Relapse analysis and review by Tanjint

[Meho]

Who said anything about production ? The beats don't otushine Em, they simplay represent a background drop for Em. There's no flashy, over the top production like Dre would do for his other artists. Em is pretty much his only protege that's an actual MC and not a hustler turned rapper. Lyrically, flow wise; can't nobody touch Eminem.

[OchoCinco]

Lyrically, flow wise; can't nobody touch Eminem.

uhhhhh u serious?

[Lunatic]

Who said anything about production ? The beats don't otushine Em, they simplay represent a background drop for Em. There's no flashy, over the top production like Dre would do for his other artists. Em is pretty much his only protege that's an actual MC and not a hustler turned rapper. Lyrically, flow wise; can't nobody touch Eminem.

The production isn't over the top or anything, but it's as hot as it gets nowadays. Flow wise, yes, dope! but lyrically? No. this album is all over the place lyrically. Listen to that dumb ass subject matter on "Bagpipes" and that's clear he's lost it. He could have used taht beat/song title to drop some dope political inspired shit, but instead decided to for some retarded reason, rip on Nick Cannon  

and the Chris Reeves thing? So old and outdated. Pure stupid. And not in a "oh man that Eminem is crazy, always pushing people's buttons and causing controversy" way, more of a "what a pathetic way to try and start controversy he USED to cause, but back then, he would do it by doing/saying shit he actually MEANT and people took it as shocking that he actually had these views/the balls to say it."

This is just plain stupid now.

[MediumL]

I think the most disapointing aspect of the album was that Em didn't really talk that much about the issues everyone was waiting for (expect his drug problem which pretty much dominated the album). I was expecting a Proof dedication but it wouldn't really have fitted in with the theme of the album i guess. Maybe Relapse 2 will be more to my liking...

[T-Dogg]

1st: Holy shit, welcome back man, I thought you were dead or some shit.

2nd: Nice review. Pretty much bang on the money too, in my opinion.

[Chamillitary Click]

dope review!

i am still bumpin' this entire album daily!

[DPE]

Dre comes wiith some monster production (deja vu, my mom, crack a bottle, many more) but what stands most noteworthy is that Dre is undisputedly great at producing FOR THE ARTIST. Many other people throw their style against their collaborator's style and hope it works...Dre tailors the work to Em. It's a completely different 20 beats then if Dre was to produce for 50 or Snoop or whoever....it's exciting to know a fully dre produced record really means whatever artist he's producing accommodated to and brought to their best- though Dre is a student of the Beatles and Phil Specter's Wall of sound, he keeps his Eminem productions spare, sparse, minimalist (or at least they SEEM like they are...) so that Em's ridiculous flow and narratives are always center-stage.

Sometimes I miss Em's older more straight forward style (and to his credit, sometimes the best aspects of that flow are present on certain tracks) but Dre and he have crafted a very melodic, hook ready persona for this ridiculous MC. Integrating singing into rapping is absolutely essential for modern pop hip hop success and far be it for Dre and Em to get left behind by the Kid Cudis of the world....

It's absolutely incredible that Dre produced this whole record...and you can see the craft. It's been a decade since 2001 LP, and I think it's safe to say Dre has found his sparse yet complexly funky niche again.

Dre can still do complex dense soundscapes, and I think we'll see him do that again with certain artists, but he knows when to take a 'back seat' but then when you stop and listen to any of the beats closely you see Dre has laced it complexly with low key piano lines, subtle synths and sound effects....it has all the complexity and rich layering of ANY dre production in the past but he just mixes it so perfect that Em shines prominently over it.

-T

dope ass review! +1
the parts that are bolded is exactly how i feel. i get tired of people saying, "This & that track suck; Dre coulda done better...etc." because i dont think they see that  Dre made those beats specifically for Eminem & not any other artist. That's what makes Dre one of the greatest, if not, best producer in hip-hop, because he makes tracks specifically for that artist & not for anyone else.

[virtuoso]

Dope album review man, sure there are some weak cuts on this album but the rhymes are crazy, the flows are really on point and of course the production did not let anyone down. I think this is one of those albums which you really feel or you give it a frosty reception but it's all good.

[Lucifuge]

eminem fails lyricly..oh my God

[Tanjential]

Lunatic--Re: Baghdad...I was very close to saying the same thing in that I would have dug some political commentary but ultimately decided that I liked that the song didn't have a real topic and that it was just him spittin' verses. How do you feel about the track Deja Vu? The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking it's the best track on the record....


-T

[jeanmiche777]

Lunatic--Re: Baghdad...I was very close to saying the same thing in that I would have dug some political commentary but ultimately decided that I liked that the song didn't have a real topic and that it was just him spittin' verses. How do you feel about the track Deja Vu? The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking it's the best track on the record....


-T

Yes it is. One of his best track period.

[Lunatic]

Lunatic--Re: Baghdad...I was very close to saying the same thing in that I would have dug some political commentary but ultimately decided that I liked that the song didn't have a real topic and that it was just him spittin' verses. How do you feel about the track Deja Vu? The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking it's the best track on the record....


-T

Deja Vu is definitely one of my fav tracks on the album

[D-Nice]

Great review T

[Tanjential]

thanks d, what are your thoughts on the record?

-T

[Dre-Day]

the dark music is actually what's so great about Eminem's past work.

the thing is with Relapse, Eminem can't do what he does best any more: this was already clear on Encore, and he proved it again this time(even though i think Relapse is slightly better than Encore).
sure he can still flow though.

Underground is easily the best track on the album for me: Eminem pulled off an amazing performance & the production is awesone nice wordplay too.
i understand that some lines look silly but it doesn't bother me.
i actually like this:

Jacking off to a hockey mask, at a boxing match
"He can't say that", yes he can, I just did faggot
Now guess again, you better text message your next of kin

the song is not as good as his best work, but it does remind me of it in a good way

overall with Relapse, Eminem & Dr.Dre failed.
it proved that Dre's perfectionism is irrational.
i hope that Relapse II will be better, but i'm not counting on it.
also, anyone that thinks that the followup will be completely different, is insane