Straight from the Lab is a 2003 bootleg album consisting of previously unreleased songs by Eminem. Some of the songs on the album were scheduled to be released the following year on Eminem's fifth studio album, Encore. Two additional series of unreleased songs were leaked in 2011 and 2025 as Straight from the Lab Part 2 and Straight from the Lab Part 3, respectively.

Straight from the Lab
Compilation album (bootleg) by
ReleasedDecember 2003
Recorded2002–2003
GenreHip hop
Length33:44
LabelBootleg
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Sputnikmusic[2]

Background

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If those hadn't leaked, Encore would've been a much different album. "We as Americans", "Love You More", a lot of songs ended up on the bonus disc because they leaked and that disappointed me. So, I had to start over, which felt like a mountain I had to climb. You climb half the mountain, and then all of a sudden, you get knocked back down. "We as Americans" was going to start the album, then "Bully". "Evil Deeds" was in there. If that would've been on Encore, and the other couple songs that leaked, to me it would've been right there with The Eminem Show as far as its caliber.[3]

Eminem

Songs

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  • "Can-I-Bitch" samples Slick Rick's song "Children's Story" in the first verse. It is also a word play on the title of Canibus's first album, entitled Can-I-Bus being a diss track to Canibus and is an answer song to the Pet Shop Boys' 2002 song "The Night I Fell in Love".[4]
  • "Bully" is a diss track aimed at rappers Benzino, Irv Gotti and Ja Rule.[4][5]
  • "Hailie's Revenge" (sometimes referred to as "Doe Rae Me"), is another diss track which features vocals from Eminem's daughter Hailie Jade in the intro and the outro. It is a response to Ja Rule's song "Loose Change", in which Ja Rule has insulted Eminem's family, including Hailie.[4][6]
  • "We As Americans" (incorrectly titled "We Are Americans") was later included on a bonus disc for Eminem's fifth studio album, Encore. In 2022, Eminem stated that if the song had not leaked, it would have been the opening track on the album, followed by "Bully" as track two.[3] The version in the bootleg is the original uncensored version, with the bonus disc version having a line about the president reversed, while this one does not.
  • "Love You More" (incorrectly titled "I Love You More") was also included on the Encore bonus disc.
  • "Come On In" (later retitled "6 in the Morning") was later released on D12's sophomore album, D12 World.

Track listing

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No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Monkey See, Monkey Do"The Alchemist3:40
2."We Are Americans"Eminem, Luis Resto4:59
3."I Love You More"Eminem, Luis Resto4:56
4."Can-I-Bitch"Mike Elizondo5:06
5."Bully"Eminem5:17
6."Come On In" (featuring D12)Eminem, Luis Resto4:34
7."Hailie's Revenge (Doe Rae Me)" (featuring D12 and Obie Trice)Mr. Porter5:14

Part 2

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In 2011, a series of leaks occurred by a Twitter user named "NotAfraid2Leak."[7] These leaks occurred over the span of a few months, and eventually lead to a fully unreleased and unofficial project titled Straight From The Vault EP.[8] Since then, fans have retroactively compiled all of those songs into a follow up mixtape to Straight From The Lab, titled Straight from the Lab Part 2.[9]

No.TitleProducerLength
1."The Apple"Eminem, Dr. Dre4:21
2."Things Get Worse" (featuring B.o.B)Sermstyle3:51
3."Goin' Crazy" (featuring D12)Mike & Keys4:03
4."Where I'm At"Boi-1da2:50
5."Detroit Basketball" 2:41
6."Oh No"Dr. Dre3:55
7."Echo" (featuring Royce da 5'9" and Liz Rodrigues)DJ Khalil4:30
8."Wee Wee" 2:48
9."Topless" (featuring Nas and Slim the Mobster)DJ Khalil2:37
10."Fly Away" (featuring Just Blaze)Just Blaze5:08
11."Difficult" (featuring Obie Trice)Eminem4:42
12."Emulate" (featuring Obie Trice)Eminem3:12
13."Hello, Good Morning (Freestyle)"Danja1:03
14."Living Proof" (featuring Royce da 5'9") 3:46
15."Cocaine" (featuring Jazmine Sullivan)Salaam Remi4:15
16."I Get Money"Apex1:39
17."Hit Me with Your Best Shot" (featuring D12)Honorable C.N.O.T.E.5:23
18."Ballin' Uncontrollably" 5:31
19."Celebrity (Remix)" (featuring Lloyd Banks and Akon)Dirk Pate4:14
20."Syllables" (featuring Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo and Cashis)Dr. Dre5:10
21."G.O.A.T" 3:54
22."It's Been Real (Outro)" 2:17

Notes

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  • "Living Proof" and "Echo" were later released on the deluxe version of Bad Meets Evil's debut album Hell: The Sequel.
  • "Things Get Worse" was later released on B.o.B's Greatest Hits album. In 2019, the track leaked again with a never-before-heard verse that contained reference to the Chris Brown's assault of Rihanna saying that he would side with Chris Brown in this situation, which caused a lot controversy around the track. Eminem would eventually go on to apologize to Rihanna for the lyrics on "Zeus", a track off his 2021 album Music to Be Murdered By.
  • "Going Crazy" (later mastered and retitled "Fame") was later released on D12's 2011 mixtape, Return of the Dozen Vol. 2.
  • "I Get Money", "Emulate", "Detroit Basketball", "Going Crazy", "WEE WEE", "G.O.A.T", "The Apple", and "It's Been Real (Outro)" were released on the Straight From The Vault EP

Part 3

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On 12 January 2025, a series of leaks surfaced online.[10] The first 14 unreleased songs were compiled into a bootleg album titled Straight From The Lab, Part 3. In the days that followed, more songs surfaced, leading dedicated fans to expand the tracklist, share updated versions, and work to derail any fake AI-generated songs. The songs were arranged chronologically based on their leak dates. The current tracklist is: [11]

No.TitleLength
1."Marshall Powers"2:11
2."Love Drunk"3:41
3."I’m Twisted" (Freestyle)1:31
4."Sociopath" (featuring 50 Cent)3:34
5."I'm Sorry (Seasons)"4:43
6."Follow Me" (featuring Nate Dogg)4:25
7."Key To My Room"4:03
8."Trade Off" (featuring Slaughterhouse)4:55
9."Jump Out"4:00
10."Ritz"4:29
11."Freak" (featuring Westside Boogie and Anderson .Paak)3:37
12."Take It"1:38
13."Antichrist (skit)"0:37
14."Antichrist" (2005 version)3:54
15."Sexual Healing"3:26
16."Sexual Healing" (featuring Dr Dre)3:32
17."Back and Forth" (aka "Discombobulated '09")3:59
18."Paul (skit)"0:33
19."Christopher Reeves"3:17
20."My Darling" (2007 version)6:12
21."Careful What You Wish For" (2006 version)6:06
22."This Is" (Demo version)4:32
23."Stepping Stone" (Demo version)5:35
24."My First Single" (Alternate version)5:04
25."Little Engine" (Alternate version)3:01
26."No Regrets" (Demo version)3:25
27."Smack You"5:25

Notes

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  • "Antichrist" was originally recorded for the 2005 compilation, Curtain Call, and was later altered and released on the 2024 album, The Death of Slim Shady.
  • "Christopher Reeves" was recorded for the 2004 album, Encore and was released under the title "Brand New Dance", with modern additions, on the 2024 album, The Death of Slim Shady.
  • "Sexual Healing" is the original version of "Is This Love ('09)", which was released on the 2022 compilation Curtain Call 2. The solo version is partly a reference track, recorded for Dr. Dre.
  • "Back and Forth", recorded for the 2009 album, Relapse, was altered and released under the title "Discombobulated" on the 2020 album, Music to Be Murdered By.
  • "My Darling" and "Careful What You Wish For" are earlier versions of songs that were later released on Relapse: Refill.
  • "This Is" is a demo of the song "Survival", released on Eminem's 2013 album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2.
  • "Jump Out" is a reference track, written and recorded by Eminem for Dr. Dre's scrapped album Detox.
  • "Freak" was recorded circa 2017 and is an outtake from the soundtrack album of the comedy-drama film, Bodied.

References

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  1. ^ Straight from the Lab Review by David Jeffries, AllMusic
  2. ^ "Sputnikmusic review". Sputnikmusic.com. 2006-05-24. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  3. ^ a b Shinn, Travis (September 14, 2022). "Road to the Riches". XXL.
  4. ^ a b c Patel, Joseph (December 2, 2003). "Eminem's Benzino Dis Turns Up In The Lab". MTV. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Patel, Joseph (December 4, 2003). "Eminem Apologizes For Old Track That Dissed Black Women". MTV. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014.
  6. ^ "Straight from the Lab album review". Sputnikmusic.com. 2009-09-06. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  7. ^ https://forum.sectioneighty.com/the-official-koolo-thread.t60131
  8. ^ Goodwyn, Tom (March 3, 2011). "Eminem 'EP' 'Straight From The Vault' leaks online". NME.
  9. ^ "Straight From The Lab, Part 2". Genius. Archived from the original on January 1, 2025.
  10. ^ Saponara, Michael (January 16, 2025). "Eminem's Spokesperson Says Recent Song Leaks Were 'Never Meant for Public Consumption'". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  11. ^ https://genius.com/albums/Eminem/Straight-from-the-lab-3