A signed, factory sealed first-pressing copy of Eminem’s 1996 debut album “Infinite” sold at auction for $62,400 on Wednesday.
The auction closed more than a month’s worth of bidding through Goldin Auctions, the high-profile collectibles marketplace.
The auction opened in early August and started at $25,000. Bidding held steady at $43,000 through Wednesday, when a series of bids pushed it to its closing price in the auction’s final minutes.
“Infinite” had a small initial vinyl run of 500 copies, according to language tied to the auction. Of those 500, 250 were issued to press and radio, and 250 were made available to the general public.
The copy sold through Goldin was sourced from Eminem’s manager and long-time friend Paul Rosenberg. The record was classified in “excellent” condition by Audio Media Grading, a Florida-based music authentication and grading firm, which graded the record an 8 out of 10.
Today, “Infinite” is out of print, and only its title track is available on streaming services. The album was released through Web Entertainment and was executive produced by Mark and Jeff Bass, the Bass Brothers.
Before he met Dr. Dre. Before he joined Interscope. Before he recorded as Slim Shady. Before he made 8 Mile. Before he became the best-selling rapper in history.
Before all that, Eminem was a 24-year-old white-rapper nobody selling his debut album Infinite out of his car trunk in Detroit. The press run of 500 vinyl records was put out by Web Entertainment’s Jeff and Mark Bass (a.k.a., the Bass Brothers). There were 250 records for the media/radio (with the “Eight Mile” address on the label), and 250 for the general public (with no address). Infinite was initially considered a commercial failure. A flop. There were limited sales to begin with, and then many of the surviving copies were discarded anyway.
A few months later, the very day after getting evicted from his home, Eminem competes in the 1997 Rap Olympics in L.A. and wins 2nd place. He’s got no f***ing money and no f***ing place to live, but he’s got a cassette for his new Slim Shady EP that catches the ear of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Dre brings Eminem into the studio and gets a new sample going on the drum machine. Within seconds, Eminem comes out with “HI! MY NAME IS! (What?) MY NAME IS! (Who?)”
“That was it,” Dre said at Em’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction, “and that was the beginning of what became an amazing creative collaboration…While everyone else around me had their doubts, I knew that his gifts were undeniable. His raw, dark, humorous lyrics, coupled with an impeccable cadence, stood out from everything I had ever heard before…Each of us were exactly what the other one needed. And I was willing to bet my entire career on that…Little did I know he was going to be one of the bestselling artists of all time.”
Proudly presented here is the finest known—and finest possible—example of Eminem’s rookie record. First of all, it’s factory sealed. Best of luck finding another sealed copy anywhere. It’s also one of the media/radio pressings with the desirable “Eight Mile” address. It’s also sourced from none other than Em’s long-time manager Paul Rosenberg. Oh, and one more damn thing. It’s autographed by Eminem himself in his alter-ego, “Shady.” Wait, we’re still not done yet. It’s slabbed by Audio Media Grading (AMG) as a high-grade Excellent (E) 8.
AMG’s label references all the essential details: “(1996) Eminem – Infinite (Web Entertainment – WEB 714V) / First Pressing Limited Edition of 250 / Radio and Press Release With Address / F.B.T. Productions / Recorded and Mixed at Bassment Sounds Inc. / Collection of Paul Rosenberg / Signed by Eminem ‘Slim Shady.'” Among the producers, musicians, rappers and friends who also had a hand in Infinite’s release are: Mr. Porter, Proof (d.2006), Eye-Kyu, Three, Thyme and Angela Workman.
Encapsulated as Excellent (E) 8 by AMG. LOA from Beckett (for autograph).
Please note that a portion of the proceeds from this auction item will benefit the Marshall Mathers Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing assistance to disadvantaged and at-risk youth primarily in Detroit, Michigan and its surrounding communities.
On this day in 1996, November 12, Eminem released his debut album “Infinite” through Web Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at the Bass Brothers’ studio, with production handled by Denaun Porter and Eminem himself. Drums were programmed by Big Proof.
Physical copies of Infinite were released on cassette and vinyl, and Eminem sold the copies from the trunk of his car in streets of Detroit.
The album received mixed reviews from music critics, saying Em’s style is the copy of AZ and Nas.
It was also a commercial failure, selling around 1,000 copies but Eminem stated in his autobiography book The Way I Am that the album sold “maybe 70 copies.”
The album is not available on any streaming platforms except the title track “Infinite” which was remastered on its 20th anniversary.
On this day, 24 years ago (November 12, 1996), Eminem released his first ever studio album “Infinite,” fully produced by Denaun Porter. The album received mixed reviews from critics and was a commercial failure as it hardly sold 1,000 copies.
Exactly 24 years later, Mr. Porter celebrates the anniversary of the album on Instagram, saying:
“We went to Africa a couple decades later and saw a kid holding up an “Infinite” sign in the front row Talk about full circle… Hey, Eminem, I think it’s safe to say we did it, Broski…”
You can check the full post dedicated to “Infinite” in the video below:
