Hell: The Sequel
Encyclopedia
Hell: The Sequel is the debut extended play
by Bad Meets Evil
, an American hip hop
duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem
. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records
and Interscope Records
and on June 14, 2011 in the United States
. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop
and midwest hip hop
. Songs such as "Welcome 2 Hell", "Above the Law" & "Loud Noises" feature violent lyrical content while trying to maintain a humorous tone. "Fast Lane
", "A Kiss" & "The Reunion" feature sexual themes - "I'm on Everything" is a humorous song about drugs, while "Lighters
" & "Take From Me" feature focus on more serious themes such as success
and stealing music on the internet.
The EP's title and artwork was revealed sometime in May. It features executive producers Eminem and Mr. Porter
, with production from Bangladesh
, DJ Khalil
, Sid Roams, Havoc, The Smeezingtons
, and Supa Dups
amongst others. Following the reunion of the duo, recording began in late 2010, when two tracks, "Living Proof" and "Echo" having leaked onto the Internet. The first single, "Fast Lane
", released on May 3, 2011, was considered a highlight from the EP, while the second single, "Lighters
", was met with mixed reviews.
Hell: The Sequel was met with positive reception. Critics favored the chemistry between Eminem and Royce da 5'9" and their rapping ability as well. The EP debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
chart with sales of 171,000.
"Nuttin' to Do
" along with several other collaborations released the same year. However, as D12
rose to fame in the early 2000s, Eminem and Royce had a falling out resulting in both sides going their separate ways. The feud turned into a public rivalry between Royce and D12 and lead to Royce releasing three diss tracks aimed at the group. After disses were exchanged from both sides, Royce and fallen D12 member Proof
reconciled their differences before Proof's death in 2006. Two years later, Royce was featured on D12's mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 1 in 2008 and also joined the group on tour in Europe and Canada. Rumors of Royce and Slaughterhouse signing to Shady Records
began in late 2009 when Royce, Joell Ortiz
, Crooked I
, and Joe Budden
appeared alongside Eminem in Drake
's "Forever" video. After months of speculation and anticipation, Eminem announced in January 2011 that he had officially signed Slaughterhouse to Shady Records
as the full report was made in the March cover-story for XXL Magazine.
The EP took over the course of 6 months, according to an interview with Eminem on his radio channel, Shade 45
. Two songs titled "Echo" and "Living Proof" were leaked onto the Internet in November 2010, causing speculation among fans about an upcoming Bad Meets Evil
project: on April 25, 2011, the EP was confirmed, and on May 2, Eminem announced the EP's title Hell: The Sequel. The two songs will, however, be included as bonus tracks on the deluxe version of the album. The title is a direct reference to a previous Eminem and Royce collaboration, "Bad Meets Evil" on The Slim Shady LP
as they end the song by saying "This is what happens when bad meets evil, see you in hell for the sequel."
Royce da 5'9" stated that he reached out to Eminem for his next single "Writer's Block", and they started working on a project together. The album features production from Mr. Porter
, Havoc, Bangladesh
, The Smeezingtons
, Supa Dups
and Sid Roams. Bruno Mars
, Slaughterhouse
and Mike Epps
appear as guest artists.
" was released on May 3, 2011 as the lead single
from the EP through digital distribution. The music video, directed by James Larese, premiered June 8, 2011 on Bad Meets Evil's website and VEVO
. Along with "Lighters
", the song made its live performance debut at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
. It was considered by many as the highlight of the festival.
"Lighters
" impacted Top 40/Mainstream radio on July 5, 2011. The song features American recording artist Bruno Mars
. Lighters has peaked at number four on Billboard Hot 100 list. Along with "Fast Lane", the song was performed at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. The music video was directed by Rich Lee
, who previously shot Eminem
's video "Not Afraid". The video premiered on VEVO
on August 22, 2011.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 72, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". HipHopDX gave the album a 4 out of 5, Alex Thornton quoted that "Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" are perfectly capable of standing on their own, but it’s clear that even after all these years, they inspire something special in each other. They may have gone through Hell separately but it's Hip-Hop Heaven when they’re together." RapReviews gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, and the author Jesal Padania praised the album for its clever lyrics stating that "this is a few tracks of two old friends having fun, egging each other on lyrically and, for the most part, it works well." Wannop also favors the chemistry between Royce and Eminem.
The EP got a B+ from Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly
, who focused primarily on Eminem's performance in the tracks, calling it a reminder to the world "that Eminem remains one of the best rappers alive." Even though, to Anderson, the EP is not much of an improvement from Recovery
, he favors the intensity of the rapping by the pair. Anderson also noted that Royce da 5'9" is a "lyrical beast" in the album. XXL
Magazine editor Carl Chery gave a positive review for Hell: The Sequel. The lyrics were praised, getting a 4 out of 5. Chery favors the change of styles throughout the EP; "I'm on Everything" is referred to as "a comical track that name checks every drug and liquor brand imaginable" while "Lighters
", featuring Bruno Mars, is "is another break from the typical vicious lyrical assault." Allmusic gave 3.5 stars out of 5, favoring Royce's growth and improvement as a rapper. Billboard
also gave a positive review, saying that "Fast Lane" and "Lighters" were the highlights of the EP.
Chad Grischow from IGN Entertainment gave the EP an 8 out of 10, saying, "The high-powered pair sporadically delivers on the promise of their collaboration over the nine-track EP, but for most of the effort the two take turns owning songs while the other comes off clunky." The track and lead single "Fast Lane
" was favored, stating that the duo "deliver explosive, live-wire flows that make it hard to ignore how great they sound together". Grischow also favored Slaughterhouse's appearance in the album. Bruno Mars' guest appearance was criticized, however, calling it "the strangest of the set".
However, music website Consequence of Sound
gave a mixed review. Writer Winston Robbins claims to be disappointed to see the return of Eminem's use of crude humour, as it was negatively received in the past. He states that the EP is a "step back for both rappers." He especially dislikes the production in the EP, calling it "predictable" and occasionally "silly".
chart with sales of 171,000. On its second week, the EP managed to sell 63,000 copies to have a total of 234,000 copies. On August 18, 2011, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
for shipping over 500,000 copies. As of October 26, 2011, the album has sold 583,000 copies in the US. The EP also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. This makes Eminem the first artist in five years to have two number one albums in a 12-month period: Hell: The Sequel and Recovery.
Sample credits
Additional vocals
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Bad Meets Evil
Bad Meets Evil
Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem . They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999, their early association with Dr...
, an American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
and Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and on June 14, 2011 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by anger, aggression and...
and midwest hip hop
Midwest hip hop
Midwest hip hop is hip hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. In contrast with its East Coast, West Coast and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants...
. Songs such as "Welcome 2 Hell", "Above the Law" & "Loud Noises" feature violent lyrical content while trying to maintain a humorous tone. "Fast Lane
Fast Lane (song)
"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
", "A Kiss" & "The Reunion" feature sexual themes - "I'm on Everything" is a humorous song about drugs, while "Lighters
Lighters (song)
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features...
" & "Take From Me" feature focus on more serious themes such as success
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and stealing music on the internet.
The EP's title and artwork was revealed sometime in May. It features executive producers Eminem and Mr. Porter
Kon Artis
Denaun Porter , known by his stage name Kon Artis or his alter ego Mr. Porter, is an American rapper and record producer, who is best known for being an original member of the Detroit rap group D12, as well as the co-founder of Runyon Ave. record label...
, with production from Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
, DJ Khalil
DJ Khalil
Khalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
, Sid Roams, Havoc, The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad...
, and Supa Dups
Supa Dups
-Biography:Dwayne Chin-Quee , better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and DJ/selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system and part of the duo D.A. & the Supa Dups with Chester French lead vocalist D.A. Wallach...
amongst others. Following the reunion of the duo, recording began in late 2010, when two tracks, "Living Proof" and "Echo" having leaked onto the Internet. The first single, "Fast Lane
Fast Lane (song)
"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
", released on May 3, 2011, was considered a highlight from the EP, while the second single, "Lighters
Lighters (song)
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features...
", was met with mixed reviews.
Hell: The Sequel was met with positive reception. Critics favored the chemistry between Eminem and Royce da 5'9" and their rapping ability as well. The EP debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with sales of 171,000.
Background
The duo also collaborated on their 1999 12-inch single12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
"Nuttin' to Do
Nuttin' to Do
"Nuttin' to Do" / "Scary Movies" is the first single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, composed of Detroit rappers Eminem and Royce da 5'9", released on November 1, 1999 by Game Recordings. A year later, Bad Meets Evil would break up and Eminem and Royce da 5'9" would go on to work with D12 and...
" along with several other collaborations released the same year. However, as D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
rose to fame in the early 2000s, Eminem and Royce had a falling out resulting in both sides going their separate ways. The feud turned into a public rivalry between Royce and D12 and lead to Royce releasing three diss tracks aimed at the group. After disses were exchanged from both sides, Royce and fallen D12 member Proof
Proof (rapper)
DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
reconciled their differences before Proof's death in 2006. Two years later, Royce was featured on D12's mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 1 in 2008 and also joined the group on tour in Europe and Canada. Rumors of Royce and Slaughterhouse signing to Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
began in late 2009 when Royce, Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath...
, Crooked I
Crooked I
Dominick Wickliffe, better known by his stage name Crooked I, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the hip hop group, Slaughterhouse with other members Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9. Slaughterhouse is currently signed to Shady Records / Interscope Records....
, and Joe Budden
Joe Budden
-Early life:Budden was born in Spanish Harlem, but lived in Queens until he was 12 and from there moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He is one of five boys...
appeared alongside Eminem in Drake
Drake
- People :* Drake ** Notably Sir Francis Drake , an English sea captain and politician of the Elizabethan era* Drake * Drake , stage name of Aubrey Drake Graham, Canadian recording artist and actor- Places :...
's "Forever" video. After months of speculation and anticipation, Eminem announced in January 2011 that he had officially signed Slaughterhouse to Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
as the full report was made in the March cover-story for XXL Magazine.
The EP took over the course of 6 months, according to an interview with Eminem on his radio channel, Shade 45
Shade 45
Shade 45 is Eminem's uncensored Hip-Hop/Rap-heavy urban contemporary channel. Eminem Brings On-Air show hosts. It debuted with a hip hop format in 2004, changing to its current incarnation when it was added to XM channel 66...
. Two songs titled "Echo" and "Living Proof" were leaked onto the Internet in November 2010, causing speculation among fans about an upcoming Bad Meets Evil
Bad Meets Evil
Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem . They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999, their early association with Dr...
project: on April 25, 2011, the EP was confirmed, and on May 2, Eminem announced the EP's title Hell: The Sequel. The two songs will, however, be included as bonus tracks on the deluxe version of the album. The title is a direct reference to a previous Eminem and Royce collaboration, "Bad Meets Evil" on The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on February 23, 1999. It is his major-label debut, and was released under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and Web Records....
as they end the song by saying "This is what happens when bad meets evil, see you in hell for the sequel."
Royce da 5'9" stated that he reached out to Eminem for his next single "Writer's Block", and they started working on a project together. The album features production from Mr. Porter
Kon Artis
Denaun Porter , known by his stage name Kon Artis or his alter ego Mr. Porter, is an American rapper and record producer, who is best known for being an original member of the Detroit rap group D12, as well as the co-founder of Runyon Ave. record label...
, Havoc, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
, The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad...
, Supa Dups
Supa Dups
-Biography:Dwayne Chin-Quee , better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and DJ/selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system and part of the duo D.A. & the Supa Dups with Chester French lead vocalist D.A. Wallach...
and Sid Roams. Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
, Slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
and Mike Epps
Mike Epps
Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
appear as guest artists.
Singles
"Fast LaneFast Lane (song)
"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
" was released on May 3, 2011 as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the EP through digital distribution. The music video, directed by James Larese, premiered June 8, 2011 on Bad Meets Evil's website and VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
. Along with "Lighters
Lighters (song)
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features...
", the song made its live performance debut at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
. It was considered by many as the highlight of the festival.
"Lighters
Lighters (song)
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features...
" impacted Top 40/Mainstream radio on July 5, 2011. The song features American recording artist Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
. Lighters has peaked at number four on Billboard Hot 100 list. Along with "Fast Lane", the song was performed at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. The music video was directed by Rich Lee
Rich lee
Rich Lee is an American music video and commercial director signed to DNA in Hollywood, California and Flynn Productions in the United Kingdom. He has directed music videos for Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé and The All-American Rejects. Rich Lee started his professional...
, who previously shot Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's video "Not Afraid". The video premiered on VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on August 22, 2011.
Critical response
Upon its release, Hell: The Sequel received positive reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 72, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". HipHopDX gave the album a 4 out of 5, Alex Thornton quoted that "Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" are perfectly capable of standing on their own, but it’s clear that even after all these years, they inspire something special in each other. They may have gone through Hell separately but it's Hip-Hop Heaven when they’re together." RapReviews gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, and the author Jesal Padania praised the album for its clever lyrics stating that "this is a few tracks of two old friends having fun, egging each other on lyrically and, for the most part, it works well." Wannop also favors the chemistry between Royce and Eminem.
The EP got a B+ from Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, who focused primarily on Eminem's performance in the tracks, calling it a reminder to the world "that Eminem remains one of the best rappers alive." Even though, to Anderson, the EP is not much of an improvement from Recovery
Recovery
-Health:* Healing* Cure* The Recovery model of mental distress/disorder* Recovery International, a self-help mental health program based on the work of the late Abraham A...
, he favors the intensity of the rapping by the pair. Anderson also noted that Royce da 5'9" is a "lyrical beast" in the album. XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
Magazine editor Carl Chery gave a positive review for Hell: The Sequel. The lyrics were praised, getting a 4 out of 5. Chery favors the change of styles throughout the EP; "I'm on Everything" is referred to as "a comical track that name checks every drug and liquor brand imaginable" while "Lighters
Lighters (song)
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features...
", featuring Bruno Mars, is "is another break from the typical vicious lyrical assault." Allmusic gave 3.5 stars out of 5, favoring Royce's growth and improvement as a rapper. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
also gave a positive review, saying that "Fast Lane" and "Lighters" were the highlights of the EP.
Chad Grischow from IGN Entertainment gave the EP an 8 out of 10, saying, "The high-powered pair sporadically delivers on the promise of their collaboration over the nine-track EP, but for most of the effort the two take turns owning songs while the other comes off clunky." The track and lead single "Fast Lane
Fast Lane (song)
"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
" was favored, stating that the duo "deliver explosive, live-wire flows that make it hard to ignore how great they sound together". Grischow also favored Slaughterhouse's appearance in the album. Bruno Mars' guest appearance was criticized, however, calling it "the strangest of the set".
However, music website Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
gave a mixed review. Writer Winston Robbins claims to be disappointed to see the return of Eminem's use of crude humour, as it was negatively received in the past. He states that the EP is a "step back for both rappers." He especially dislikes the production in the EP, calling it "predictable" and occasionally "silly".
Commercial performance
Hell: The Sequel debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with sales of 171,000. On its second week, the EP managed to sell 63,000 copies to have a total of 234,000 copies. On August 18, 2011, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for shipping over 500,000 copies. As of October 26, 2011, the album has sold 583,000 copies in the US. The EP also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. This makes Eminem the first artist in five years to have two number one albums in a 12-month period: Hell: The Sequel and Recovery.
Track listing
(*) denotes co-producerSample credits
- "Loud Noises" contains a sample from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
. - "Living Proof" contains a sample of "Funky Drummer (Parts 1 & 2)Funky drummer"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
" as written and performed by James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
.
Additional vocals
- "Fast Lane" contains additional vocals by Sly Jordan in the chorus.
- "Above the Law" and "Take from Me" contain additional vocals by Claret Jai in the chorus.
- "Echo" contains additional vocals by Liz Rodriguez.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic.- Erik Alcock - composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely... - Mac Attkisson - engineering
- Battle Roy - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, composer - Bruno MarsBruno MarsPeter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
- vocals, producer, composer, songwriter - Sam Beaubien - Trumpet
- D. Brown - Composer
- Saunti "braNu" Brown - additional producer
- Joey ChavezJoey ChavezJoey Chavez is an American Hip hop producer, from Los Angeles, California. Starting in the early 90s He is known in the underground Hip hop scene on production credits for Defari, Aceyalone, Phil da Agony, Encore, Dilated Peoples, Boom Bap Project, Kool Keith and mainstream acts such as the Beastie...
- composer, engineering - BangladeshBangladesh (producer)Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
- producer, composer - Sean Cruse - Composer
- DJ KhalilDJ KhalilKhalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
- producer, drum programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Eminem - songwriter, additional Producer, executive Producer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, producer - Mike Epps - Vocals
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Jason "JG" GilbertJason GilbertJason Gilbert, also known by his nickname JG, is a record producer and songwriter from the Cayman Islands, signed to Black Chiney Records and EMI Music Publishing. JG has produced for artists including Eminem, Royce da 5'9", Akon, Taio Cruz and Kardinal Offishall...
- Keyboards, co-producer, additional backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Tavis Graham - composer
- Danny Hastings - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Tony "56" Jackson - Songwriting, keyboards, co-producer
- Claret Jai - songwriter, vocals
- Joe Strange - assistant engineering
- Sly Jordan - songwriter, composer, vocals
- Justin Jozwiak - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Philip Lawrence - composer, producer
- Trevor Lawrence - composer
- Ari Levine - composer, engineering, producer
- Magnedo7 - composer, co-producer
- Deborah Mannis-Gardner - sample clearance
- Matt Martinez - trombone, trombone (bass)
- Alex Merzin - engineering
- Royce da 5'9" - songwriter, composer
- Mr. PorterKon ArtisDenaun Porter , known by his stage name Kon Artis or his alter ego Mr. Porter, is an American rapper and record producer, who is best known for being an original member of the Detroit rap group D12, as well as the co-founder of Runyon Ave. record label...
- Mixer, executive producer, producer, composer - Kejuan Muchita - composer
- Joell OrtizJoell OrtizJoell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath...
- composer - Dawaun ParkerDawaun ParkerDawaun Parker is a Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum musician, record producer and rap artist.Dawaun Parker is a staff songwriter and producer for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label...
- composer - Supa DupsSupa Dups-Biography:Dwayne Chin-Quee , better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and DJ/selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system and part of the duo D.A. & the Supa Dups with Chester French lead vocalist D.A. Wallach...
- producer, arranging, drum programming, producer, additional backing vocals - Luis Resto - Keyboards, composer
- Liz Rodriguez - vocals
- Mike Saputo - art director, design
- Sid Roams - producer
- Columbus Smith (RahkiRahkiRahki is an L.A. based hip-hop producer known for his work with mentor DJ Khalil as well as artists such as Eminem, Game, Curren$y, Evidence, 50 Cent and other popular artists.-2010:* Eminem - Recovery -2011:* Curren$y - Weekend At Burnie's...
) - composer - Mike Strange - mixer, engineering
- Danny Tannenbaum - Keyboards, composer
- Crooked ICrooked IDominick Wickliffe, better known by his stage name Crooked I, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the hip hop group, Slaughterhouse with other members Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9. Slaughterhouse is currently signed to Shady Records / Interscope Records....
- composer
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
15 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 72 |
| Netherlands Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
25 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
15 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
5 |
| Taiwanese Albums Chart | 14 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Billboard Tastemaker Albums Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
| US Billboard Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
1 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | June 13, 2011 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
| United Kingdom | Shady Records Shady Records Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts... , Interscope Records Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:... |
||
| United States | June 14, 2011 | ||
| Australia | June 17, 2011 | Universal Music | |
| Netherlands | |||
| Japan | June 22, 2011 | ||
| Brazil | July 12, 2011 | ||
| Poland | July 24, 2011 |