Album Review by EDF
“Roll up, roll up, roll up. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s now time for THE EMINEM SHOW, a show for all the family. Whether you are young or old, tonight’s host, Eminem, will hold a mirror up to each and every one of you. If you like what you see, then you are not alone. If you do not like what you see, no refunds will be offered and you can complain until you are blue in the face because for the most part, in your hearts, you know Eminem is right and there is not a thing you can do about it”. The funny thing about Eminem’s music is that lyrically, the chainsaw welding rapper use of satire and social commentary is delivered in an amusing way that most other rappers cannot. Let us go to the show and see what Eminem has in store for us.
The show opens with WHITE AMERICA, a review of sorts to how Eminem has gotten to where he is, “helped him (Dr. Dre) get back to the top, every fan black that I got was probably his in exchange for every white fan that he’s got” and that white America “connected with me too because I looked like them.” By the end of the track Eminem declares that “I’m just kiddin’ America, you know I love you. Yes, Marshall, we understand. BUSINESS sees Eminem and Dr. Dre as the dynamic duo of rap, ”hip-hop is in a state of nine-one one so, and lets get down to business”.
CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET is Eminem’s latest round in the continuing verbal attack between Eminem and his mother. This time it looks like Eminem is doing his best to completely sever all contact with his mother and lays down convincing examples to his reasons. SAYIN’ GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD is another personal recollection of Eminem’s time in Hollywood and why leaving was the best thing he could do. DRIPS featuring Obie Trice who turns the air blue for nearly five minutes and features candid descriptions of why Obie is not feeling well. Luckily, this is followed by the first single, WITHOUT ME, which is without doubt one of Eminem’s best singles ever. No more needs to be said about this track.
SING FOR THE MOMENT, using an Aerosmith sample, is Eminem’s opinion of why people criticize his music and why kids listen to him. HAILIE’S SONG is a song about Eminem’s daughter and due to his frame of mind, Eminem changes style and actually sings on this track, well at least for the most of it. MY DADDY’S GONE CRAZY featuring Hailie is for a part why Hailie would see her father has a crazy individual and Eminem’s reason why people would see him as crazy, “more pain inside of my brain than the eyes of a little girl, inside of a plane aimed at the World Trade”.
Following up the previous album was always going to be difficult but it looks like Eminem has pulled it off. Being constantly in the spotlight has not helped Eminem one bit and as time goes on, Eminem’s lyrics are getting tighter and have more bite than usual. At times when he doesn’t want to play nice, his victims should run for cover or at least cover up their ears. For the rest of us, each copy of the album should come with a free packet of popcorn as shows like these are few and far between.
