# The Marshall Mathers LP 2
**The Marshall Mathers LP 2** is an album by the American rapper Eminem, released on November 5, 2013 through Aftermath, Shady, and [Interscope Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/interscope-records).[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) • [2](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/) It is framed as a sequel to his 2000 album *The Marshall Mathers LP*, though Eminem described it as a revisitation of that period rather than a track-by-track continuation.[3](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/) [Rick Rubin](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-rubin) and [Dr. Dre](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-dre) served as executive producers, and the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2015.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | November 5, 2013, on Aftermath/Shady/Interscope[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) • [2](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/) |
| Executive producers | Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre, announced in a Beats commercial during the August 2013 MTV VMAs[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) |
| Standard edition | 16 tracks, from "Bad Guy" to "Evil Twin"[2](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/) |
| Guest features | Rihanna ("The Monster"), Kendrick Lamar ("Love Game"), Nate Ruess ("Headlights"), Skylar Grey ("Asshole")[2](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/) • [5](https://www.discogs.com/release/5330360-Eminem-The-Marshall-Mathers-LP-2) |
| Grammy wins | Best Rap Album (2015); "The Monster" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration[4](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498) |
| Documented sample | "Rhyme or Reason" samples the Zombies' "Time of the Season"[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) |
| Anniversary edition | 10th-anniversary streaming edition released November 3, 2023[6](https://www.eminem.com/news/stream-now-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-10th-anniversary-edition/) |
## Background and sequel framing
Eminem titled the album a sequel to the record that had sold 10.8 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan, more than any other of his albums including *The Eminem Show* at 10.3 million.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) He told [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) he saw the new album as a "revisitation" of the 2000 record, re-examining "themes and chapters that I felt like I hadn't closed".[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/)
In a Rolling Stone interview he qualified the framing: the album is "not necessarily a sequel" but a revisitation of a different time period in his life, "more about the vibe and the nostalgia", and it does not continue every old song.[3](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/) He said he was "probably working harder than I've ever worked in my life" during its making, comparing the effort to *The Eminem Show* era, and recorded and discarded dozens of extra songs to meet the expectations attached to the Marshall Mathers LP name.[7](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-exclusive-slim-shady-on-his-new-lp-78117/)
## Production and recording
Eminem recorded the album in his suburban Detroit studio, and was days from finishing it in early October 2013.[3](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/) The album's title, release date, and the executive-producer roles of Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre were all announced in a Beats headphones commercial that aired during the August 2013 [MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/mtv-video-music-awards) and doubled as the world premiere of the single "Berzerk".[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/)
Rubin's involvement came through Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg; Eminem sought him out after hearing of Rubin's interest in working together.[3](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/) Eminem described a shift in his own role across his recent albums: on *Relapse* (2009) the production was mostly Dr. Dre's, on *Recovery* (2010) he focused on writing rather than beats, and on MMLP2 he began producing again himself.[3](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/) The vinyl release credits Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin as executive producers and Brian "Big Bass" Gardner as mastering engineer.[5](https://www.discogs.com/release/5330360-Eminem-The-Marshall-Mathers-LP-2)
## Music and lyrics
The standard edition runs 16 tracks from "Bad Guy" to "Evil Twin" and includes "The Monster" with Rihanna, "Love Game" with [Kendrick Lamar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kendrick-lamar), and "Headlights" with [Nate Ruess](https://www.edgepedia.org/nate-ruess).[2](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/) "Asshole" features [Skylar Grey](https://www.edgepedia.org/skylar-grey).[5](https://www.discogs.com/release/5330360-Eminem-The-Marshall-Mathers-LP-2) The tracklist also contains "Rap God" and "Berzerk".[8](https://www.eminem.com/releases/marshall-mathers-lp2-1/)
The Rubin-produced "Berzerk" draws on old-school hip-hop in a Beastie-Boys-esque style.[7](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-exclusive-slim-shady-on-his-new-lp-78117/) "Rhyme or Reason" samples the Zombies' "[Time of the Season](https://www.edgepedia.org/time-of-the-season)", and "Legacy" features singer Paulina evoking Dido's appearance on "Stan" from the 2000 album.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) AllMusic's review argued that Eminem's point of view had matured on MMLP2.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498)
## Release, promotion and editions
The album was due November 5, 2013 on Aftermath/Interscope.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) Promotion extended beyond music: "Berzerk" was named the official song of ESPN's Saturday Night Football, and its September video premiere during the Michigan–Notre Dame game drew 8.6 million viewers, more than double the season average.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) A GameStop tie-in bundled a download of the album with *Call of Duty: Ghosts* at $8.99, three dollars below the standard iTunes price.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/)
Pre-orders from Eminem.com alone reached 10,000 units eight days before release, driven by an audience of 77 million Facebook fans and nearly 16 million Twitter followers; a $500 deluxe-CD-plus-signed-lithograph bundle sold out in a limited run of 500.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/) Apple Music lists the album as 16 songs lasting 1 hour 19 minutes, with a Deluxe edition of 21 songs and an Expanded Edition of 27 songs.[9](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp2/1440819356) Physical configurations in 2013 included a 2xLP vinyl, a European CD, a deluxe 2xCD digipak, and a US deluxe CD+EP edition.[5](https://www.discogs.com/release/5330360-Eminem-The-Marshall-Mathers-LP-2)
## The album in Eminem's catalog, by the numbers
The sequel carried the weight of the 2000 original's commercial record: that album sold 1.76 million copies in its first week, then the fastest-selling hip-hop record ever.[10](https://www.popmatters.com/176178-eminem-the-marshall-mathers-lp2-2495711572.html) The two intervening albums set the recent benchmarks: *Relapse* sold 609,000 copies in its first week in 2009, and *[Recovery](https://www.edgepedia.org/recovery-eminem-album)* sold 741,000 in its first week in 2010 and became the best-selling album of that year.[1](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/)
## Critical reception and awards
PopMatters called MMLP2 "undeniably the best of the best" among 2013's high-profile hip-hop releases, and read the album's undercurrent of retirement talk as "a re-minder" of Eminem's importance.[10](https://www.popmatters.com/176178-eminem-the-marshall-mathers-lp2-2495711572.html) AllMusic noted that the cover updates the 2000 photograph of Eminem's teenage Detroit home, now boarded up.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498)
At the 2015 [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) the album won Best Rap Album, credited to Eminem with engineers Joe Strange, Mike Strange, and Tony Campana, and "The Monster" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Eminem and Rihanna.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498)
## What has changed since 2023
A special 10th-anniversary edition of The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was released to streaming services on November 3, 2023, two days before the anniversary of the original release.[6](https://www.eminem.com/news/stream-now-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-10th-anniversary-edition/) The album remains in catalog across its standard, Deluxe, and Expanded Edition configurations on major streaming platforms.[9](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp2/1440819356)
## References
1. [The Billboard Cover Story: Eminem — Return to the Scene of the Rhyme, Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-billboard-cover-story-eminem-return-to-the-scene-of-the-rhyme-5778075/)
2. [The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Shady Records](https://www.shadyrecords.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2/)
3. [Eminem Q&A Exclusive: The Making of 'Marshall Mathers LP 2', Rolling Stone](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-qa-exclusive-the-making-of-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-54874/)
4. [Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP 2, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-mw0002583498)
5. [Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Discogs](https://www.discogs.com/release/5330360-Eminem-The-Marshall-Mathers-LP-2)
6. [Stream Now: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 10th Anniversary Edition, Eminem.com](https://www.eminem.com/news/stream-now-the-marshall-mathers-lp-2-10th-anniversary-edition/)
7. [Eminem talks about new album, 'Marshall Mathers LP2', Rolling Stone](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-exclusive-slim-shady-on-his-new-lp-78117/)
8. [The Marshall Mathers LP2, Eminem.com](https://www.eminem.com/releases/marshall-mathers-lp2-1/)
9. [The Marshall Mathers LP2, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-marshall-mathers-lp2/1440819356)
10. [Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP2, PopMatters](https://www.popmatters.com/176178-eminem-the-marshall-mathers-lp2-2495711572.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Hip hop albums › Pop rap and crossover albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license