'It's the Eminem that you missed, that you loved, that you need,' producer says of long-awaited album.
By Jennifer Vineyard

Eminem
Photo: MTV News

Eminem mentioned during the "TRL" finale earlier this month that he's hard at work on his upcoming album Relapse — but he wasn't giving up many details.

However, when we caught up with one of his producers, Swizz Beatz, at the Black Ball, Keep a Child Alive's annual fundraiser, in New York earlier this month, he filled in a few blanks for us.

Swizz said he's worked on five songs with Eminem, including one featuring both Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. "I don't know the title yet, but it's classic," he said. "It's sounding big."

Another song Swizz worked on with Em is a track they're referring to as a "Stan Part 2." "You know how 'Stan' ... was the big [song]?" Swizz asked, referring to the obsessed-fan track which sampled Dido's "Thank You." "So I worked on part 2, and I think it was, like, totally genius."

Swizz said that while Eminem has apparently been away from the mic for a long time, he's in good form on Relapse. which, Em said on "TRL," will be out next year, in "probably January, February."

"It's different," Swizz said. "Different sound, different mindframe. He's clear. But it's the Eminem that you missed, that you loved, that you need, especially right now in the industry, going into '09. He's coming back to take the cake."

Swizz said that politically minded songs like "Mosh" are "not really" on the agenda as much as "a lot of personal stuff."

Asked whether that subject matter involved Eminem's rehab stint, the death of his close friend/ D12 member Proof, his second divorce from Kim Scott, or his mom's recent memoir, Swizz laughed and said, "I can't give it away!"

Making a key difference in Em's new mindset, however, is that he has "a lot of people supporting him this time," Swizz said. "I just think you can hear a new energy in him. And, you know, the producers, everyone's bringing forth their best on that level."

On "TRL," Eminem also mentioned that he'd "done probably a hundred songs in the last couple of years," and Swizz said that it's still being decided which tracks will make the final cut.

"How it works: They get a whole bunch of songs," the producer explained, "and it's not over until the budget is closed and the artwork is done. It's just an ongoing thing."

• Eminem
• Swizz Beatz
• 50 Cent
• Dr. Dre