Bridge Wilson

Professor Lehn
Enc1101
October 20, 2014
Eminem Album Covers
This analysis will be primarily focused on the designs of Eminems album covers,
specifically those of his albums Relapse and Recovery. I will dive into and describe the
different methods in which the album cover artists designed the album covers to portray
the meanings behind the songs in these two Eminem albums. I will then compare and
contrast the artwork of the two albums and how this comparison translated to the music
in the respective albums. It is no wonder that the visual designs of album covers often
convey mental images that relate to the theme of the songs in the album. The
arrangement of colors, drawings, and text on an album cover is meant to evoke emotion
in the listener (usually, these emotions that one experiences while looking at an album
cover are the same emotions that he/she experiences while listening to the songs in that
album). The album cover artist(s), in most cases, have a plan when creating an album
cover. The drawings and designs on album covers are usually arranged in a specific way
by the artist(s) to look the coolest or the most intriguing. Album cover designs are often
intended to attract the attention of the person buying the album, but they also portray
messages about the album which will allow the consumer to have a better understanding
of what he/she will be listening to. The designs of many of Eminems album covers are
very artsy and, quite frequently, more messages become unraveled to the listener the

more that he/she observes the album cover designs and listens to the wealth of music
within the albums.
Since his introduction into the hip-hop genre, Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers II)
has been a cultural icon for many people who enjoy listening to hip-hop music, including
myself. Eminem is a caucasian hip hop artist born in Detroit, Michigan in 1973; hes 41
years old and still rapping like hes in his twenties! I sometimes wonder if Eminem will
be the first rapper to rap until his death (death by old age, not by getting shot like some
other rap legends). I could only imagine 87 year-old Slim Shady rapping about the life in
a nursing home, yet still making his songs sound cool; I would totally buy that album
even if I were down to my last twenty dollars. Due to his impeccable rhyme schemes and
outside-the-box lyrics, Eminem has rightfully been awarded the best white rapper alive
title, but I believe that the word white could easily be dropped from that title. Even
people who arent fans of rap music see Eminem as an inspiration; he established the idea
that music does not have a race and that anyone can reach their aspirations if they put all
of their heart into it. As Eminem stated (or rapped, for that matter) in his song, Legacy,
Everybody has goals, aspirations or whatever, and everybody has been at a point in their
life where nobody believed in them. Eminem was a white hip-hop artist in an era where
white rappers were seen as a novelty and were sometimes not welcomed with open arms
by the majority of rap producers at the time; this makes his story so much more
incredible. Eminem is a legendary artist and his work should never go unnoticed, but
neither should the messages behind the visual aspects of his album covers. An abundance
of messages is available for interpretation in the album covers that I will be analyzing in
the following paragraphs.

An album cover can deliver messages to the listener and can act as an aid to
further understanding the overall theme of the album. In one particular case, one word
and one picture summarizes one mans story. Eminems sixth album, Relapse, was
released on May 19, 2009. This album consists of twenty sound tracks that can best be
described as weird. Among these is the song 3am. Due to Eminems sinister diction
in his songs, it is no coincidence that 3:00 A.M. happens to be the time of the Devil. The
lyrics of the song 3am are nothing short of freaky; for example, his second verse begins
with him saying Sitting nude in my living room, its almost noon. I wonder whats on
the tube; maybe theyll show some boobs. Surfing every channel until I find Hannah
Montana, then I reach for the aloe and Lanolin. Blood all over the wall panel and
dismantlin every candle on top of the fire place mantel and grab my flannel and bandana
then kiss the naked mannequin man again; you can see him standin in my front
window. This verse is an allegory to Eminems psychotic-like state-of-mind. It starts
with him saying sitting nude in my living room, its almost noon. This line is a
reference to Eminems obscurity and opposition to the norms of society; the verse
explains that he spends his time being lazy and butt-naked while the majority of
Americans get dressed each morning and go to work. Em then goes on to say I wonder
whats on the tube; maybe theyll show some boobs. Surfing every channel until I find
Hannah Montana, then I reach for the aloe and Lanolin. This is another reference to his
opposition to societal norms; while other people are at their day jobs, he spends his time
watching TV (specifically the adult channels). As if this isnt blatant enough, he then
continues his oddball narration by mentioning a child star sensation: Hannah Montana.
He is relaying the message that a teenage girl on the Disney Channel sexually arouses

him! This touchy subject that Eminem dwells upon in the second verse of his song 3am
is beyond offensive. Many people wonder why a lot of parents dont allow their children
to listen to Eminem; the reasoning is pretty obvious after listening to 3am. However, he
continues to make music under the same mindset of his song, Just Dont Give a F**k.
The title of that song is pretty self-explanatory. Although he acts as if he is indifferent to
peoples opinions, Eminem has a certain pain and passion in his voice when he raps; this
pain that he possesses is accurately portrayed on the album cover of Relapse. The serious,
expressionless face that Eminem is making on the Relapse album cover sets the tone of
the music in the album. Although some of the songs on the Relapse album are boisterous
and humorous, it is evident, in the album cover that Eminem had been through a lot and
had struggled with drugs.
The songs on Eminems Relapse album talk about his struggle with drug
dependency and his struggle with fame. The album cover for Relapse delivers this
message. It includes a picture of Eminems face staring straight at the listener. His face
looks like that of someone who is either angry or on drugs. This corresponds well with
the title of this album, Relapse, in the sense that he is under the influence of drugs and
likely not in a happy state of mind. When the Relapse album is observed more closely,
one can see thousands of tiny dots: the dots that form the image of his face. The album
cover for Eminems Relapse is a prime example of pointillism. The dots in this case of
pointillism happen to be pill capsules. This was, undoubtedly, done on purpose by the
album cover designer; it creates a stylistic image of the meaning behind this album, as if
the meaning behind the album was not already clarified with the title, Relapse. The
pills that construct his face in this album cover can likely signify a subliminal message
that Eminem was virtually made of pills when this album was made. Eminem is known
to be an outstanding artist, but he is also known for his notably eccentric behavior and
problems with drug abuse. He has been caught, on multiple occasions, flicking off the
camera and even grabbing his junk at the MTV Music Awards! Also, he makes direct
references to his drug problems in some of his songs, such as Drug Ballad and My
Darling. Throughout many years of his rap career, Eminem was addicted to drugs
ranging from Vicodin, a prescription painkiller, to Ambien, a prescription sleep
medication. To further the references to prescription pills in the Relapse album cover, the
bottom left corner contains a white prescription form. However, this prescription form
is actually information about the album. At the top of this prescription form is the title
of the album: Relapse. The R in Relapse has the subscript x next to it. Rx is the
medical symbol for prescription; this is a reference inside a reference and its quite

intriguing to me. The prescription form also has a reference to a specific song in the
Relapse album, the song 3am that I previously mentioned. It says Take 1 tablet(s) one
time(s) daily at 3am. The designer of the Relapse album cover had a lot of creative
talent and likely had listened to songs on the Relapse album before creating the album
cover design (the tone of the album is reflected almost precisely by the album cover).
With his images and stylistic techniques, the album cover designer was able to capture
the emotions of the album. It is serious yet eccentric, simple yet intriguing. The album
cover includes various visual interactions, such as contrast (the colorful image of
Eminems face on top of the black background), repetition (the repetitive pills that act as
dots to create Eminems face), and access (the album name and Eminems face are easy
to see and not hidden). The reason that the album name is easily accessible is because its
on the white prescription form which contrasts the darker background, making the title
stand out more. The Relapse album cover provides an in-depth insight about the meaning
of the album: Eminems struggle with drug dependency.
On a brighter note, Eminems seventh album, Recovery, released on June18,
2010, was a far cry from the musical style he used in his Relapse album. While Relapse
was an album of dark songs and a carefree attitude, Recovery was more emotionally
driven and intended to suit the listening ear of a broader range of people. Whereas
Relapse sounded more like a collaboration of sinister Slim Shady type songs, Recovery
included songs that would more likely be played on the radio. By this, I mean that the
songs on Recovery were less explicit and the beats were more pop-sounding than the
hardcore rap style of Relapse; one example of this fusion with pop music in Recovery
was the song Wont Back Down featuring Pink. The chorus of Wont Back Down is
a motivational ballad in which Pink sings, You can sound the alarm , you can call out
your guards , you can fence in your yard, you can pull all the cards, but I won't back
down. Oh no I wont back down. Oh no... Pink and Eminem just dont want to give
up (and I hope Em never gives up rapping)! The message in Wont Back Down relates
to the theme of the album: Eminem wont let drugs tear him down anymore and hes not
going to back down when they try to tempt him. Eminems previous album, Relapse,
included more negative contexts and drug references than Recovery, which promoted

positivity and the battle against drug dependency. The difference in music styles is
precisely portrayed in the designs of the album covers.
Eminems personal transition from the party all day and go cray cray attitude to
a more focused, positive-minded attitude can be seen on the Recovery album cover. This
album cover is simpler than that of the Relapse album cover in the sense that it is just a
picture and there are not a lot of words or secret images hidden in it. Though it may not
seem as creative of a design as the Relapse album cover, the Recovery album cover is
very meaningful and relatable to the songs in the album. The album cover for Recovery
includes a picture of Eminem walking on an empty country road with his hands in his
black pants pockets. Eminems back is facing the viewer and he appears to be walking
into the distance on a road that vanishes into the distance. On the Recovery album cover,
Eminem is wearing a beanie and long sleeve clothes, so it can be assumed that the
weather is cold wherever he is. This corresponds with the first song in the album entitled
Cold Wind Blows. However, in Cold Wind Blows, he is talking about the weather in
a metaphorical rather than literal sense. The song is about settling scores with celebrity
rivals and letting go of any grudges he previously held. Already in the first song of the
album, a positive side of Eminem can begin to be seen (or heard, for that matter).
Eminem matured tremendously in a year. From the release of Relapse in 2009 to the
release of Recovery in 2010, he shifted his entire outlook on life; that is, that life is not
pointless and that anyone can make the world a better place if they have the right
mindset. This positive outlook of his can be seen on the motivational album cover for
Eminems Recovery.

The Recovery album cover includes visual interaction styles, such as contrast,
proximity, access, and hierarchy. As opposed to the Relapse album cover, Eminems face
is not the most important part of the Recovery album cover. The first thing that is seen is
the album title in the top right cover. There are a few reasons why the album title is the
first thing seen on the Recovery album cover. Firstly, the letters are white so they contrast
with the blue sky; also the O in Recovery is a red circle with a white cross inside of it,
which symbolizes health. The red and white O makes the word Recovery even more
noticeable by contrasting the blue sky and contrasting the white letters. Another reason
that the album title is the first thing seen is hierarchy. The word is positioned at the top of
the album cover, so it signifies that it is of utmost importance. I believe this was
intentional on the part of the album cover designer. Eminem did not want himself to be
the albums main focus; he wanted it to be the idea of recovering from drug dependency,
hence Recovery. Eminem placed himself on a personal level with his listeners to
deliver his message in his Recovery album. The album cover artist portrayed this by
making Eminem look like a normal guy walking down the road. Also, in the bottom right
corner (signifying least significance) is the classic Parental Advisory: Explicit Conten.
Eminem uses cuss words but in a timely manner that makes his songs sound that much
more crisp and juicy. To add emphasis to the albums overall message, the Recovery
album cover designer used proximity to make the road look really long and practically
endless; the road gets blurred out near the end. Also, the end of the road is in the center of
the album cover, so it must be of utmost importance to the message of the album. The
vanishing road acts as a metaphor that the road to positivity is a long one, but you have to
start somewhere. Although its a long road, Eminem is walking it; this is very

motivational to me as Eminem has had problems with drugs and depression, but he rose
above his bad side and became stronger. He emphasizes the importance of leaving the
past behind and moving forward to a better lifestyle.
Eminems personality is reflected through his music and also through his image.
Although he went through a partying phase (who hasnt?), he began making positive
changes in his lifestyle that shined through his music in the Recovery album. The tone
and the message of Recovery differed greatly than those of Relapse. The album covers for
Relapse and Recovery were very different as well; both accurately laid the groundwork
for the themes of the albums. With the mental image of the album cover in the listeners
mind, the lyrics to the songs become even more coherent. As the lyrics become more
understandable to the listener, the message and theme of the album becomes more easily
interpreted.
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