Eminem "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" (2013)

 

Sequel to his notorious Marshall Mathers LP, this lengthy, convoluted follow up strikes me as a turning point. Passing beyond the woes of his return to the game, Em no longer embodies the moment his iconic guile. Arguably one of his most impressive lyrical bouts, no ambitious rhyme scheme or dexterous flow can save it from circling back on the past. Loaded with witty wordplay, call backs and ferocious energy, his topicality spins a tired trend. Forever locked horns with his usual cast of demons, the latest wrestles bestow entertaining reflections but lack a lasting impression.

Picking up where Recovery left off, the inclusion of Pop stars Rihanna, Sia & Skylar Gray sit among a mix of ideas. Arena Rock kicks, tributes to classic 80s era Hip Hop, lightly "experimental" leaning beats and throw backs to the original record. It makes for an unsettled listen, shifting tone frequently, while perusing across the spectrum of his prior work. There's a track for each record but sadly no Slim Shady resurrection.

 Rap God is an obvious highlight, a moment where concept, execution and substance align for an impressive, if not slightly repetitive song, culminating in a status affirming technical feat. Early on, a handful of beats charm alongside crafty lyricism. There is plenty more in patches to be heard, with Em frequently verging on fiery shout raps delivering his cheeky quips. Although his passionate energy is always present, its as if Eminem is pushing himself more so for the art form than led by his emotions.

That reactionary dynamic once fueled his genius in the past. This shift away started with Recovery. Familiar with the rest of his discography, it ended here. MMLP2 is one mighty swing for the ropes but leaves me impressed rather than connected, as Em circles the usual themes with a lack of freshness to drive a point home. True for much of the record, yet of course he does the complete opposite on his victory lap Rap God.

Rating: 6/10

Eminem "Recovery" (2010)

Reading between the lines of his bars, its obvious the unsavory critical response to Relapse greatly shaped this followup record's direction. Full of enthusiasm for the craft, a scraped sequel has Em questioning himself. The poor reception causes metal turmoils, grappling with his relationship to fame, stature as an artist and the departure of his best friend. This distress makes for tender moments of vulnerability between the usual spats of foul mouthed provocative profanity. Of course, its all channeled through his classic energetic flow and knack for wordplay, which is occasionally rather juvenile.

Recovery's main distinction is the tone of its production. Doubting the direction of his planned sequel, Em parts ways with Dr. Dre, teaming up with the hot producers of this era. For me, they fail to craft grabbing instrumentals, deploying trendy soft-Trance synths and stiff drum patterns. In my opinion, they don't compliment Em yet don't hold him back either. His lyrics carry the usual dynamism one would expect. It's no surprise my favorite beat Ridaz, a bonus track, was produced by Dre. His style is timeless.

His story telling, introspection untangling verses are the records staying power. Featured guests barely make a mark, working with big names of the time, Em casts them in his shadow. A couple of odd interpolations crop up. No Love resurrects Haddaway's 93 classic, transforming the tuneful hit into a peculiar Dance-Rap hybrid. The sung hooks are a touch wild, an aspect that occasionally gets grinding as Em lacks restraint on the limits of his vocal range.Going Through Changes is another, using Ozzy Osbourne's classic voice and yearning strings from the original.

 

Definitely the smoother of the two. Overall, Recovery is a solid listen but I walk away from it lacking the sticky songs that keep you coming back for more. Sticking to the original Relapse 2 plan would of have been mile better. Em is firmly in form on this one, its the pieces around it that are not quite to my preference sadly.

 

Rating: 6/10

Eminem "Relapse" (2009)

 

Returning to Rap after a short lived five year retirement, Eminem battles his issues with alcohol abuse and pain pill addiction. Using his rhymes as therapy, we venture upon topically focused tracks, lyrically animating the trajectory of his struggles with drugs. Reviving familiar grievances along the way, Em sees himself in his abusive mother, leading to the comical line, "this ain't dinner ,this is paint thinner". Medicine Ball takes more shots at a now deceased Christopher Reeves. Dark and twisted as ever, he undoubtedly courts controversy again with a slew of edgy humor insults.

Still drawing inspiration from negative sources, Em dips into unsettling imagery often, painting himself as a deranged serial killer in a murderous daze on opener 3AM. The violent, cruel imagery is a constant recurrence, leading to impressive strings of zesty rhymes and stacked rhyme schemes. Often entertaining, Insane goes over the top, taking a depraved turn. With foul stench, Em delves into disgust, painting sexual abuse stories through crude and vile wordplay. Its a rather difficult track to stomach.

Bagpipes From Baghdad blooms with fresh creativity. The squirmish Indian accent fortunately subsides into a wild rhyme ride of satisfying oddities over one of the records grooviest beats. Its an oddball and bagpipes are indeed included. Hello follows up with a cringey crush confessional, a strange divulgence of attraction that finds itself twisted into dark places, a recurring theme. After these ear catching tracks, the songs settles into an ample groove, entertaining on its way to grand finale.

With tense strings and the voice acting of medical professionals, Mr.Mathers paints an image of his overdose through the eyes of paramedics. Leading into Deja Vu, the broody instrumental tone and cinematic lyrics flips the perspective, unraveling the prior event through a deep struggle as Em lands one of his best sung chorus hooks. The subtle organ chords rising in the background gel so well with his voice. These lyrics are so open, tender and endearing, a vulnerable expression from sullen lows.

Beautiful stirs this energy further, wallowing in his pains, pulling another sung chorus that works on this inspired level. Introspective, gloomy with an air of uplift lingering, has him riffing more earnest lines off the chest. Its deep and real, however Crack A Bottle pivots to a fun rompy jive with a dull feature from 50 Cent. Things pivot again as Underground amps the intensity up for a angered ending as Em goes wiling off again.

 Relapse was slammed by critics upon release. I'm fifteen years late to what sounds like classic Eminem in his prime. Sure, many raps have a goofy streak, the crudeness can get sore. Throughout it all, rhymes and flow are sharp as ever. Its flawed but full of excellence. I can't recall the last time a seventy minute rap album held me start to end. Absent at the time of its release, Relapse has been a "what if" answered, more of an artist I adored in my youth, rapping that exuberance hes been unable to recapture.

Rating: 9/10

Eminem "The Eminem Show" (2002)

 

At the peak of his popularity, somehow, the teenage me checked out with this record... Getting deeper into Metal and Hip-Hop, I remember being more interested in Metallica and N.W.A. than what was on MTV. The hype was palatable, Without Me was a sensation. I recall hearing it for the first time on a school holiday, kids cramming into a dorm room to hear a copy ripped from Napster. When returning home and purchasing the album, I felt disappointment, leaving it to gather dust after only a handful of spins. With The Death Of Slim Shady out, an appetite for nostalgia has been turning back to these juvenile records I missed out on, Encore and Curtain Call being the others.

White America kicks the show off with a fiery Eminem, possibly at his angriest ever? Spat with gritted teeth, a venomous anthem roars to life, stiring his teenage fans into rebellion aimed at conservative families in disarray over his influential force. The following Business is a track I remember fondly, pivoting from a moody grind to goofy upbeat fun with quirky rhymes painting the Em and Dre as Batman and Robin.

 Getting deeper in, the unfamiliar cuts, Square Dance, Soldier, When The Music Stops, Say What You Say, reveal a dark undercurrent. The records less distinguished songs lean on a savage Eminem upping the anti, finding a nasal tinted amplification of aggression, his cadence flowing vicious and unrelenting, like a Mike Tyson throwing a string of knock-out blows. Ferocious and cutting, Em's mastery of his controversies still finds ground to run on, engaging, witty and sharp yet familiar topicality by now.

Still working with the Bass Brothers, they and Dre rock these beats hard. Instruments are pushed to peaks, bold thudding percussion to rhythmically drive subtle moods and catchy melodies with clarity and space for Em and his guests to shine. Till I Collapse exemplifies this attitude, a sublime instrumental to propel a frenzied Eminem willing off, ascending on the high of his own rhymes. Its beyond impressive, an absolute gem to discover all these years later.

Housing many classics, The Eminem Show falls short of the timeless perfection that came before. Resting on the merits of its star power at times, weak concepts and recycled themes get tired in spots. Edging out at his prime, Em pushes himself hard, reaching new peaks but also a few missed targets along the way. Its a cracking listen. I wonder how attached I'd be, had it clicked in my youth. Age is mysterious like that.

Rating: 8/10

Doja Cat "Planet Her" (2021)

 

With slick easy vibes, smooth breezy aesthetics and sweet yet spicy persona, Doja Cat lends her sharp harmonious chords, breathy voicings and quirky raps too a dreamy psychedelic Trap and R&B experience. With a team of over ten plus producers, a surprisingly cohesive mood emerges across the record. Led by the cutting percussive presence of shuffling hi-hats, snappy claps and crunky snares, deep bass hits punch and rumble below. It leaves space for tinges of Ethereal and Dream Pop instrumentation to usher a spin on the trendy popular sounds of the times. The contrast between rhythm section and everything else is surprisingly inviting.

Planet Her plays with a sense of depth as Doja is central in shaping her songs with hooks, choruses and raps over the deliberately underwhelming roll of traditional melodies. Her personality manifests, at times highly sexual and literal far beyond suggestive, into a variety of topics, often dealing with fame, prominence and perception. Her performances felt like thee endearing factor. Especially so when her voice shifts up pitch. Navel, quirky, swift, the cadence, creative inflections and self assured attitude reigns over lyrical content, although the value of words is a common pitfall for this listener who feels the melody and aesthetic far more so.

Speaking on aesthetics, the housing of her various voices, through reverberation, panning and placing, is a constant delight. So often does the handling of her singing seem to elevate what she expresses. Its as if their is a great understanding between artist and producers. Some highlights include the anthemic opening Woman and a great feature from The Weeknd. Wherever he goes, his take on the Synthwave genre seems to follow. The tone fits well into the variety of temperaments offered, leaning into aggressive Trap rap grooves and opposite the fiesty, hints of R&B, Soul and Dream Pop grace the modern Pop music sound with a gentler touch. All in all Planet Her is a fantastic record from a young artist with style and persona in abundance.

Rating: 7/10

Lil Nas X "Montero" (2021)

 

With the monumental success of the chart topping, record breaking Old Town Road, the Georgian rapper Lil Nas X has had the musical worlds attention thrust his direction for some time now. Typically critical voices cry the loudest, claiming him a one hit wonder but this record certainly proves that wrong. Now we can joke he is a one album wonder for now, as Montero is simply fantastic, a vibrant album experience, strong from front to back with a very accessible Pop Rap aesthetic brightening up a wealth of self expression and topicality to deepen its warm, welcoming vibes.

In general, these songs are short and snappy, getting to the point swiftly, wrapping themes up with catchy hooks. Production wise, the music never leans to hard into anything but goes all over the place, softly diversifying. Dead Right Now and Industry Baby steer into Trap territory, addressing relations with his father and following it up with a self affirming track bolstering his ambitions. His Country Rap infusion returns on That's What I Want with a bright chirpy chorus delivering an infectious hook over soft sunny chorals. Not exactly the most original composition but he does the idea justice.

From here the songs increasingly ramp up my personal interest, Scoop swoops in simple melodies and jiving percussion giving light to the quirky ad-libs. This track gave me some serious Rodeo vibes with that Travis Scott style production. Quite the fun and creative stint before One Of Me drives hope a fantastic hook with the plain faced "I like this, I don't like that" lines. Such a simple way to illuminate the ridicule of voiced opinions that whirl around individuals thrust into the limelight. Lost In The Citadel ushers in uplifting, poppy Alt Rock guitars as the record starts to pivot to more guitar oriented aesthetics. Paired with tight percussion and deep baselines in straddles Hip Hop from a distance as the lines blur wonderfully.

Then with void we hear Lil Nas X depart from that entirely on an epic sung song, expressing pains and vulnerability while some how working the "Hodo hodo" ear worm in. As his voice opens up the dark and brooding instrumental behind him starts to build slithers of light as the soft drive of muted drums and pounding bass lead to a wonderful sense of revealing the beauty in his singing that was always present. Stunning song. Don't Want It oddly gets away with shifting back to a Trap flavor for Life After Salem to deliver the albums broodiest track. Led by a gristly acoustic guitar it routinely sails into the darkness with swells of Post-Rock guitar and subtle stabs of sinister Gangster's Paradise strings nestled, lurking in the backdrop briefly.

Between the likable Pop and Trap tracks, that bring their own identity, the team producing the instrumentals work in some fantastic music quite distance from that formulae. Its exciting, interesting and very expressive with Lil Nas X singing and rapping with a lot of substance to embrace. It all amalgamates to a stunning conclusion as Miley Cyrus hops on to lend her powerful voice to the albums epic closer, Am I Dreaming. The way the two individually step onto the track in their verses hits like waves, as tension builds up with the duo weaving their voices in a dramatic conclusion, crying "Never forget me". Goosebumps.

Its hard not to be bull about this record. Its arrangement is fascinating, steering from the accessible into expressive songs pulling from areas not often associated with Hip Hop. This might be one of the most enjoyable experiences this year. I'm left with thoughts of wondering if its magic might diminish with time? I think one or two songs could suffer that fate but there is so much brilliance on display. Whats best is a feeling of optimism moving forward. This wasn't just a collection of well crafted appeals but inspired songs moving in new directions. Lil Nas X has the diversity here to really open up and surprise in the future, in my opinion at least.

Rating: 9/10

Kid Cudi "Man On The Moon III" (2020)

 

Oh boy do I wish this album had arrived earlier in the year! I can't help but feel It would of made my up and coming top albums of the year list. Right now I'm intoxicated by its particular mood, an airy mix of club and urban street vibes, subdued by its laid back pacing and dreamy, psychedelic tinge. Records like this need time to mature and given how much I loved my introduction to Kid Cudi through Kids See Ghosts, a collaboration with Kanye West, I wouldn't be surprised if this one delivers its magic for time to come. After binge listening for days on end, it still has a sparkle.

Kid Cudi's voice is a charm, soft and moody, he drifts between casual R&B singing, spoken word temperaments and monotone raps all interwoven with spacey auto-tune both flavorful and expressive. Not one to linger to much on lyrics which generally go in one ear and out the other with me, I picked up an introspective individual reflecting on a moment to pause and expresses life with a kind warmness. Anchored to reality in its uplift and happier vibes, the music comes across with a slight sense of melancholy, humanistic and soulful, a connection to the reality that all good things come to pass.

The instrumentals compliment his tone well, these beats are tight and snappy yet spaced out with a keen sense of where silence has power, Quite often do they drop entirely for bars at a time. With a modern percussion design, one might mistake these drums for subdued Trap beats. Although they share some textural similarities the patterns being sparse and complimentary tend to serve the bigger picture, rather than dictate groove and bombast through the rhythmic drive. Behind them, bass kicks articulate the occasional melody and whenever given some direct attention one can really appreciate the art of subtlety at play on pretty much all these songs.

One number that stands apart is Show Out. Teaming up with London rapper Skepta and Pop Smoke it crosses over into Grime territory with a lively kick drum rattling off and grittier raps to lean on a darker mood. It slips in well to the overall tone which is more upbeat, led by Cudi's swooning sung vocals and synthetic backdrop. Many airy synth tones create these easy going atmospheres. Soft organs, choral voicing and all flavors of osculation in between forge a setting for subtle melodies to gracefully breeze with the easiness. A variety of instruments, pianos, guitars and keys give each track its texture and perhaps acoustic guitars that struggle most on Elsie's Baby Boy.

Somehow they seem to rub up against Cudi's voice, his held notes seeming off from the brightness of plucked strings. It illuminates that for all the praise, nothing is perfect. It seems wherever the main formula, which has plenty of variety, is strayed from, things don't quite hit the same heights. In praising the subdued percussion, the rattling Trap hi-hats of Sad People sounds a little grating. As an album it loads its better tracks in the front but given tracks are short and sweet, some not even crossing the three minute mark, its meaty eighteen tracks, just shy of an hour, it gets by as its weaker cuts tend not to linger for long. Given the mellow, indulgent fragrance of Man On The Moon III, it gets by but curation could of really elevated the experience.

Rating: 8/10