"Alotta people ask me where the fuck I've been at for the past few years.. Shit I dunno.. But I do know.. I'm back now.. Haha"
Well, probably the most famous rapper ever, with the biggest hardcore fan base of any rapper ever just came out of his Hiatus. The industry got itchy when 50 Cent started telling people that Eminem was working on his new album, no one knew how true that was till leaked freestyles were released. Then, another wait, until, unexpectedly, in Eminem fashion, here comes this song on the TV of him gettin' at pop-culture. That's pretty much been Em's 1st video bread and butter, and it shouldn't have caught anybody off guard. But, since Em has been on a hiatus, and a disappointing last album, everyone wants to know is gonna make the LL Cool J (Mama Said Knock You Out) comeback, or the Nelly comeback?
Em tries to set the tone for the album with a skit with his inner demon, and it serves it's purpose well to go into his introduction song "3 A.M." Which in the song he sets the tone that this is suppose to be a dark album, and he's going through a relapse that got him checked into the rehab he was checking out from. The imagery, forceful mic presence, and with the help of a suspenseful beat, helps set the dark view of where this album his supposedly headed. Even going far as himself quoting something from Silence Of The Lambs.
Throughout the album he reminds us that he's scarier than the horror villains that you've come to love over the years. He warms the listener up on the song "Same Song And Dance" with a character comes out throughout the album. In the song "Stay Wide Awake". The title itself gives it a dead give-away, with help of the guitar, Em gives sadistic episodes of his character's spiral into a relapse. "It's making me play hide 'n' seek like Jason I'm so hungry.. She's naked see, no privacy, but I can see she wants me... So patience see I try to be, but see why does she taunt me... Pull the drapes n see she's right to sleep n I creep right through the front seat... So blatantly but silently, cuz I know that she's sound sleep..."
"Cut your fuckin' head off n ask you where you headed off too? Get it headed off too?!!!"
What would an Eminem CD be without him talking about the trials and tribulations of his own life. In "My Mom", he talks about his mother again, except with a slightly different twist, (still a light-hearted track), instead of constantly bashing her, he describes why he's just like her now at this stage of his life. Eminem gets critical on himself with a more serious tone in the song "Deja Vu", he went into details on how he basically was an addict. He talked about ways he use to hide it, and how it had all kind of side affects on him. "Beautiful", backs it up, as he basically talks about how he's trying to bounce back from a slump that he was in, although he wasn't in the public eye during his hiatus.
What hurts his album the most, is the break-up of the flow of the CD, and the inconsistency of what songs are placed where. There is no reason to throw a filler track like "For Old Times Sake" in between "Stay Wide Awake", and "Must Be The Ganja". Although one song is on a lighter note, "Must Be The Ganja" behind "Stay Wide Awake" would keep you from hitting the skip button on your CD / MP3 player. So random filler songs are scattered across the CD that makes the CD inconsistent, sadly, they're not even catchy..
"I guess it's time for you all to hate me again!!"
What has plagued Em since the Eminem Show, he couldn't find anything else to talk about it seemed. You would think he'd have alittle more to talk about since he's been sitting out for 5 years, and his lyrical skill hasn't gone anywhere. So it's disappointing to hear a song like "Insane", not only is the title to mis-leading, it's to over-the-top. Once you hear it, you'll get what I mean. He actually had a pretty good song with "Medicine Ball", but at the end of the song... He cracks on Christopher Reeves..... AGAIN! For a WHOLE verse! But, (at least to me), it was funny. So it's a give or take. What's bad is, he knows it.. Lol. "Now everybody's pissed at me, like it's my fault his name rhymes with so many different words... Jeeze!"
I must say, I had to listen to this CD alot. Alot and alot of evaluating, and re-evaluating, I believe people will jump quick to judge the CD and make seem like the worst CD ever... Same way people did Jay-Z (Kingdom Come), they're going to judge Eminem from his past work, and people won't actually listen to the songs and apply it to the concept. Because technically, all the songs follow the concept of a relapse; whether he's going re-doing unneeded (whack) songs with Dr. Dre, or getting into a horror movie character that actually follows the beginning of the CD... He's on the same concept. This is by no means a classic, not close, but, unfortunately, people won't judge it fair, and therefore most of the people who'll bump this consistently will be that harcore fan-base. (All 3 million of them).
But, Eminem does leave us a treat with his last track, where he absolutely makes a mockery of all our favorite horror movie characters with a hell of a flow and sick ass beat. Maybe it's a sign of things to come? I mean... He is coming out with another CD in December... Or so he says.
"Turn Halloween back into a trick or treat holiday... Have Michael Myers looking like a liar, swipe his powers, replace his knife with flowers and a stack of flyers... Hit Jason Vorhees with a 40, stuck a suppository up his ass, and made him tell me a story... Gave Hannibal Lector a fucking nectarine and sat him in front of the fruit and vegetable section and gave him a lecture!"
And... What would an Eminem CD be without Ken Kaniff?
3 comments:
NAw man I wrote my review for this SHIT!!!!!
That shit is crazy wack... its like "Encore 09" and Encore was wack, dude makes a song about getting raped by his step-dad, killing pop stars, fucking Mariah, and getting drug'd up with Lindsey... I know this album was going to be just like this. I half of the cd was going to be ass and half of it was what I wanted to hear (The Eminem Show). When he kicks shit about his old vise come one man… leave the pop stars alone, it was cool when the Backstreet boys were dope but that was like what 1999-2000?
The thing that pisses me off with Em is that he doesn’t believe him self enough to make a real record. He’s so witty and creative, the way he comes up with songs and metaphors, and I don’t even mind all his serial killer songs and non-sense that he’s been spitting since DMX has been barking, but Fam (Kanye voice) That shit is getting old. Plus dude had like three “guess who’s back” aka “Hate me again” tracks… which didn’t make me hate shit. Sorry Em… I’m to busy hating Soulja Boy and wondering why Young Berg still has a career. Dude has the same skits; lawyer, mangers, and Ken Kaniff.
Now not to totally kick dirt on dude, there are a few tracks that are hot, and I really hope that when Relapse2 comes out in the end of the summer. Em leave all silly beefs behinds (Nick Cannon really?) and embrace himself. Makes songs about what’s really going on… The fact that he’s a mid 30’s ex-druggie single parent with rapping skills. I think its safe to say no one cares about your mommy issues or the fact that you hate pop music or the fact that you pick on gays. Grow up with your music or let that shit go…
BOOTLEGG IT!!!!!!
PS: EM please pick fights with people that could actually fight back!!!!! The last person I seen you diss worth while was CaniBus and that was when dude was in the Army… Negro please!!!!!!
Everything you wrote became instant nonsense as soon as you said whack ass CaniBus was worth a fight. The thing I really don't understand is how in the hell does an entertainment web site promote bootlegging, Wes you're a walking contradiction homie. Half of Encore was audible diarrhea but the other half was masterful - so much time and polish went into carving verses such as "Spend Some Time" that Em could have retired the mic and been considered the rapping Michelangelo. Even songs as simple as "Puke" and radios appropriate hit "Mosh" relayed an obvious emotion that cannot be disputed, I think that's what we call an "Uncanny Vision."
Sure we can disagree with his content, I mean one can only listen to father raping so many times, but for word play alone, dude could rap about the basics of biology and I'd listen.
I have to say the route he has gone with Relapse is pretty fucking awesome. He no longer cares about the review and pitches what he wants too. He basically has developed a Stephen King rap, a style I haven't heard done so well since Biggie Smalls. (I'm not counting those tek 9 knuckle heads.) He articulates great horror story and paints potent and often poisonous pictures through his music.
I understand you don't vibe with the content and your trigger happy with the power to post a blog like any other dude with a computer but I challenge you to tell me why an artist on his fourth album should ever be concerned with giving the audience what they want as opposed to make the kind of music he likes, I mean shit, dude killed his audience off last time. He's not making these tracks for you.
When you do that I also challenge you to show me a flaw in the musics productions, the emcee's delivery, breakdown his word choice and use of syllables. I hope you'll find that the production is un-fuckable and even though you can't relate to 3am rape and murder binges the album achieves it's job through the medium of twisted-tales and short-fiction. What would have been better? Rapping about his addiction to spend, paint dripping from his 64' frame, how he's grown and ahead the rest of the game, or cocaine dreams... Meh I like a variety.
Post Script
Freshness, I really like your review, thanks for braking it down. That is press worthy keep it up.
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