Eminem excited by album progress

Eminem has revealed that he is pleased with the progress he is making as he works on his new album.

The rapper is expected to release his sixth studio LP later this year. It will be his first disc since he decided to take a break from the spotlight following 2004's Encore.

"I'm concentrating on my own stuff right now - just banging out tracks," Eminem explained. "The more I keep producing, the better it seems I get. I start knowing stuff, learning the boards like the back of my hands."

Hip-hop star 50 Cent recently promised that Eminem is in a "great space creatively" after hearing some of his new tracks.

Meanwhile, his friend and fellow rapper Bishop Lamont said in July: "Em is excited. He's been quiet too long, and he's got a lot to get off his chest."