. todaywasagooday
    Dec 1, 2022
    10
    Absolute classic by Em. Listening to this in 2022 makes you feel nostalgic but I still hope to see a Relapse 2 one day.
  46. Anthony_wx
    Jan 4, 2023
    8
    Good album , the production is **** crazyyy thanks dre , i cant wait for relapse 2.
  47. Shac
    Jun 9, 2023
    10
    This is his best version. Subject matter particularly the "psychokiller" stuff is great and interesting
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 2009
5
#5 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 27
  3. Negative: 4 out of 27
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Thankfully, producer Dr. Dre is there to temper the lyrical bloodletting, laying heavyweight hooks over even the most scabrous tales of family disturbia, and setting 'Bagpipes From Baghdad,' Em's inspired riff on rumored ex Mariah Carey, to snake-charming woodwind squiggles.
    Read full review
  2. Los Angeles Times
    60
    It's an impressively focused and clever work. But this music is not transcendent. It's still stuck in Marshall Mathers' muck, his fundamental mistrust of pleasure and love.
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    80
    By letting Dr. Dre take over the low-end-funk production, and rhyming about things he actually cares about, he comes up with a more painful, honest and vital record than anyone could have expected at this late date, up there with "The Eminem Show" or maybe even better.
    Read full review
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