Marshall Mathers III, more well known as Eminem, released a special edition album: “The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Expanded Edition)” on November 3, 2023– celebrating the 10th anniversary of his original album, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.” (original release on November 5 2013)

“The Marshall Mathers LP 2” was Eminem’s eighth studio album. To celebrate the 10-year-anniversary of its release, Eminem dropped an extended version. So let’s cut to the chase, what’s different, and is it worth listening to?

The big difference is the addition of instrumental versions, with “Survival,” “Bezerk,”“The Monster,” “Rap God” and “Headlights” all receiving an instrumental version. Aside from that, the albums are the same. While I enjoy the changes, I don’t find them as catchy as the originals.

From the newest addition, my favorite would be “Survival (Instrumental).” I think removing the lyrics gives the song a whole new perspective. Instead of focusing on the meaning of the lyrics, listeners now have the opportunity to listen to the instruments themselves, as well as the way the song blends into itself. Instrumental versions also are good for karaoke, as some music streaming services offer the lyrics alongside.

I also enjoyed listening to the instrumental version of “Rap God” as the pacing was easy to follow along if you knew the lyrics, it was interesting to hear the background and take it in from a new view– you could really feel the impact of the piano notes and hear small sounds you couldn’t’ before.

While these songs weren’t rerecorded, only re-released, they’re still worth taking interest in if you want something different. Keep in mind this isn’t the first time Eminem has done this– for the 20th anniversary of “The Eminem Show” he released an expanded version as well.

Overall, the instrumental versions are a nice addition, while maybe not as enjoyable as the original due to the repetition, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Expanded Edition)” is still a good listen.