West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Okka on December 14, 2017, 08:56:47 AM
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(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/86/Revival_by_Eminem_cover.jpg/220px-Revival_by_Eminem_cover.jpg)
Have you heard the new album from Em? What's your opinion on it?
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like the cover.
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like the cover.
probably the only thing you'll like
I can say its pretty much Em's worst album and one of the worst I've heard from a big name artist
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like the cover.
i've just noticed there was a desperate Em in the background :-[.
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On 1st listen too much painful bubblegum rap-pop-rock ear-ache filler.
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not guna check
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like i said before the first single i don't have high expectations from this garbage i just want to see all the white people defend him now calling Eminem the best ever lol they gonna be highly meh with this piece of shit especially the new kids who see this guy as the rap god em just needs to hang it up he had his time now he needs to go away for good i dont see big or pac at this age putting out garbage like this
Eminem is highly overrated and making one of the worst 2pac albums the only reason he was successful artist was because of dre and also coming out the the right place at the right time
now someone like a tech n9ne should have been the one with em success still at his age putting out good music multiple times a year and unlike em a successful record label and did it on his own no major backing and still no major backing tech will go down as the greatest independent artist of all time
here is one of many reviews who will dislike this garbage http://djbooth.net/news/entry/2017-12-14-eminem-revival-album-review
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After a very quick listen, first impressions:
* As poppy as the features suggest.
* Production is not impressive. I see Alex Da Kid is all over this, his production is just stale and bland to me, seems like his sound is just different variants of the same monotone beat.
The Rick Rubin beats doesn't really do anything for me either.
Will give it a second spin, but the new Scarface, K.R.I.T., Dave East, Wu-Tang and Z-Ro trumps this (pun intended) in the pecking order..
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Here's the correct production credits from Tidal.
http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=328376
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one of the worst shit i heard from eminem.
framed and castle are only joints that i liked. rest is just a bunch of trash.
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Not an Alchemist beat in sight, at least Fredwreck's heat produced 'Framed' is rightly getting praised.
Eminem: Revival review – witless beats and puns in a total rejection of hip-hop
There are tiny twitches of genius on the rapper’s first album in four years, but to get there you have to wade through acres of bad gags, filler and formulaic fury
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. For the last 20 years, two technically versatile and emotionally literate rappers have been vying for the title of “biggest tin ear for beats”. Sorry, Nas: you’ve been roundly trounced at last.
Production-wise, Revival is a trainwreck. If Eminem thinks his verbal box of tricks can overcome the weakness of any backing track, his recent albums have demonstrated otherwise. Revival begins with the Beyoncé-featuring Walk on Water, a song as thrilling as shopping for shower curtains – but were it put at the end of this exhausting LP it would at least provide some sweet respite. Its beat is relatively subtle, lacks bombast and doesn’t have you questioning the sanity of all involved. Much worse are the negligible scribblings of frequent collaborator Alex da Kid, on studio speed-dial for album filler, or the decision to flip Joan Jett for the risible Remind Me. Rick Rubin – the man behind 99 Problems, Run DMC’s Walk This Way and Johnny Cash’s take on Hurt – produced the latter.
Early fans have long since given up on Eminem, which is probably of zero importance to him, but if you played this album to them they’d be baffled. Eminem is clearly a rapper, but there’s hardly a trace of hip-hop here. The guests – Alicia Keys, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé – speak to pop-rap stadium-packing ambitions, as does the familiar song structure. We start off slow, he gets angrier, he explodes in incandescent rage, an anthemic vocal hook comes in.
As Alexis Petridis noted in these pages, the most interesting thing about the rapper in 2017 is his decision to turn on many of the people who will have backed him for years. There’s little doubt that past Eminem anthems have provided solace or angry catharsis for the kind of kid that goes all out on 4Chan and shares Pepe the Frog memes, so his recent freestyled tirade against Trump showed a welcome willingness to engage in big, potentially unpopular fights. But sadly you’ll find little cogent analysis of Trump-era America on Revival.
There’s more to like on Framed and the strange but intriguing Untouchable. The former, which nods to Making a Murderer and sees Eminem with Ivanka Trump in the trunk of his car, is vintage horrorcore, and its simplicity and menace marks it out. It doesn’t belong here, really. Untouchable shows him keen to engage with race relations, jumping from the perspective of a racist white cop to that of a black man, with an accompanying beat change. It’s a tricky tightrope, and possibly misjudged, but it shows ambition and breaks up the formula.
Offended, meanwhile, packs in more rhyme schemes, flows and punchlines than most MCs manage in a career, as well as the album’s best beat. But it’s still a mess: too tricksy and undermined by a truly risible hook. Eminem seems to have spent years overworking every last rhyme into a pun-fest that eats itself – a low is reached with Heat’s line, “I’ve got to meet her like a taxi”.
The album frequently sags, as any 19-track album is wont to do, though two introspective moments at the end save the concept somewhat. He writes letters to his daughter on Castle, then atones for his life’s mistakes on Arose as he imagines his deathbed – and then delivers a rewritten take on Castle’s closing verse, seizing life anew.
But this maturity comes too late – we’re already past the point where you can no longer take Eminem seriously. Revival is littered with tracks where he apologises to various people for his behaviour, before he flips into a track about killing someone and does a knob joke.
Is he for real when he raps on Castle: “I’ll put out this last album, then I’m done with it / One hundred percent finished, fed up with it / I’m hanging it up, fuck it”? Much of this album makes you hope he is.
2 / 5 stars
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"Believe Me", "Like Home", "Framed", "In Your Head" and "Castle" are the only good tracks for me. The rest are pure trash.
Will give it a proper listen, but I don't have good expectations.
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not guna check
Come on dawg, of all people your gonna hate on this?
Alright anyway without further ado here’s the official Infinite Review:
As per tradition, when a new Em album is released I do a full ride and perform an uninterrupted listen front to back. Yes that’s right, I’m old enough (35) that I even had my driver’s Liscence the day Slim Shady LP dropped and as a loyal Dre fan I’d embraced Em before even hearing a verse I was on board. That said I’m not a complete rubber stamp. I didn’t like Encore, Relapse, or Recovery—though I never dissed Em over it cause I felt by the time of 8 Mile he’d already done all he’d needed to do—with “Lose Yourself” being his swan song and walk into the twilight.
Then he came back with a fury on MMLP2 and had some other scattered gems like “Guts Over Fear”, or “Where I’m At” that would pop up every now and then and show he could still achieve his old standard.
Upon first listen I must admit I don’t think there is any song on this album that reaches his prime—and there was a lull in the album where I almost lost faith in the new album. But I salvaged enough out of it to compile an EP’s worth of solid material with the possibility of growing into classic shit.
Here’s the tracks that make the cut:
1. “Revival” Interlude- Strangely this is actually the best song on the whole album and it’s not even a full song, and Em isn’t even on it...hope a full version surfaces at some point. For now it serves as a beautiful and uplifting interlude.
2. “Believe” - this song is updated to the current sound that’s popular in hip hop but still hits you over the fuckin head and is vintage Em spitting. (I even sensed some strange hint of a No Limit Master P vibe (and I mean that in a good way) but whatever it works.
3. “Arose” - this song is beautiful but it’s kind of like cheating cause it relies heavily on a classic Bette Miller sample. (A song my first girlfriend actually sung at a 6th grade assembly and used to rehearse in front of me in her bedroom. Hard for me not to like). But for Em’s part he raps from the perspective of the time he overdosed and almost died in that post Proof dying phase of his life.
4. “In Your Head” - Again a good song, but he’s kind of cheating, relying heavily on the sampling of an already classic song.
5. “Tragic Endings” - him and Skylar Grey do have a chemistry and her voice is infectious. I have to admit I like these two together. I’ve liked her since I first heard her on “Where’d You Go” with Fort Minor. I know it’s pop meets rap, but how could you not love that beautiful song. Track is a bit like other good duets from them in the past like “I Need A Doctor” and “Kill For You”.
6. “Chloroseptic” I believe this track is actually on some next shit. It buzzes and hits you over the fuckin head. In the same vein as “Believe” vintage Em spittin to a more current hip hop sound and it actually works.
7. “Framed” - This song reminds me of that single from Relapse, that bizzare horror track “3 A.M.” he made a video for that was one of the few highlights this also would of fit as one of the few bangers on Relapse. His spittin some off the wall shit like he used to—and it works.
8. “Walk on Water” — this sounds almost accapella like the way battle rappers such as Dizaster would spit only it’s a very personal song—a little like the style he used on the BET Cipher. The lyrics, thought, and talent behind them are all in a class of their own—that only Em exists in.
9. “Nowhere Fast” - this is another song that is kind of like a soul/pop song converted to rap—like “Monster” and quite a few others he’s been doing these days. If you listen to Skylar Grey’s album it seems as if Em is heavily influenced by her sound. She’s not on this track, it’s a different girl but still a similar sound and vibe. This seems to be the sound he prefers. Maybe it’s a grower.
—So 9 solid tracks. I’d say that’s good enough? At worst, you got a few gems/bangers—and at best it’s ahead of our ears and could grow into a classic.
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Thank you for the review. It was spot on except for everything you said. Hands down this is the biggest fall off of any prominent rapper in the history of hip hop. I can’t believe Dre let this happen. It reminds me of when Guru left Premier and worked with Solar.
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Thank you for the review. It was spot on except for everything you said. Hands down this is the biggest fall off of any prominent rapper in the history of hip hop. I can’t believe Dre let this happen. It reminds me of when Guru left Premier and worked with Solar.
Lol@except for everything you said.
And I think talking about “falling off” for rappers over 40 is a bit superfluous. It was okay to talk about Em falling off with Encore and Relapse but at this point in his career I think it’s more than spectacular to see what he’s still capable of. I agree, on first listen it’s not as good as MMLP2 but it is better than Recovery so if you just go backwards a bit you could make a case that he’s still “coming up”
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album is trash hands down his worst to date.
the cover is what anyone that expected a half decent album did after listening to it. seems like he's trying to ruin himself on purpose. if this is the eminem that we will be seeing, he needs to hang it up.
it would be cool to see him do a project with Premo or Pete Rock and try to bring it back to the essence of real hip hop.
get off the Methadone homie.
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not guna check
Come on dawg, of all people your gonna hate on this?
Alright anyway without further ado here’s the official Infinite Review:
As per tradition, when a new Em album is released I do a full ride and perform an uninterrupted listen front to back. Yes that’s right, I’m old enough (35) that I even had my driver’s Liscence the day Slim Shady LP dropped and as a loyal Dre fan I’d embraced Em before even hearing a verse I was on board. That said I’m not a complete rubber stamp. I didn’t like Encore, Relapse, or Recovery—though I never dissed Em over it cause I felt by the time of 8 Mile he’d already done all he’d needed to do—with “Lose Yourself” being his swan song and walk into the twilight.
Then he came back with a fury on MMLP2 and had some other scattered gems like “Guts Over Fear”, or “Where I’m At” that would pop up every now and then and show he could still achieve his old standard.
Upon first listen I must admit I don’t think there is any song on this album that reaches his prime—and there was a lull in the album where I almost lost faith in the new album. But I salvaged enough out of it to compile an EP’s worth of solid material with the possibility of growing into classic shit.
Here’s the tracks that make the cut:
1. “Revival” Interlude- Strangely this is actually the best song on the whole album and it’s not even a full song, and Em isn’t even on it...hope a full version surfaces at some point. For now it serves as a beautiful and uplifting interlude.
2. “Believe” - this song is updated to the current sound that’s popular in hip hop but still hits you over the fuckin head and is vintage Em spitting. (I even sensed some strange hint of a No Limit Master P vibe (and I mean that in a good way) but whatever it works.
3. “Arose” - this song is beautiful but it’s kind of like cheating cause it relies heavily on a classic Bette Miller sample. (A song my first girlfriend actually sung at a 6th grade assembly and used to rehearse in front of me in her bedroom. Hard for me not to like). But for Em’s part he raps from the perspective of the time he overdosed and almost died in that post Proof dying phase of his life.
4. “In Your Head” - Again a good song, but he’s kind of cheating, relying heavily on the sampling of an already classic song.
5. “Tragic Endings” - him and Skylar Grey do have a chemistry and her voice is infectious. I have to admit I like these two together. I’ve liked her since I first heard her on “Where’d You Go” with Fort Minor. I know it’s pop meets rap, but how could you not love that beautiful song. Track is a bit like other good duets from them in the past like “I Need A Doctor” and “Kill For You”.
6. “Chloroseptic” I believe this track is actually on some next shit. It buzzes and hits you over the fuckin head. In the same vein as “Believe” vintage Em spittin to a more current hip hop sound and it actually works.
7. “Framed” - This song reminds me of that single from Relapse, that bizzare horror track “3 A.M.” he made a video for that was one of the few highlights this also would of fit as one of the few bangers on Relapse. His spittin some off the wall shit like he used to—and it works.
8. “Walk on Water” — this sounds almost accapella like the way battle rappers such as Dizaster would spit only it’s a very personal song—a little like the style he used on the BET Cipher. The lyrics, thought, and talent behind them are all in a class of their own—that only Em exists in.
9. “Untouchable” - this one wins points mainly cause of its lyricism, timeliness—considering the current political climate.
10. “Nowhere Fast” - this is another song that is kind of like a soul/pop song converted to rap—like “Monster” and quite a few others he’s been doing these days. If you listen to Skylar Grey’s album it seems as if Em is heavily influenced by her sound. She’s not on this track, it’s a different girl but still a similar sound and vibe. This seems to be the sound he prefers. Maybe it’s a grower.
—So 10 solid tracks. I’d say that’s good enough? At worst, you got a few gems/bangers—and at best it’s ahead of our ears and could grow into a classic.
from the feature list and the single i just don’t see how i’ll enjoy it .. looks like another recovery to me, am i wrong
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I will try to give it a deep listen but so far it's one of the worst album Ive heard this year!
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from the feature list and the single i just don’t see how i’ll enjoy it .. looks like another recovery to me, am i wrong
If that’s how you feel then just take one track—“Believe”. Hop in your ride and turn them shits up on blast...let that shit soak in for a bit and if that sells you then do the same with “Cloreseptic” if your still in a zone then give “Arose” a try.
Then at that point I will admit that if you don’t like the Skylar Grey “I Need A Doctor” sound the album might not have a chance but try getting through those 3 tracks and you’ve got a chance of liking an EP’s worth of the album.
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I bought the album yesterday and have listened to about half of it so far. To me, a lot of it felt very familiar, as if it's a mixture of tracks from Recovery and the MMLP2 with the same or similar themes and choruses. I have yet to hear a track that makes me think 'this is a banger' and will make me hit the rewind button.
19 tracks seems far too lengthy and I haven't even heard a large chunk of the album yet. Of course I will listen to it in full a few times over for it to sink in, but at the moment I'm underwhelmed by the album.
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I bought the album yesterday and have listened to about half of it so far. To me, a lot of it felt very familiar, as if it's a mixture of tracks from Recovery and the MMLP2 with the same or similar themes and choruses. I have yet to hear a track that makes me think 'this is a banger' and will make me hit the rewind button.
19 tracks seems far too lengthy and I haven't even heard a large chunk of the album yet. Of course I will listen to it in full a few times over for it to sink in, but at the moment I'm underwhelmed by the album.
Yeah I had the same impression. It’s not as good as MMLP2 and nothing stands out on first listen as a certified banger. But at least it seems better than Recovery and I want to give Em the benefit of the doubt that maybe it’s a bit ahead of our ears and may grow on us.
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the Fred Wreck track "Framed" is a banger 8)
the rest of the album is pretty much rock-rap and pop-rap with Rick Rubins and Alex Da Kids subpar production and the likes of the generic Skylar Grey
like I said before Ems worst album and one of the worst I have ever heard from a big name artist :-X
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Haven’t heard the album yet. I’m waiting on my copy to get here from Amazon.com. But after reading
some of the reviews and listening to Walk on Water and Untouchable, I have to admit that my interest
in this album is waning. To me the Marshal Mathers LP 2 was a return to form for Eminem. His lyrics and
delivery were the best they’d been in years and he didn’t have too many guest features (pop or otherwise)
on there. It would be a shame if this new album is as bad as some are saying, when he could have gone
out on a high note with the MMLP2.
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the Fred Wreck track "Framed" is a banger 8)
the rest of the album is pretty much rock-rap and pop-rap with Rick Rubins and Alex Da Kids subpar production and the likes of the generic Skylar Grey
like I said before Ems worst album and one of the worst I have ever heard from a big name artist :-X
Interesting... didn’t know that was a Fred Wreck track—it’s dope and reminds me of “3 A.M.” without the accent.
Can someone post the producers of each track
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Boosie and Jeezy's albums > this weed plate
if you think otherwise your taste just flat out sucks and your rap pass needs revoked
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Interesting... didn’t know that was a Fred Wreck track—it’s dope and reminds me of “3 A.M.” without the accent.
Can someone post the producers of each track
It's already on The Vault:
http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=328376
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Okay I’m on the second thorough listen of this and though it relies heavily on a sample Em did finally come with a proper Proof dedication track. “Arose” is the truth and the track we’ve been waiting for since Proof died. He finally got it right—On second listen thru got to say this is the best track from the album.
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from the feature list and the single i just don’t see how i’ll enjoy it .. looks like another recovery to me, am i wrong
If that’s how you feel then just take one track—“Believe”. Hop in your ride and turn them shits up on blast...let that shit soak in for a bit and if that sells you then do the same with “Cloreseptic” if your still in a zone then give “Arose” a try.
Then at that point I will admit that if you don’t like the Skylar Grey “I Need A Doctor” sound the album might not have a chance but try getting through those 3 tracks and you’ve got a chance of liking an EP’s worth of the album.
i’ll check it out on the strength of this post but i’m going in expecting some sappy bullshit.. hope you’re right
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Boosie and Jeezy's albums > this weed plate
if you think otherwise your taste just flat out sucks and your rap pass needs revoked
This week's release:
AD > Trizz > BROCKHAMPTON > N.E.R.D. > Jeezy & Boosie > G-Eazy > Eminem
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from the feature list and the single i just don’t see how i’ll enjoy it .. looks like another recovery to me, am i wrong
If that’s how you feel then just take one track—“Believe”. Hop in your ride and turn them shits up on blast...let that shit soak in for a bit and if that sells you then do the same with “Cloreseptic” if your still in a zone then give “Arose” a try.
Then at that point I will admit that if you don’t like the Skylar Grey “I Need A Doctor” sound the album might not have a chance but try getting through those 3 tracks and you’ve got a chance of liking an EP’s worth of the album.
i’ll check it out on the strength of this post but i’m going in expecting some sappy bullshit.. hope you’re right
Actually bro... though I do encourage you to give the album a chance as a true fan—but no promises on this one...
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Boosie and Jeezy's albums > this weed plate
if you think otherwise your taste just flat out sucks and your rap pass needs revoked
This week's release:
AD > Trizz > BROCKHAMPTON > N.E.R.D. > Jeezy & Boosie > G-Eazy > Eminem
no way is AD's joint better than Boosie or Jeezy IMO but to each their own, never heard of Triz or Brock, I don't listen to G-Eazy, haven't peeped the new N.E.R.D yet, but Em definitely came in a far last this week which is something that would have been a folk tale in 2004 lol
and he'll still come out at #1 with the most units sold because of sheeple with no taste, I'm sure the stores will be getting a bunch of returns after the fact :laugh:
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mozzy and big krit album shit on all them
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The choice to go with that stadium rock bullshit Alex Da Kid nonsense for basically the entire middle of the album is indefensible. I'm sorry....Paul Rosenberg, the folks at Interscope, Em himself...lots of blame to spread around. He always succumbs to someone at the label that presses x, y or z for a single to start promo, but then, typically, he has control over the project and his judgement is at least reasonably sound.
This go around? The Rick Rubin joints are stale AF. It's cool he devoted two songs to Kim but to devote so much time and energy to relationships on, I don't know, like 4,5 joints is fucking ridiculous. Who wants that. NO ONE. Guess he's going through something with someone we don't know about cause he's talking about that for like 40% of the album.
I know better than to expect to get what I want from an Em album...I'm hopeful, but never actually expecting to get an album of him just spitting. So, I'll pretend like 10 songs off this shit just straight up didn't happen. I'll pretend that Dre didnt only produce a 23 second interlude (a banger, nonetheless) and mix only two joints (Rick Rubin joints; sound great, but suck).
I will bump, in heavy rotation, the following:
Believe, Chloraseptic, Framed, Offended, Castle and Arose.
So my question is if he can spit on bangers like he did on Believe, and he can make heartfelt shit that you truly feel like he did on Arose, can or can't he make a 45 minute long album of only those kinds of tracks? Those six songs are 27 minutes long. Jay's 4:44 was say 38 minutes or whatever it was. Short as hell. But cohesive. The sound of one artist, one producer.
Can Em do that for 50 minutes for us? Or does he only have 27 minutes of that shit in him? Cause the flows and rhyme structure and beat selection and the way he connects on the best of this album are as good as some of his best stuff. The other stuff from the Recovery cutting room floor era, Detox: Take 1 of 100 (I Need A Doctor era) recording sessions, Shady XV leftovers I just can't believe someone in his camp said I FUCKING LOVE THIS. THE ALBUM IS DONE.
Makes me laugh thinking of Iovine listening to this....dude wasn't even sure of Eminem when Em was Em in 97-02. What did he think of Tragic Endings feat Skylar Grey? What demographic did he think that would appeal to? For real. Who, where are they?
It's crazy that Em actually produced that Believe beat. BANGS. Denaun on Chloraseptic (heavy Dre influence there). Fredwreck. Throw in some Alchemist heat..he can't give us more than that? He really THAT corny that he actually likes the cheesy shit he put on this? I always expect to skip some of his shit, but never this much
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl0JShVU4uY
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This is not really a good album, imo, but it's better than his previous one. Yes, the production mostly succs and is weirdly low-budget sounding, it's too long and exhaustive to be enjoyable, there are lots of corny punchlines, Em's voice isn't as nimble as it used to be (he's pretty non-musical throughout), and he desperately misses Dr. Dre's knacc for constructing actual songs -- without Dre, Em is generally writing acapella pun-filled freestyles that he raps as quickly as possible, as if he writes his songs before he even has a skeleton beat to write to. It's a songwriting process that isn't working, Em!
Having said that, I do like some stuff here, like "Framed" (no surprise that Fred produced the best tracc on the album), and "Untouchable" is substantive and commendable; I appreciate his sentiments. Em seems to have his heart in the right direction, but his albums these days lacc musicality. He needs Dre, desperately. Em used to make good music. Now he just writes technically proficient raps seemingly without regard to constructing actual good SONGS/music.
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Boosie and Jeezy's albums > this weed plate
if you think otherwise your taste just flat out sucks and your rap pass needs revoked
This week's release:
AD > Trizz > BROCKHAMPTON > N.E.R.D. > Jeezy & Boosie > G-Eazy > Eminem
no way is AD's joint better than Boosie or Jeezy IMO but to each their own, never heard of Triz or Brock, I don't listen to G-Eazy, haven't peeped the new N.E.R.D yet, but Em definitely came in a far last this week which is something that would have been a folk tale in 2004 lol
and he'll still come out at #1 with the most units sold because of sheeple with no taste, I'm sure the stores will be getting a bunch of returns after the fact :laugh:
Boosie double album was painfull to digest but I can respect preference for Jeezy over AD
-
Boosie and Jeezy's albums > this weed plate
if you think otherwise your taste just flat out sucks and your rap pass needs revoked
This week's release:
AD > Trizz > BROCKHAMPTON > N.E.R.D. > Jeezy & Boosie > G-Eazy > Eminem
no way is AD's joint better than Boosie or Jeezy IMO but to each their own, never heard of Triz or Brock, I don't listen to G-Eazy, haven't peeped the new N.E.R.D yet, but Em definitely came in a far last this week which is something that would have been a folk tale in 2004 lol
and he'll still come out at #1 with the most units sold because of sheeple with no taste, I'm sure the stores will be getting a bunch of returns after the fact :laugh:
Boosie double album was painfull to digest but I can respect preference for Jeezy over AD
to each their own, I can understand some heads not being able to fully vibe out to Boosie's voice for that amount of time (with that being said, I personally can only hear AD scream on tracks for so long :laugh:) lol but to me that double album had zero filler on it and it's some of his best work to date, although I'd say his last major album release was better overall
as for this Eminem album, I gave it a second listen on my road trip today and I will say there are about 8 listenable joints but only maybe 2-3 that I'll find myself playing again... but there are like 6-7 that are some of his absolute worst songs lol
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This is the worst album I've ever heard possibly.
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This is definitely the worst mixed Em album. Not sure what he was trying to do with the album, but it is not good.
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Damn, this is trash. Hard trash. Only track that i can listen is "belive", beat is dobe and he flows good. But rest of it is just pure trash. He just raps fast and thinks its good. He got no swag, he is corny right now. Some soundcloud raper have better production. Rick rubin is a big fail.
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https://www.youtube.com/v/39nNRQ1gR3c
In Conversation: Eminem
The rapper on his new album, his critics, and hating Donald Trump.
By David Marchese
On a snowy day in Detroit, Eminem, bearded and dressed in a white T-shirt and gray hoodie, stands in the lounge of his cavernous studio complex, nodding at a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet. “I’m halfway to a world record,” he says proudly, his high scores flickering on the screen. I notice a piece of plastic that’s been placed on top of the console. “Yeah, we gotta fix that,” he says. “I got mad at the game and punched the screen and broke it. The game cheats, you know?”
Occasional gaming outbursts aside, Eminem has lately been saving most of his ire for President Trump. He and I are talking a few days before the December 15 release of his new LP, Revival, an album that saw its run-up dominated by chatter about how much anti-Trump content it would include. And while it’s commonplace for musicians to criticize the president, it’s less common for artists of Eminem’s stature (i.e. those who risk losing red-state fans). “I’m not worried about whether people like what I say politically,” he says. “I just want to know they’re listening. As long as I have people’s ears, I have to say what I think is right.”
I was only able to listen the new album once before talking to you, and I gotta say, hearing tracks like “Untouchable” and “Like Home,” where you’re rapping about systemic racism and politics–
I know where you’re going.
Where am I going?
You want to know how I can rap about that stuff and also rap about fucking ridiculous shit.
Yeah, though maybe I’d use a different word than ridiculous. There’s some dissonance hearing you — in the space of a couple tracks — go from trying to be good-faith woke about race and politics to being rough about women. Do those poles just coexist more peacefully for you than they do for me?
They do, and how you think those things go together depends on what kind of fan of my music you are. Sometimes I’m trying to appease people who think, Man, I miss when Eminem was raw. But I’m not killing KimKim Scott, Eminem’s ex-wife (the couple were twice-married and twice-divorced) and the mother of his daughter, Hailie, makes frequent cameos in his lyrics as a kind of negative muse. After the release of Eminem’s “Kim” in 2000, she sued him for defamation. on songs anymore — we’re good now, and she’s the mother of my daughter. The truth is that going from one subject to a completely different one is a balancing act and I’m trying to give something to everyone. And as far as the attitude I have about those different subjects, I feel like I did when first I started out.
Meaning what?
Meaning I’m the same person. That’s not to say I haven’t matured — I’ve grown and sometimes I want to reflect that — but when I’m writing, a line will pop in my head that’s so fucking ridiculous that it’s funny, and depending on the punch lines I need and the rhyme schemes in the song maybe I’ll use it. Those are the things I’m thinking about with some lyrics, almost before the actual meaning. There’s a song on the new album, “Nowhere Fast,” and I say, “I must have got you / In somewhat of a debacle / Because some stuff that’s awful / Really don’t mean nothing. There’s a lot of shit I say in jest / That is tough to swallow.” You know, there’s a book called Truly Tasteless Jokes; it’s all fucked up shit; it makes me laugh — and that kind of stuff is where my brain goes. I’m not saying I’ve never gone too far, but people shouldn’t be looking to me for political correctness.
Except when you want them to, right? They involve politics more than political correctness but there are tracks on Revival where it sure seems like you’re asking people to take you seriously.
Okay, it does depend on the song. People who know my music can tell when I’m joking around and when I’m being honest about a subject.
A subject like Trump?
He makes my blood boil. I can’t even watch the news anymore because it makes me too stressed out. All jokes aside, all punch lines aside, I’m trying to get a message out there about him. I want our country to be great too, I want it to be the best it can be, but it’s not going to be that with him in charge. I remember when he was first sniffing around politics, I thought, We’ve tried everything else, why not him? Then — and I was watching it live — he had that speech where he said Mexico is sending us rapists and criminals. I got this feeling of what the fuck? From that point on, I knew it was going to be bad with him. What he’s doing putting people against each other is scary fucking shit. His election was such a disappointment to me about the state of the country.
When you were talking about Trump on the Shade 45 radio show, you sounded almost annoyed that he didn’t respond to your freestyleFor the BET Hip Hop Awards in October, Eminem released a freestyle titled “The Storm,” a four-minute, odd-metered roast of President Trump — and his supporters: “Any fan of mine who’s a supporter of his / I’m drawing in the sand, a line / You’re either for or against.” The performance has been viewed more than 41 million times on YouTube. about him. What do you want him to hear you say?
It’s not so much about him hearing something I have to say, because there’s nothing I’m saying about him on Revival that he doesn’t already know about himself. It’s more that I want him to answer me because I got ideas for all kinds of shit to say back to him if he does.
You’ve got the tweets pre-written?
I’m not going to give any away now, but I’ve got lines ready if he says something about me. I get almost flustered thinking about him — that’s how angry he makes me. The people that support him are the people he cares about the least and they don’t even realize it. At what point do you — a working-class citizen, someone who’s trying to make shit better for you and your family — think this guy who’s never known struggle his entire fucking life, who avoided the military because of bone spurs, who says he’s a billionaire, is really looking out for you? He’s got people brainwashed.
How do you hope the Trump presidency plays out in 2018?
I hope he gets impeached. I’d be there for that.
Your music is popular in some of the same parts of the country where Trump’s support is strongest. How do you reconcile your feelings about Trump with the likelihood that a lot of your fans like him too?
How do I account for that? He’s very good at smoke screens. He’s very good at flipping narratives. I just want people to think about things: What has he really done for you in the year since he’s been in office? The tax cut is not going to help the middle class. It’s going to help Donald Trump. That people don’t see that is so discouraging. You know, there was even a time when I was mad at what was going on.
Mad that people were supporting Trump?
Yeah, Trump had me so mad with all his bullshit that I was thinking, I hope everybody who voted for him gets fucked and learns a lesson. But that was wrong. I don’t want any voters to get fucked; everyone’s trying to improve their lives. I just feel mad that Trump’s sold people a dream that’s never coming true. I want the division in this country to stop. And like I said, I most want people to take a second and think about what I’m saying.
The Fascinating Scientific Reason for Eminem’s Rap Genius
Seventeen or eighteen years ago, when you were first breaking through in a big way, you were being held up as this scary embodiment of white-working-class alienation. People said you were tapping into the same feelings that Trump is now tapping into, and speaking for the same —
I was speaking for everybody: white, black, whatever nationality.
The way you looked probably made a difference as to who was identifying with you most strongly.
That’s fair. That’s true.
So given your position, do you feel like you have any unique insights on Trumpism?
I did have a feeling early that he could win. Pretty much everyone I knew was like, “No, he can’t get elected” and I was watching those rallies going, “Yo, man, this shit is real.” But I don’t know if that has anything to do with any parallels between me and him. I took the fact I was poor white trash and I owned it. So I could understand why people who grew up in similar situations would relate to what I was saying. But I don’t know, man, the differences between me and him are bigger than any parallels. He’s made the racists come out. He’s made it acceptable for the white man to feel oppressed. I’m just calling bullshit bullshit: I actually don’t know if I can see why people who relate to me feel like they can relate to him. This is a guy who was born rich, who says he got a small loan from his father of a million dollars. Where I come from, a small loan is five fucking bucks.
Considering the apparent overlap between your supporters and Trump’s supporters, I do think it took some courage for you to be so explicit about your political feelings — it’s easy enough to go online and see that you did alienate fans. But what about artists who aren’t willing to take that risk? I’m thinking of someone like Taylor Swift, who is so good about speaking to certain issues that seem antithetical to Trump’s worldview, but then won’t take the next step and speak out about him. Do musicians with a massive platform — and a bipartisan audience — have a moral responsibility to engage with politics?
I don’t know anything about Taylor Swift’s situation. I can only speak for me, not her. I do feel like when you have a platform, it’s important to use your voice. You can loudly call bullshit on things that not everyone can. I don’t know if anyone has a responsibility to do that. That’s something they’d have to look inside themselves and figure out. That’s what I did, and I decided I needed to speak out.
What do you think of Kid RockA fellow Michigander and a stalwart Trump supporter, the rap-rocker (born Robert Ritchie), seemingly teased a Senate run earlier this year. Also earlier this year: Fans at a Detroit Pistons home game booed Kid Rock and cheered Eminem when the two were shown, separately, on a video screen during a break in play. ’s politics?
You mean him running for Senate? Me and Bob have been friends since way back in the day, but I haven’t spoken to him in a while. The last time I did was when the thing happened to his assistant. I reached out and told him I was here for him. As far as the politics, I’m not up on what he’s doing. I couldn’t tell if he really wanted to run for senator or was just fucking around.
This interview will run after the album’s been out for a few days. In all likelihood, Revival will sell wellEminem is the highest-selling rapper of all time, with over 130 million units sold since 1996. All his albums since The Marshall Mathers LP have debuted on top of the Billboard 200. and have a pretty mixed critical reaction.
That’s what happens every album with me.
Okay, so if we know that’s going to happen, what other signs are you looking for that will make you feel encouraged or discouraged by the album’s reception?
I don’t know, I’ve always felt in touch with the people who listen to my music. I make it for them. Anybody else, fuck ‘em. It’s fine if critics or whoever keep thinking I’m not as good as I was. So what I’m looking for — whatever the response or the sales — is things I did right or things I could’ve improved musically. I’m critical of myself and I’m always trying to figure out how to do better. I certainly have not had a perfect career. I’ve put out bad albums.
Which ones are you thinking of?
EncoreThe 2004 album Encore doesn’t carry any of Eminem’s career highlights, but it still managed to sell over 1.5 million units in its first week. It’s his only major-label album to date that didn’t win a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Tracks like the virulently anti–George W. Bush “Mosh,” though, presaged the political content on Revival. was mediocre, and with RelapseThe 2009 album Relapse ended a five-year recording hiatus and reintroduced the Slim Shady alter ego, along with a host of other voices. The album is generally thought of as, at least in part, a tribute to horrorcore rap, which accounts for its often violent, gory tone. — it was the best I could do at that point in time. [Relapse] was a funny album for me because I was just starting back rapping after coming out of addiction. I was so scatterbrained that the people around me thought that I might have given myself brain damage. I was in this weird fog for months. Like, literally I wasn’t making sense; it had been so long since I’d done vocals without a ton of Valium and VicodinAround 2002, Eminem began using Ambien, Valium, and extra-strength Vicodin. After the death of his friend the rapper Proof in a club shooting in 2006, he was consuming “40 to 60 Valium” and “maybe 20, 30” Vicodin a day. In December of 2007, after introducing methadone to the habit, he overdosed and missed Christmas with his children, prompting his path toward sobriety. . I almost had to relearn how to rap.
Is that where all the weird accents on that album came from?
I recorded at least 50 to 60 songs for that album and on each one I would get a little more drastic with the accents, trying to bend the words and make them rhyme in ways they wouldn’t if you just said them regular. It was this gradual thing and I didn’t even realize how accent-heavy the album got. PaulPaul Rosenberg has managed Eminem since the recording of The Marshall Mathers LP, and co-founded Shady Records with the rapper in 1999. He’s also a recurring character on Eminem’s inter-song skits, playing the straitlaced lawyer asking him to “tone it down a little bit.” Rosenberg was recently named CEO of the iconic hip-hop record label Def Jam, a position he’s expected to assume in early 2018. [Rosenberg] didn’t realize it either until he went and played the music for somebody at Interscope and they were like, “Why is he doing all those accents?” So yeah, I don’t know how much replay value that album has.
What was the issue with Encore?
I’m cool with probably half that album. I recorded that towards the height of my addiction. I remember four songs leaked and I had to go to L.A. and get Dre Since first hearing Eminem’s ’97 Slim Shady EP, NWA member, producer, Aftermath founder, and Beats Electronics CEO Dr. Dre has had an influential hand in Eminem’s career, co-producing all of his albums. and record new ones. I was in a room by myself writing songs in 25, 30 minutes because we had to get it done, and what came out was so goofy. That’s how I ended up making songs like “Rain Man” and “Big Weenie.” They’re pretty out there. If those other songs hadn’t leaked, Encore would’ve been a different album.
How are you feeling about Revival?
I don’t know. I feel good enough to put it out. I guess we’ll have to see what the reaction is.
One of things that was so compelling about you back in the day was how you’d take shots at pop stars, which is something you don’t really do anymore. Why not? Isn’t Ed Sheeran, who’s on the new album, exactly the kind of musician you would’ve had fun with in the early 2000s?
I don’t think so. He’s not a boy band, he’s an artist whose craft I respect. The reason that I went at pop stars back then is because people were calling me a pop rapper. What’s bugged out to me is that — I don’t know if everybody understands this — if everybody could do what I did, they’d just do it wouldn’t they? I’m not this manufactured pop thing and I never was. A way people used to dismiss me was to call me pop. I got mad about that, and I lashed out.
How has your experience of fame changed over your career?
I’ve learned to deal with it better. A lot of the problems I had with fame early on were because I was in very heavy addiction and didn’t realize it. By the time I did realize it, it was too late — I was so far gone. I had a hair-trigger temper, too, and the littlest things could trigger it. That’s definitely better now. I used to get in fights over road rage and stuff. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve settled in with myself and with fame. I’m growing, man. I’m getting more mature and I’m okay with that.
Does maturity explain the beard?
No, no. The beard spawned from looking at myself in a picture that was taken when I was 23 and I had this little patchy goatee. I saw that and wanted to see if I could grow a beard now.
I think the jury’s still out.
[Laughs] The beard is the best I can do at this point in time.
I was looking at your streaming numbers the other day and “Lose YourselfA laboratory-perfect pump-up song, the lead single from the 8 Mile soundtrack has been streamed almost half-a-billion times on Spotify. “Lose Yourself” won Best Original Song at the 2003 Oscars, won two Grammys in 2004, and inspired the “Mom’s spaghetti” meme. ” is by far your most popular track. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about that song?
I remember I was on the set of 8 Mile. I had a day off and I was going through CDs at home. I used to have guys come in and play music with me and I’d try and come up with stuff and then record it and put on CD. Later I’d listen back and see if there was anything I could use. For some reason I popped in one of those CDs and it had the [Hums the song’s guitar riff] on it. I just kept hearing that loop in my head. I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but I made a whole song to that beat and didn’t like it. Then I revamped it and wound up with “Lose Yourself.” The other thing about that song that I remember is that I was so in-character as Jimmy Smith Jr.In 8 Mile, Eminem played Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr., an autoworker and aspiring rapper who embarrasses himself at Detroit’s blue-ribbon freestyle challenge, then comes back to win it à la Rocky Balboa. The vaguely autobiographical 2002 drama was a hit, earning over $240 million at the box office. when I was working that on it — that’s where the desperation come from.
Why didn’t you star in another movie after 8 Mile? You must’ve gotten a bunch of offers.
I had a few.
9 Mile?
I used to say that exact same joke. Nothing’s come my way that’s been worth putting aside the music for. For me to take a year again, like I did with 8 Mile, is not something I really want to do.
Where does Eminem fit into the rap landscape now?
I don’t know what my place is. I just try to make the best songs that I can.
But isn’t “Walk on Water” all about the insecurity you feel about your place in music?
Yeah, look, obviously everybody wants to be relevant but it’s hard to tell if you are or not. I can’t sit on the Internet all day and read comments trying to figure it out. Rick RubinThe hip-hop architect, superstar producer, and Def Jam co-founder first worked with Eminem on the 2013 single (and Beastie Boys throwback) “Berzerk.” Eminem recently appeared on the inaugural episode of Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Broken Record, and in the past, Rubin has called Eminem “a real, unbelievable student of hip-hop.” recently told me something that was profound. He said, “I don’t really consider myself smart enough to know what everyone’s going to think, so I just do what feels right to me.” That is super deep, and that’s what I try and do.
I totally get that, but I’m still eager to hear you wrestle a little more with the question: Where is the 45-year-old Eminem’s place in rap today?
As far as relevance, rap is definitely evolving — the flow patterns and beats. There’s a lot of trap beats that are half time and things like that that are new. Some of it I really like and some I don’t particularly care for but I can see why people like it. I’m probably more in tune with the state of hip-hop than a lot of people think, because listening to what’s great right now pumps me up to do my own thing. I think people look at me and believe I might be out of touch.
I don’t know exactly who’s looking at you and thinking you’re out of touch, but if that person is, say, a 17-year-old, shouldn’t they be thinking that? Isn’t that how music is supposed to work?
I get the part about not liking what your parents like, but we’re also in this weird place where 40-somethings can listen to music with their kids who might be 20-somethings and they can all like the same thing. This is making me think about Jay-Z. What I love about him is that he’s figured out a way to stay relevant without conforming. He’s so good at what he does that he makes people follow him, which is super interesting because one of the things that’s great about hip-hop is that it hasn’t been around so long that we know what a full career is supposed to look like.
There are plenty of models for what middle-aged rock stardom looks like, but not so much for rap.
Yeah, rap is still very youth driven, and it has this rebellious edge.
It’s hard to be rebellious when you’re 45.
I think it’s more about passion for me now than rebellion. Passion is what you need to still do music. It’s cool that a younger generation can look to me and Jay and say, “Holy shit, a career doesn’t have to be a five-year run.” I know I look at Jay to see what he’s passionate about. I’m right there when he puts out something new. I want to see where he’s at, then I use it to see where I’m at.
What’d you take away from 4:44On his 13th album, 4:44, Jay-Z sorts out his feelings on middle-age issues like marriage, infidelity, and the big-picture thoughts that come with a billion-dollar, his-and-hers net worth. ?
For me, it’s super nerdy because I just look for the funny punch lines — Jay’s always got those — and the feel of the beats he’s rapping over. His music also let me know that it’s okay to talk about the doubts you have about yourself and your material. That’s really what “Walk on Water” is about.
Can you talk more about the nerdy aspect of rapping? The way you rap, which is so much about technical proficiency, is not what’s currently in style. Does that affect how you think about what you do? You have to know that your music is hitting the ears of younger listeners differently than it’s hitting your own.
It’s something I think about, and on the album I move in and out of flows to show that not everything I do is about being technical. But on a technical level, I’ve been rapping for so long that — I’m not going to say it’s easy — but I can just think of more shit to rhyme with other shit. One of my regrets on the last album was putting out verses that were too long because I couldn’t get the rhymes to stop. I kept thinking of rhymes that kept the scheme going. That ability is something that makes a difference for me, and it’s why on a technical level I’m doing intricate stuff. It’s just easier for me to rhyme than when I first started.
Which younger rappers have technical skills that you admire?
Joyner Lucas, Kendrick, J. Cole, Big Sean — they’re super complex but also digestible. One of the things that’s so interesting to me about Kendrick is the way he approaches a beat and the pockets he chooses. Tech N9ne is great at that too. They’ll both hit these weird fucking pockets.
Do you find it hard to balance technique and content?
Yeah, that’s difficult. That’s how I ended up throwing out a lot of songs I recorded for this album. Sometimes I’ll realize when a song is done that it’s just words, it’s not saying anything. There’s no message, no concept. I’ll record a song and play it in the car and be like, “This ain’t about nothing.” That obviously means it’s not good enough.
Looking back at your career as a celebrity — not as a musician — is there a moment that stands out being especially weird or surreal?
As far as what?
Where you’re like, “I can’t believe that was a thing?”
That’s a hard question. “I can’t believe that was a thing?” Let me think.
How about having a feud with a puppet dog?
Yeah, the fight with TriumphA character created by Saturday Night Live alum Robert Smigel, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet Rottweiler who smokes cigars and insults random people and celebrities — a kind of canine Don Rickles. At the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, Triumph tried to kid Eminem during the telecast, but Eminem angrily shoved the puppet dog out of his face. Two years later, on the track “Ass Like That,” Eminem rapped three verses of oversexed parody in the voice of Triumph. the insult dog was definitely a weird one. At that point in my career I still wasn’t that far removed from the way I grew up, and the way I grew up was that it’s not cool for somebody to put their hand in your face. So in that moment I didn’t look at it like, This is a puppet. I looked at it as, A grown man is putting his hand in my face and being annoying. So that’s why I flipped out.
When you’re not making music, what do you do for fun?
Aside from writing? Mostly I love writing, especially when it’s not pressure-writing for a release date or something. Yeah, writing is something I really enjoy. I’ll just start to think of rhymes and get lost doing that.
I think writing lyrics counts as making music. Tell me something else.
I used to watch the news, before it made me crazy. I don’t know, I see movies.
What’d you see lately that you liked?
The Tupac movieNamed after the last Tupac album to be released while he was alive, All Eyez on Me is a straight-ahead biopic starring Demetrius Shipp Jr. in his acting debut as Shakur. Vulture’s Emily Yoshida wrote that the movie was “rarely more than a faithful adaptation of the rapper’s Wikipedia entry.” . I saw it twice.
No one bothers you at the theater?
I rent out the theater.
Oh, of course.
I’ve tried to go like normal and it hasn’t worked out too well.
What about TV and books?
I don’t know about books — I can’t process things I read except for my own writing. I have to go back and read the same pages over again all the time. As far as TV shows, Power is one of my favorites. Westworld. Breaking Bad. Sons of Anarchy. Godless. Have you seen that? Fucking incredible.
Do you date?
It’s tough. Since my divorce I’ve had a few dates and nothing’s panned out in a way that I wanted to make it public. Dating’s just not where I’m at lately.
When you were dating, how’d you meet people? Tinder?
I mean, yeah.
Are you being serious?
Yeah, Tinder.
Really?
[Laughs] And Grindr. I also used to go to strip clubs.
I think a lot of long-term relationships start in strip clubs.
What can I say? Going to strip clubs is how I was meeting some chicks. It was an interesting time for me.
Is fame lonely for you?
Am I lonely? No, I’m good. Thanks for asking though.
When you were watching the news, what news were you watching?
A lot of CNN and a little bit of Fox, but that shit was making me want to jump through the TV and choke somebody. The way they’d talk about NFL protests: “These athletes are making how much money?” You fucking idiot! The Fox right-wing guys criticize Black Lives Matter for not being peaceful and then when a football player peacefully takes a knee they criticize that too. They say this shit about, “We just want football. We don’t want to hear about your political problems.” To me, what they’re really saying is, “Shut up, N-word.” It’s bullshit.
From where you’re sitting, does the country seem any further along on race than when you started rapping?
Well, one of the greatest things that I get to do is play shows. And when I look out in the crowd and it’s a sea of different kinds of people — that’s one of the most gratifying feelings I get. Nothing brings people together like music and if we — white fans and black fans — can realize we all like the same things, we should be able to realize we’re not so different. That belief is always encouraging for me. The discouraging thing — I remember when I was a kid, I didn’t really believe that cops could be planting evidence or shooting unarmed black people, then to see all the evidence of it from the past few years has been sickening. The Michael Brown shootingOn August 9, 2014, white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American. Brown’s death prompted civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and acted as a tipping point, sparking the Black Lives Matter movement. In March of 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice cleared Wilson of civil-rights violations in the shooting, though a DOJ investigation found that the Ferguson Police Department at large engaged in a “pattern or practice of unlawful conduct” that violates “the 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendments.” — disgusting. Walter Scott, where the video looks like Michael SlagerOn April 4, 2015, the white police officer Michael Slager shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, after a routine traffic stop in North Charleston, South Carolina. Slager claimed that Scott had grabbed at his Taser, though video of the shooting shows Slager firing at Scott as he was running away, then seeming to plant an object, presumably the Taser, near his body. In December of 2017, Slager was sentenced to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder. is trying to place the Taser beside his body — you look at that shit and it’s a gut punch. I thought we were farther along than we are.
I know this is a clunky segue, but you’ve always been careful not to offend on the subject of race. Yet on the subjects of women or gay people — there’s the Ken KaniffOriginally created by the Detroit rapper Aristotle, Ken Kaniff is a recurring character in Eminem’s skits who sings homophobic parodies of Eminem songs and makes phone-sex calls to the rapper. character you used to have on your albums — you clearly weren’t concerned at all about being offensive. How do you calibrate who you’re okay with risking offending?
I’ve always said that what I do was created by black people. I understand that everyone listens to rap, but I consider it to be black music and I respect that. The other shit you’re talking about got so blown out of proportion. The first time I got a taste of being called anti-gay was on “My Name Is” when I said, “My English teacher wanted to have sex in junior high / The only problem was my English teacher was a guy.” All I was saying was I don’t swing that way. So when I started getting flack for it, I thought, Alright, you people think I’m homophobicEminem has long been accused of homophobia and misogyny in his music. Though the rapper has said he supports gay marriage and has “no issues with” gay or transgender people, he was using anti-gay epithets in his lyrics as recently as 2014. Toward women, there’s often a lens of irony or parody between Eminem and his [often self-castigating] music, but extreme sexual aggression and violent fantasies about women are lyrical wells from which he frequently draws. ? Watch this. Hence the Ken Kaniff character and all that stuff. I was trying to push the buttons of people who were calling me something that I wasn’t. The honest-to-God truth is that none of that matters to me: I have no issue with someone’s sexuality, religion, race, none of that. Anyone who’s followed my music knows I’m against bullies — that’s why I hate that fucking bully Trump — and I hate the idea that a kid who’s gay might get shit for it.
Is the criticism of your music as misogynistic off base, too?
I think it is, because I’ve had my share of experiences with women where I’ve felt a certain way and been mad enough to make songs about those feelings. All the bullshit around that — I’m not making an excuse, but the mentality that I’ve had since I was rapping at open mics was that you better have shit that’s going to get a reaction or you will not be accepted when you’re on the mic. Your first, second, third, and fourth line better grab attention or you’re done. That attitude morphed into my music. A lot of times I’m saying stuff just to get that reaction. Maybe I took it too far sometimes.
I’ve heard comedians talk about the “mouth full of blood” laugh, which is when you make a joke and the audience laughs for the wrong reasons. Have you ever been concerned about your fans misunderstanding your material like that?
Yeah, I’m sure people have misunderstood what I was doing. Again, I’m not a perfect human being and I’m sure that I’ve said things that went a little too hard, but I think my actual life shows — I mean, meeting Elton JohnDuring the peak of homophobia accusations against him, Eminem asked Elton John to perform “Stan” with him at the 2001 Grammys. In Rolling Stone, John later wrote that if the gay community “didn’t have the intelligence to see his intelligence, that was their problem.” The pair have remained friends, and Eminem has frequently cited John as instrumental in his sobriety. and being as good friends with him as I am, that’s not me saying, “Hey, I’ve got a gay friend.” It’s me saying Elton John has my back. He’ll stick up for me.
Speaking of Elton, I just read something where he said you gave him diamond-encrusted cock rings as a wedding present. Just out of curiosity, where does one get diamond-encrusted cock rings?
I don’t know, I put people on it and they made it happen. Actually, I had some diamond-encrusted cock rings, too. Right in my bedroom.
You could’ve saved some money and sent him those.
And just left a note: “Please wash off before using.”
Have your feelings about making music changed over time? The conventional critical wisdom about your stuff is that it’s gotten emotionally and sonically harder and heavier at the expense of lightness and playfulness. Does that ring true?
It’s interesting you say that because one of the common themes I’ve noticed over the past few years is people saying they miss the old Eminem. So I’ll see something like that and I’ll give them the old Eminem. Then when I do, they say, “He’s too old to be rapping about that kind of shit. He needs to mature with his content.” Then I’ll mature with my content and they go, “Oh, man, I miss the old Eminem.” So what do you do? In the context of Revival, I tried to make something for people on both sides of that argument.
Just to go back to the question, though: Are the emotions you feel making music different than they were 20 years ago?
They’re the same. The passion is the same, and when that changes — and eventually it will — is probably when it’s time to call it quits. I’m still at the place where I want to lock myself in the house for two days straight and just write. I don’t know when that’ll change. I remember I had a conversation with Busta Rhymes when he came to Detroit and we did “Calm DownBoth known for their near-impossible word-per-minute rapping, Eminem and Busta Rhymes collaborated on “Calm Down” in 2014. From Eminem’s dense verse: “Son of God, I’m the S.O.G / Like a wet log, pores never get clogged / ’cause I’m so full of self-esteem that I sweat fog.” ” together. He and I were talking about what you do when you get to a certain age — which maybe people never expected you to get to — and you still feel like you’ve got it. What do you do? I think you just keep going.
How close to the peak of your capabilities do you think you are right now? I think I remember reading something Bob Dylan said about how in the mid-’60s the music flowed from him in a way it never really did after. He could still find inspiration, but not quite like in those days. I know this is a corny way of putting it, but do you feel like you’re as close to the fire as you’ve always been?
In some ways yes and in some ways no. I will say this: I am forever chasing The Marshall Mathers LPReleased in 2000, Eminem’s third album is home to some of his most aggressive, creative, violent, popular, controversial, and best work. It’s the album that prompted Lynne Cheney to condemn him on the Senate floor, and has sold more than 11 million copies. In 2013, Eminem released a sequel album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. . That was the height of what I could do. I just don’t have the rage I did back then. If I did, the music would be the same, and I hope it’s changed. And if I still had that rage it would mean I wouldn’t have grown as an artist or a human being. Technically I feel like I’m better at rhyming than I’ve ever been. I have more shit in my arsenal. I’ll go back and listen to old songs and be like, “I could have kept that rhyme scheme going for another 62 bars.” I don’t know, man. I’m not the person I was at 28. The passion is still there but the rage mostly isn’t.
Mostly?
Unless we’re talking about Trump.
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I was all ready to write a scathing review venting about Revival, but I gave the album a second chance yesterday in the car and my disappointment has lowered slightly.
I still think that it's a bit all over the place in terms of sound, there's too many tracks in the second half which are full of poppy hooks that have no place on a rap album, and the sequencing is a bit off, but I don't feel as angry about it as I did on my first listen.
It's not the album that Eminem should have put out; we all wanted, and expected, a more concise, politically-leaning and mature album (some tracks obviously do cover these grounds). The marketing of the album suggested it would be different to how it actually turned out, with the whole 'revival' medication thing and the BET freestyle, and it's a shame that that wasn't the common theme of the project.
There are a few good tracks on here, such as Arose, Chloraseptic, Offended and Walk on Water (who would have thought that would be one of the highlights of the album?!), but overall I prefer the MMLP2 over Revival. Hopefully Eminem for his 10th and possible last album, will put out a stronger, more cohesive project that would be a fitting end to his rap output.
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the Fred Wreck track "Framed" is a banger 8)
the rest of the album is pretty much rock-rap and pop-rap with Rick Rubins and Alex Da Kids subpar production and the likes of the generic Skylar Grey
like I said before Ems worst album and one of the worst I have ever heard from a big name artist :-X
Interesting... didn’t know that was a Fred Wreck track—it’s dope and reminds me of “3 A.M.” without the accent.
Can someone post the producers of each track
Fred had the best beat on the whole album
it is reminiscent of "3 A.M.", actually listened to the Relapse album yesterday and even though it gets much hate for the accents Em was really flowing his ass off on there plus the beats were amazing
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Production is trash, this is rush out project just to put it out.
Album is too long.
Belive
Chloraseptic
Offended
Framed
River
Walk on Water
Bad Husband
Castle
Arose
If album was this long it would be listenable with better mixing.
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the Fred Wreck track "Framed" is a banger 8)
the rest of the album is pretty much rock-rap and pop-rap with Rick Rubins and Alex Da Kids subpar production and the likes of the generic Skylar Grey
like I said before Ems worst album and one of the worst I have ever heard from a big name artist :-X
Interesting... didn’t know that was a Fred Wreck track—it’s dope and reminds me of “3 A.M.” without the accent.
Can someone post the producers of each track
Fred had the best beat on the whole album
it is reminiscent of "3 A.M.", actually listened to the Relapse album yesterday and even though it gets much hate for the accents Em was really flowing his ass off on there plus the beats were amazing
the accent was so horrible the "flows" didn't matter and they couldn't come close to saving that project from being the abomination that it was lol but it's still a better effort than this frisbee
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I'm convinced Eminem is deaf & can't hear himself over the beats. I'm still blown away how horrible this is.
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He needs to stop working with Alex Da Kid and Rick Rubin.....And Dre needs to start making beats again.
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He needs to stop working with Alex Da Kid and Rick Rubin.....And Dre needs to start making beats again.
Rubin has destroyed Em. He keeps grabbing hits from the 90's, throwing loud ass drums on them & have Em scream over it.
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I bought the album yesterday and have listened to about half of it so far. To me, a lot of it felt very familiar, as if it's a mixture of tracks from Recovery and the MMLP2 with the same or similar themes and choruses.
Exactly how i'm feelin' right now listening to this for the first time.
I have yet to hear a track that makes me think 'this is a banger' and will make me hit the rewind button.
I like "Believe" and it's the only song i've listened to more than once.
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https://www.youtube.com/v/-pFpiM_QLNM
Remix with 2 Chainz verse & a new Em verse.
How is Eminem's best verse leading up to the album & on the album the verse that comes out after the album? lmfao.
Who the fuck is running the Eminem machine? I blame Rick Rubin.
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Okay so I was giving Em the benefit of the doubt that he was ahead of the curve on this one and my ears needed to catch up.
But with more time I’ve only became less enchanted with the album. So I won’t be attempting to defend this project any more. In fact I’m done listening to it and may put it down permanently the way I did Encore, Relapse, Recovery, I never kept those albums in my rotation.
I will defend Em’s career though and just say the guy has already done enough in this game and so anything else get from him since 8 Mile should be taken as icing on the cake.
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I really think that if they took the Rick Rubin tracks off, the album would be listenable ( Except the last track on the album. That one turned out good, for some reason). I think lyrically, Em is as good as he’s ever been, but some of the tracks on here, the production is so bad no amount of lyrical ability could save them. On my first listen through, when it got to the track that samples “I Love Rock and Roll,” I couldn’t believe how much it sounded like “Berzerk” from “The Marshal Mathers 2 LP.” Then when I got to the song “Heat,” I thought at first that I was listening to “So Far,” also off “The Marshal Mathers 2LP.” That’s one of my biggest complaints about Rick Rubin production, so much of it sounds the same, in addition to a lot of it sounding corny, which is not a good combination. I wish Em would have put some more FredWreck or Just Blaze, or has been mentioned before, brought back the Bass Brothers. Or used any number of other producers. But I think he needs to rely less on Rick Rubin or risk future projects sounding all the same.
I would also mention that Chloraseptic Remix is, in my opinion, better than the album version. Ironically Eminem’s verse on the remix, where he takes on critics of his album, is probably better than any single verse that he spits on his album. That’s not to say that his lyrics on the album are bad. Many of them were quite good. But a lot of the album criticisms have obviously hit a nerve, and pissed off, passionate Eminem is always better than indifferent Eminem.
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2 Chainz verse on Chloraseptic >>>
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Okay so I was giving Em the benefit of the doubt that he was ahead of the curve on this one and my ears needed to catch up.
But with more time I’ve only became less enchanted with the album. So I won’t be attempting to defend this project any more. In fact I’m done listening to it and may put it down permanently the way I did Encore, Relapse, Recovery, I never kept those albums in my rotation.
I will defend Em’s career though and just say the guy has already done enough in this game and so anything else get from him since 8 Mile should be taken as icing on the cake.
Had a feeling
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Okay so I was giving Em the benefit of the doubt that he was ahead of the curve on this one and my ears needed to catch up.
But with more time I’ve only became less enchanted with the album. So I won’t be attempting to defend this project any more. In fact I’m done listening to it and may put it down permanently the way I did Encore, Relapse, Recovery, I never kept those albums in my rotation.
I will defend Em’s career though and just say the guy has already done enough in this game and so anything else get from him since 8 Mile should be taken as icing on the cake.
Had a feeling
Yeah, guess you ended up being right after all. But given em’s track record I tried to be generous
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I also gave it a try but I definitely dont like it at all... even the best songs are average to me.
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I also gave it a try but I definitely dont like it at all... even the best songs are average to me.
Yep. I’m even going back on my statement that some of the tracks are keepers. Not only will the album not stay in my rotation but none of the songs will either.
Sometimes you still have some keepers on otherwise disappointing albums. A good example of that was Xzibit’s Man Vs Machine album back in the day—was his first fail of his career—yet it had 3 or 4 bangers I always hung onto like “Symphony”, “What A Mess”, “Say My Name”, “Losing Your Mind” (and even “Release Date” and “Heart of Man” stayed in my rotation)
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I actually like the two Rick Rubin tracks that have got a lot of criticism - Remind Me and Heat. They are catchy and light-hearted, which is lacking in most of Eminem's output nowadays, plus it helps that they were mixed by Dr. Dre too. This albums gets weighed down by a few tracks in the middle, which if they were left off, the album would be much better for.
Some of the mixing is off on Revival as well. The interlude to Remind Me ends with a little bit of the drums for the actual track that follows, which I thought Dre would have taken care of (its not the end of the world obviously, but you do notice it when the album is being played on shuffle). There is a track where the vocals are very poorly mixed (Tragic Endings), and when you compare it to, for example, Untouchable, there is a massive difference. I've read elsewhere too that there is one track, I forget which one, that was most likely recorded around the 'Recovery' era, because you can tell by Eminem's vocal style and delivery.
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Love The Way You Lie pt.2
https://www.youtube.com/v/wfWIs2gFTAM
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the good is this trash album is already forgotten and no video is going to save it
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Kodak Black > Eminem right now
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Love The Way You Lie pt.2
https://www.youtube.com/v/wfWIs2gFTAM
Video is trash.
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Kodak Black > Eminem right now
dont be surprised if your little retarded trap clone goes on a long vacation
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Listened a couple times.
Fav. tracks so far:
Heat
Framed
Arose
Tragic Endings
Castle
Offended
Believe
Bad Husband
Nowhere Fast
Walk On Water
Don't like the rest as much. Chloraseptic might grow on me tho'. Also really like the Revival interlude, too bad Em' didn't make a full song out of that.
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Finally got around through the first half and so far only song I can fux wit is framed ..
Pretty much what I expected
Lyrical ability is still there, it’s just the production is weak and overall sound is fruity
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Wonder if he made this album to booster the facade of his older albums being good.
Like Relapse to me ranks like 5th of his albums, but it would probably sound like a classic in comparison to this.
I've been pushing the conspiracy theory with newer artists, in general, that guys who push the genre like Jay, Em, Ye, Kendick, Drake, etc. love all these new acts. Makes their music sound almost timeless (even their average shit) in comparison to what gets microwaved & thrown out to the public today.
Like cut out the acts that are underground-ish & don't push units & not the heavy hitters I named, I'd probably take (for example) Blueprint 3 over any mainstream album from these newer acts, who sell or have a huge single, by a mile.
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Wonder if he made this album to booster the facade of his older albums being good.
Like Relapse to me ranks like 5th of his albums, but it would probably sound like a classic in comparison to this.
I've been pushing the conspiracy theory with newer artists, in general, that guys who push the genre like Jay, Em, Ye, Kendick, Drake, etc. love all these new acts. Makes their music sound almost timeless (even their average shit) in comparison to what gets microwaved & thrown out to the public today.
Like cut out the acts that are underground-ish & don't push units & not the heavy hitters I named, I'd probably take (for example) Blueprint 3 over any mainstream album from these newer acts, who sell or have a huge single, by a mile.
It’s no secret .. even Kendrick overrated like a mufucka cuz how weak the game is
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https://www.youtube.com/v/PVbQrvlB_gw
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https://www.youtube.com/v/PVbQrvlB_gw
Best joint on the album.
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https://www.youtube.com/v/PVbQrvlB_gw
Best joint on the album.
Best beat on the album because that song is still trash and even worse with that video
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https://www.youtube.com/v/PVbQrvlB_gw
Best joint on the album.
Best beat on the album because that song is still trash and even worse with that video
NOT VINTAGE EM, BUT I WOULDNT CALL IT "TRASH"
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Garbage lol. Video reminds me of "3am".
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don't like the video but the track goes 8)
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This album is a lot better than Eminems Marshal Mathers LP2. The Overall feel is way better and the production come together way better than
expected. Rick Rubin is starting to work with Eminem tracks now. Just take "Walk On Water" (feat. Beyonce) produced by Rubin what a great way to start with as a first single. Great subject matter and the lyrics make you feel something. "Believe" is one of the best songs I've heard from Em.
"Chloraseptic" (feat. Presher) is one some next level shit and couldn't be left out of this kind of album. Eminem is always on some next shiet.
"Untouchable" didn't really speak to me at first but after a few listen I totally get why this song was a must have on the CD. Em is real.
"River" (feat. Ed Sheeran) is a pop-single more of less but it works for everybody and isn't something that could get left out of this album.
"Revival" (Interlude) is very good.
"Bad Husband" (feat. X Ambassadors) is also one of the best tracks on the album. Em comes clear.
"Tragic Endings" (feat. Skylar Grey) is one of those Em-songs you just gotta love, at least I did. I like Skylar Grey and the subject matter is real.
"Framed" is classic Eminem-shit and is greatly produced by Fred Wreck. Wouldn't be a great album without this track. Love the video.
"Nowhere Fast" (feat. Kehlani) is a fresh sounding track that definitely works on the radio like all of Em´s music need to does, just realise it. He still
get-it-together both lyrically and production-wise nowadays.
"Castle" is a very good song and the subject matter couldn't be better. This is damn near perfectionism.
"Arose" is the best way to end an album like this. The subject matter is honest and ya´ll can't complain how complete and how real he comes off.
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^^^ I'm a die hard fan of Eminem, and there's no way you can be serious. I mean, we all have our opinions...but this album.... :'(
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lol mmlp2 is a 5 mic classic compared to this garbo
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This album is a lot better than Eminems Marshal Mathers LP2. The Overall feel is way better and the production come together way better than
expected. Rick Rubin is starting to work with Eminem tracks now. Just take "Walk On Water" (feat. Beyonce) produced by Rubin what a great way to start with as a first single. Great subject matter and the lyrics make you feel something. "Believe" is one of the best songs I've heard from Em.
"Chloraseptic" (feat. Presher) is one some next level shit and couldn't be left out of this kind of album. Eminem is always on some next shiet.
"Untouchable" didn't really speak to me at first but after a few listen I totally get why this song was a must have on the CD. Em is real.
"River" (feat. Ed Sheeran) is a pop-single more of less but it works for everybody and isn't something that could get left out of this album.
"Revival" (Interlude) is very good.
"Bad Husband" (feat. X Ambassadors) is also one of the best tracks on the album. Em comes clear.
"Tragic Endings" (feat. Skylar Grey) is one of those Em-songs you just gotta love, at least I did. I like Skylar Grey and the subject matter is real.
"Framed" is classic Eminem-shit and is greatly produced by Fred Wreck. Wouldn't be a great album without this track. Love the video.
"Nowhere Fast" (feat. Kehlani) is a fresh sounding track that definitely works on the radio like all of Em´s music need to does, just realise it. He still
get-it-together both lyrically and production-wise nowadays.
"Castle" is a very good song and the subject matter couldn't be better. This is damn near perfectionism.
"Arose" is the best way to end an album like this. The subject matter is honest and ya´ll can't complain how complete and how real he comes off.
:stop: