Eminem Relapses Out Of Retirement

It appears that rumors of Eminem’s retirement from the rap game have been greatly exaggerated.

Breaking his silence at a launch party for his new autobiography The Way I Am, amidst widespread rumors of an impending new record, the man who no less than Vibe Magazine calls the greatest rapper alive has announced that his next album will be out before the end of 2008.

Rapper 50 Cent, well known as a longtime close associate of Eminem, was also on hand for the event, and referred to the possible occasion of back to back releases by himself, Eminem, and Dr. Dre’s Detox (which has been widely rumored for an early 2009 release), as a “three-headed monster.”

Appearing in an interview on Sirius Satelite Radio’s Shade 45 channel, Eminem also announced that the album, which will be titled Relapse was “mostly” produced by master rap producer, and longtime Eminem collaborator Dr. Dre. Eminem also previewed one new track, “I’m Having A Relapse” during the Shade 45 interview.

Eminem’s last album of all new material was 2004’s Encore, which sold some 5 million copies and was at the time thought by many to represent his retirement from the music business. Encore was followed one year later by a best of set, Curtain Call: The Hits which moved an additional three million copies.

No release date has yet been confirmed for Relapse, and representatives for his label Interscope have thus far neither commented nor issued any additional details.