Eminem delays "Relapse 2" but readies "Refill"

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Eminem is pushing his "Relapse 2" album -- originally scheduled for a late 2009 release -- to next year. But in the meantime, on December 21 he'll re-release his fifth studio album with seven bonus tracks as "Relapse: Refill."

According to a statement from his label, Aftermath/Interscopethe, the bonus tracks will include five "never-before-heard" tracks as well as "Taking My Ball" from the DJ Hero video game and "Forever," which features Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. The latter was featured on the "More Than a Game" soundtrack.

"Hopefully these tracks on 'The Refill' will tide the fans over until we put out 'Relapse 2' next year," Eminem said in the statement. "I got back in (the studio) with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch. The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on 'Relapse 2,' but I still want the other stuff to be heard."

"Relapse," Eminem's first album of new material since 2004's "Encore," was released in May and sold 608,000 in its first week. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Eminem's fifth straight No. 1 debut -- and fifth overall No. 1. His only album to miss the top spot was his "Slim Shady LP," which bowed and peaked at No. 2 in 1999.

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)