Remember when “My Name Is” came out and the Hip-Hop world was shaken to the core by an actual White rapper displaying lyrical ferocity like “Hi kids, do you like violence?/Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids?” Remember how the hood was blasting that track on every corner?

Or when “The Real Slim Shady” was getting heavy rotation in every club? Or how “Without Me” showed the mature, seasoned Eminem that we had all been waiting for?

Oh, this doesn’t ring a bell? That’s because those things never happened, McFly. For over a decade (with a slight hiatus), Eminem has stuck to a formula: drop an obnoxiously silly but catchy first single that’s guaranteed MTV airtime. I’ll venture to say that none of these aforementioned singles gets played when you listen to any of Em’s first three albums. Those songs aren’t for us. They aren’t made with the Hip-Hop purist in mind.

It’s pretty hard to argue against the fact that “We Made You” is an all-you-can-eat buffet of suck, but expecting otherwise is setting yourself up for failure. I for one, am not going to write off the entire album because of an unexpectedly bad single.

Instead, I look at the shining beacon of light that peeks through the murky, muddled mediocrity: the rhyme scheme. Listen back to almost every track Mr. Shady made post-8 Mile. The biggest change was the missing crazy flow. Internal rhymes almost totally disappeared and Eminem became a mere mortal MC, rapping only one or two syllables at the end of each line.

Let’s look at the opening lines of Encore’s first single, “Just Lose It“:

“Come here, little kiddies, on my lap
Guess who’s back with a brand new rap
And I don’t mean rap as in a new case
Of child investigation accusat(ion)”

That’s basic styles unbecoming of Eminem. Most of his work over the last five years has been shamefully similar. But check the new single:

“Back by popular demand
Now pop a little Zantax® or antacid if you can
You ready to tackle any task that is at hand
How does it feel? Is it fantastic is it grand?
Look at all the massive masses in the stands…”

There are a lot more bold syllables up there. This gives me some hope that at least the mechanics that were missing are back in place. Now, combine this with the emotions Mr. Mathers is sure to express in the album and things aren’t as bad as they seem.


Jokes On Who?

People didn’t turn and notice Eminem until “Guilty Conscious” and “Role Model” followed “My Name Is.” The Marshall Mathers LP didn’t get the Hip-Hop love until “The Way I Am” and “Stan” dropped. Let’s wait until the next single comes out to see what the verdict is on Relapse.

Eminem – We Made You (Promo CDS) (Produced By Dr. Dre)

Previously Posted — Eminem – “We Made You” Video + MP3