Crack a Bottle

Background

An unfinished version of "Crack a Bottle" first appeared in December 2008 on the mixtape 4th Quarter Pressure Part 2 under the name "Number One". A final working version leaked on January 6, 2009. Media outlets reported the track would be the first single from Eminem's 2009 album Relapse, but the Italian branch of Universal Music Group denied this, calling it a promotional recording. Despite the confusion, the song was released for paid digital download on February 2, 2009. 50 Cent stated it would appear on his album Before I Self Destruct.

Danielle Harling of HipHopDX wrote that the song would be on both Relapse and Before I Self Destruct, while Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone said it was unclear which rapper's album would include it. Universal later announced the song would be exclusive to Relapse, though the label did not consider it the album's first single. The track samples "Mais dans la lumière" by Mike Brant, written by Jean Renard, who received songwriting credits. The same sample appears in "Preservation" by Aesop Rock and Del tha Funkee Homosapien on Wu-Tang Clan's 2005 album Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture.

Jay Rock released a remix; Cashis and Bobby Creekwater appeared on the official remix; Rick Ross released a remix as a diss to G-Unit.

Critical reception

Billboard praised the track, saying that while it wasn't as strong as the title cut from Eminem's 2004 album Encore, the long-awaited reunion of Eminem, Dr. Dre, and 50 Cent would return Eminen to the spotlight. Rolling Stone panned it, ranking it among the album's weakest songs, alongside "We Made You". At the 52nd Grammy Awards, the song took home the trophy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Music video

50 Cent initially told MTV that plans existed for an animated music video, to be shot alongside a video for his song "I Get It In". On February 25, Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg posted a still frame from the video showing a homeless person holding a bottle wrapped in a brown bag, stating it was directed by Syndrome and would be released within weeks. The video appeared on a TV in Eminem's "3 a.m." video, also directed by Syndrome. An unfinished version featuring Eminem's verse and chorus was released via TheRelapse.com on May 7, 2009; later that day, 50 Cent's verse was released via ThisIs50.com and added to the unfinished video.

On June 7, 2009, Cashis posted a link on Twitter to the full video, in which he makes a cameo. The video portrays each rapper's style—Eminem's chaotic, Dr. Dre's West Coast, and 50 Cent's club-oriented—but none of the performers appear. The official video was released on YouTube on August 1, 2022.

Chart performance

"Crack a Bottle" entered several US charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It peaked at number four on the Hot Rap Tracks. After three weeks at number seventy-eight on the Hot 100, it reached number one on the chart dated February 21, 2009, driven by 418,000 downloads, marking the fourth-biggest jump to the top in the chart's history. It was Eminem's second number-one on the Hot 100 since "Lose Yourself" (2002–2003), Dr. Dre's third, and 50 Cent's fourth. The song also debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100, the first number-one debut on that chart, and charted on the Irish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart.