Encore is the fifth studio album by the American rapper Eminem, released on November 12, 2004, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. As reflected in its title and cover art, the album was originally set to be Eminem's final studio album. It contains several lyrical themes, most notably Eminem's opposition to then-US president George W. Bush and parodies of Michael Jackson, and features more comedic themes and lyrics than his previous albums.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America and is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His global success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as an influence by and upon many artists working in various genres.