In 2008, a few months after Vibe magazine anointed Eminem “the best rapper alive,” Melcher Media was approached by Dutton Books to help produce his uncensored biography, appropriately titled The Way I Am. The book marked the first time that Eminem was willing to publish his collection of handwritten lyric sheets; historically, he’d been very private about his writing process.

We collaborated with Headcase Design to devise two ways to give this revelation appropriate emphasis. First, the cover: A striking portrait of Eminem shines through a red acetate jacket. When the jacket is removed, the reader sees that it is masking a collage of red handwritten lyrics, superimposed over Eminem’s photograph (and completely invisible when the jacket is in place). Second, the interior: In addition to life-size scans of the original lyric sheets printed throughout, a selection of perforated lyric sheets at the back of the book can be removed and hung as art. We worked closely with Eminem’s management team throughout the bookmaking process, coordinating a series of exclusive interviews between the rapper and renowned music critic Sacha Jenkins, and then turning these into a cohesive and compelling narrative. Other never-before-seen features in this New York Times best-selling book include images and corresponding handwritten captions from Eminem’s personal albums, original photos of the artist’s home and office in Detroit, and a DVD with behind-the-scenes tour footage shot by the rapper himself.

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