Eminem’s hotly awaited new album reportedly takes some savage shots at President Bush.

Encore, due out in November, apparently marks a return to the rapper’s Slim Shady persona, says Rolling Stone.

Interscope president Jimmy Iovine recently hosted a listening party for retailers in LA during which he played several Dr. Dre-produced tracks.

One said: “The cuts we heard were very political. Eminem’s distaste for the Bush administration is pretty clear.”

Among the tracks is Encore, featuring Dr Dre and 50 Cent, and the first single, Just Lose It. The video features Eminem running naked down a Los Angeles street.

There are tentative plans to release the album with a limited-edition bonus disc, which may include songs that were leaked on the Internet last year.

The music industry has high hopes for Encore. Some retailers say it could be one of the few albums to sell more than a million in its first week in the post-file-sharing era.

“I think it’s possible,” says Kevin Cassidy, executive VP of retail operations at Tower Records. “Prior to 8 Mile, Eminem was a premier rapper. Now he’s a premier artist.”

Credit: Ananova