Relapse (stylized as ℞ELAPSƎ) is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on May 15, 2009, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album serves as Eminem's return to original material since Encore (2004), following a four-year hiatus from recording due to his writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2007 and 2009 at several recording studios, and Dr. Dre, Mark Batson, and Eminem handled production
