Em’s contributions, as on The Eminem Show, are some of the strongest beats here.
That said, some of the production here is fantastic. You’ll even find clumsy a schlock-rock beat in the aforementioned “Survival” from the otherwise remarkable DJ Khalil. The worst part is that supposed guru Rick Rubin had a hand in all three. Clark, and “Berzerk” is an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink boom-bap mess of Beastie Boys and Billy Squire samples. “Rhyme or Reason” awkwardly rides the Zombies’ “Time of the Season,” “So Far…” chops up Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” into second-rate Mike E. MMLP2 is the most perplexing collection of beats of the year. Sadly, the production throughout doesn’t fare much better. So, in other words, he sounds lost as an artist. Mathers discussing well-worn topics like bitches (“So Much Better”), reflecting on the demands of fame and how he didn’t ask for it despite how hard he worked for it (“Survival”), and how he’s torn between being honest and being Slim Shady (“Evil Twin”).
#Eminem the marshall mathers lp 2 unboxing full
And the penultimate track, “Headlights,” is a love letter to Em’s mom that finds him in full apology mode: “Cause to this day we remain estranged and I hate it though/ Cause you ain’t even get to witness your grand baby’s growth.” The rest of the album finds Mr. The album opens with one of the only two songs here with any real lyrical substance: Entitled “Bad Guy,” it’s a sequel of sorts to “Stan” wherein Eminem gets his come-uppance…in a way. To be sure, he’s still as clever as he’s always been: “So I sneak vengefully and treat your bedroom window/ Like I reach my full potential, I peaked.” And he’s still the master of assonance: “Bitch, I’m a droid/ I void cupid, stupid/ Wasn’t for blowjobs, you’d be unemployed.”Įven his narratives are interesting, to a degree.
This is especially true for Eminem, who, in addition to be a top-tier rapper, is one of hip-hop’s finest lyricists. Problem is, saying a whole lotta nothing for 70-plus minutes doesn’t exactly make for a compelling rap record. He doesn’t say a whole lot beyond hip-hop braggadocio, but Eminem is one of the few rappers whose gift at saying nothing is something to behold. At six minutes and a minimal chorus, “God” finds Em turning in a performance of dazzling wizardry, going as far as rapping at Busta Rhymes speed during the third verse. Further still, “Rap God” eclipses “8 Mile” as his finest song in terms of pure rapping ability. There are at least a half-dozen verses in this album alone that stand amongst his best ever. Eminem is unquestionably the most technically gifted rapper alive (and perhaps of all time), and over the course of MMLP2, he proves it again and again. Instead, we find a 40-something attempting to be an elder statesmen of rap who’s confused about exactly how much of a shit he gives about his legacy (“Top 5 in this motherfucker and if I don’t make the cut/What, like I give a fuck”) only to reiterate how great he thinks he is later in the album (“Fuck top 5, bitch, I’m top 4/ And that includes Biggie and Pac, whore”).Įither way, it’s an accurate statement, despite how arrogant it might be. Nor is he still dealing with the gravity of sudden super-star status. So what can be expected from a sequel thirteen years later? Well, Em is no longer the poster child for everything wrong with America. However, it does sort of tell the story of a late 20-something dealing with the pressures of fame as well as being a media pariah. Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP could certainly be viewed as having a narrative, but it’s not exactly a linear one. What’s the point of a sequel, anyway? It’s defined as, “a literary work, movie, etc., that is complete in itself but continues the narrative of a preceding work.” In the case of music, the question becomes more important given that most albums have little, if any, overarching narrative.
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