During his visit on Jimmy Kimmel Live last month, Dr. Dre announced that Eminem is working on new album and it’s coming out this year: “Let me tell you something. Let me explain something right now. Eminem is working on his own album which is coming out this year and I actually talked to him and he said it was okay for me to make that announcement right here on this show. So yeah, the album coming out, I got songs on it and it’s fire. I’m actually going to hear entire album for the first time tomorrow. He holds his music close to his chest so I have not heard everything. I have not even heard everything complete that I’ve done but I’m gonna hear it and he’s putting out album this year. There are things on there that I have to mix that I’ve done but I got a chance to hear album in its entirety.” said Dre.

Next day, Eminem sent the fans into madness as the Detroit legend shared pictures of himself in the studio with Dr. Dre, Royce 5’9″, The Alchemist, Denaun Porter and his recent Shady Records signee, Ez Mil with the caption: “Nuthin 2 see here… plenty to hear!!!” It is highly possible that all these artists that appear in the picture are featured on the new album or Eminem just invited them for a listening session in Dr. Dre’s studio in California.

Today, on April Fools’ Day, Eminem pranked his fans with a fake album announcement. In the video that Slim Shady shared on Instagram, we can see the hundreds of screenshots of fans’ comments that are complaining about the new album, which led him to jokingly drop “Infinte 2”.  “Drop the album grandpa” one screenshot says. Another says: “can you just drop an album and not merch?’. The video starts with the intro of “Crack A Bottle.” Then the narrator says: “The highly anticipated next studio album goes back to where it all started. Infinite. But now, it’s even more. Out today.” While the title track “Infinite” playing in the background.

Last time Eminem dropped the full body of work was more than 4 years ago. Em dropped his 11th solo studio album Music to Be Murdered By on January 17, 2020, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Just like Eminem’s previous studio album Kamikaze (2018), the album was released with no prior announcement. The album was produced by many producers, with Eminem and Dr. Dre serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Skylar Grey, Young M.A, Royce da 5’9″, White Gold, Ed Sheeran, the late Juice WRLD, Black Thought, Q-Tip, Denaun, Anderson .Paak, Don Toliver, Kxng Crooked and Joell Ortiz.

The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 279,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Subsequently, Eminem became the first artist to have ten consecutive number-one albums in the US and one of six artists to have released at least ten US number-one albums. Music to Be Murdered By reached number one in 16 countries. Music critics praised Eminem’s lyrical abilities and the improved production after Kamikaze, while criticism was directed towards the album’s formulaic song structure, lack of innovation, and shock value.