'Childish' rapper back after hiatus with new release
Troy Olsen
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
With five LPs under his belt, Eminem burps out his sixth on May 19 with childish noises and the usual tendencies that likely draw attention to him.
The Interscope records release of "Relapse" will feature the songs "We Made You" and the collaboration with 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, "Crack a Bottle."
Brian McCollum, in his April 12 Detroit Free Press article, "Eminem Faces a new World as he Drops his First album in Five Years," even asked, "Does Eminem still matter?"
While Eminem's 2004 chart topper "Encore" sold more than 5 million copies, McCollum said "Relapse" is shaping up to be a bona fide event.
According to Eminem's label, Interscope, more than 75 million Eminem albums have been sold worldwide.
So with these numbers and the mess he has made of his so-called return, maybe it was time for Eminem to toss his $2,000 sneakers over a telephone wire and just go away quietly.
Beyond the aforementioned two songs, the newest Eminem release is shrouded in secrecy. I have yet to find any confirming sources for the entire list of tracks on "Relapse," but I assume that the marketing of an album, based on the train wreck "We Made You," is no simple task.
As a former club DJ, I know very well that one cannot base an artist's album off just one or two songs because the first one or two songs released will set the tone and are used for marketing-friendly networks like MTV and mainstream radio.
This is where Eminem's true genius really shines-streaming the dumbest, cheesiest song that pokes fun at popular figures in the entertainment, news or political world. The promotion of controversy and ignorance is entertaining but far from the genius of lyrical talent that Eminem provides in many of his un-commercialized songs.
To me, Eminem is like Weird Al Yankovich; while both send messages of childish ignorance and choose sarcasm and foolishness to make waves in the media, they become talked about but never taken seriously.
Eminem has set himself up to be a prankster, a joker and a lyrical fool who can light up controversy just because no one with any intelligence believes him when he talks about guns and gangsters, except for the people living in that undignified world.
In "We Made You," Eminem makes fun of celebs and political figures. He lets out his thoughts, which most of us wouldn't waste time thinking about in the shower. Em is truly in his character of promoting ignorance and judgment.
While making fun of Jessica Simpson, Sarah Palin, Brett Michaels and others, he shows that a 40-year-old man can still act out like a child and be praised by fans for doing so.
Eminem's musical forte has always been about putting people down for the entertainment and shock value of the ignorant masses; I just thought he would have grown up within five years.
The funny thing about what comes out of Eminem's mouth is that here he is, a man who has spent so much time and energy in previous albums making fun of his ex-wife, letting the world know how much he hated her and all she stood for, but in 2006, he re-married and re-divorced her.
I would love to hear Kim Mathers sing a song about Eminem. I would buy that!
The Interscope records release of "Relapse" will feature the songs "We Made You" and the collaboration with 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, "Crack a Bottle."
Brian McCollum, in his April 12 Detroit Free Press article, "Eminem Faces a new World as he Drops his First album in Five Years," even asked, "Does Eminem still matter?"
While Eminem's 2004 chart topper "Encore" sold more than 5 million copies, McCollum said "Relapse" is shaping up to be a bona fide event.
According to Eminem's label, Interscope, more than 75 million Eminem albums have been sold worldwide.
So with these numbers and the mess he has made of his so-called return, maybe it was time for Eminem to toss his $2,000 sneakers over a telephone wire and just go away quietly.
Beyond the aforementioned two songs, the newest Eminem release is shrouded in secrecy. I have yet to find any confirming sources for the entire list of tracks on "Relapse," but I assume that the marketing of an album, based on the train wreck "We Made You," is no simple task.
As a former club DJ, I know very well that one cannot base an artist's album off just one or two songs because the first one or two songs released will set the tone and are used for marketing-friendly networks like MTV and mainstream radio.
This is where Eminem's true genius really shines-streaming the dumbest, cheesiest song that pokes fun at popular figures in the entertainment, news or political world. The promotion of controversy and ignorance is entertaining but far from the genius of lyrical talent that Eminem provides in many of his un-commercialized songs.
To me, Eminem is like Weird Al Yankovich; while both send messages of childish ignorance and choose sarcasm and foolishness to make waves in the media, they become talked about but never taken seriously.
Eminem has set himself up to be a prankster, a joker and a lyrical fool who can light up controversy just because no one with any intelligence believes him when he talks about guns and gangsters, except for the people living in that undignified world.
In "We Made You," Eminem makes fun of celebs and political figures. He lets out his thoughts, which most of us wouldn't waste time thinking about in the shower. Em is truly in his character of promoting ignorance and judgment.
While making fun of Jessica Simpson, Sarah Palin, Brett Michaels and others, he shows that a 40-year-old man can still act out like a child and be praised by fans for doing so.
Eminem's musical forte has always been about putting people down for the entertainment and shock value of the ignorant masses; I just thought he would have grown up within five years.
The funny thing about what comes out of Eminem's mouth is that here he is, a man who has spent so much time and energy in previous albums making fun of his ex-wife, letting the world know how much he hated her and all she stood for, but in 2006, he re-married and re-divorced her.
I would love to hear Kim Mathers sing a song about Eminem. I would buy that!
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
luke
posted 5/12/09 @ 6:31 AM MST
Very true every word, great writing, his mother made a song with another rapper I believe, but after just downloading the album illegally as I would not buy the morons album I have this to say. (Continued…)
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