Nov 11, 2017 so listened to walk on water again this morning and have some thots. fans/critics that weren't there, it's hard to put into words how huge Eminem was in his prime. There's really been nothing like it/him since. Em has been referred to as music's last great superstar, and I think there's something there, his popularity underscored by the fact -- compared to many of pop's products these days - he remains an outlier. Maybe - to fully appreciate eminem, what he meant in 2002, to truly contextualize a tame, almost pitiful whimper of a song like "Walk on Water" - you need to have been in high school when "Without Me" dropped... taken a girl on a date to 8 Mile. I'll always listen to the critiques of someone like @M Solo, who has struggled and persevered both in life and as a casual Eminem fan over the years... over the likes of the @Charlie Work work and @Vahn s of the world, glib and holier-than-thou. [edit -- def agree beyonce is misplaced in WOW. Elton John would've been way more interesting and apt.] If you don't remember driving to the mall when Cleanin Out My Closet was a HUGE hit on radio (so bizarre in hindsight) then its difficult to overcome the recalcitrance thats developed around him since Relapse. perusing twitter, its almost like eminem has become a divisive, partisan issue lol. that debate is perhaps best encapsulated here, as sxn80 owes its origins to literally proof, name dropped in Walk On Water. On the one hand, the stans are nauseating, deranged, one of the worst fan bases out there. then, you have the cognoscenti. @WPG has been accused of many things, least of all being canadian... hes also been accused of poisoning the well. thats overwrought, theres plenty of easy evidence for why eminem sucks. and yet.... personally i think a lot of the contempt around him is misguided. as i alluded earlier, i think its best to think of eminem as one of musics remaining rock stars... who happens to rap. (in fact i think one issue may be he is clinging onto alternative definitions of himself, protecting "lyricism" or some old school approach to rap.) some of eminems best work, especiallly at his pop prime, are essentially rock songs no.... in spirit if not outright. post-trump rant, i think eminem has never had more good will as an artist, or the ability to redefine who he is. ...at least since his peak but maybe ever. He can "seize the moment" and truly answer the doubts he grapples with in Walk On Water by embracing his working class guy roots. He prides himself on writing Stan (awful final moment btw).... I want more narrative stuff from the POV of the average guy. Kind of like that one song on the new Brand New album (@Swizz may know what i mean..) I was saying yesterday, post relapse -- eminem has made a concerted effort to stop rapping about kim, his mom etc. his major characters of his initial "trilogy" -----as evidenced by Walk on Water, the only topics seemingly still A-OK are himself (his self loathing)... and us. bring back b rabbit, so to speak, rap over a bob seger beat....something. He's like Tarantino to me in a way. You always hear HIM when he's writing. Lost in his own voice. its tiresome--- even he's tired of it. in short: i want the self awareness of records like White America and Sing for the Moment BUT also the bravado. there's actually a decent opportunity for him to make an album about today, about white anger. if he can just get over himself. @eminemsxn
Nov 11, 2017 Good read. While I don't agree with all of what you said I for sure applaud the effort. Thanks
Nov 11, 2017 I love the write up a lot but its more about the background than the actual song. What are your thoughts on that (u already said yesterday but now) Also do you think people on here underrated prime eminem? Like, people on here say he never had a great album
Nov 11, 2017 i said its a rant not a review. also can u tag eminemsxn or whatever. i want all the stans to read this
Nov 11, 2017 Like they will understand most of them were in their dads nuts when eminem was in his prime (ironically) but ok @EminemSXN Ok what is ur review? Takin the context of the song into account ofc
Nov 11, 2017 I was in 7th grade when The Eminem Show/8 mile came out. These kids really don’t understand how huge he was. He’s still big... but back then it was pandemonium
Nov 11, 2017 Seriously why not? It's a great writing and a good read and more importantly a good foundation for a non-bitchy discussion that is going on in the other threads. It's what a forum is supposed to do, give people an outlet to discuss. E: and then there are threads like this that get ignored and left in the EmSXN smh https://forum.sectioneighty.com/first-beat-ive-made-check-it-out-please.t131694
Nov 11, 2017 While I like walk on water, I agree with you @Papa Andy. I’ve been saying for years and years he needs to stop talking about his life and how it sucks and start telling stories through the eyes of someone else. It could be about real issues or something Fictional that he found interesting. With relapse, if that album was about a serial killer and how he became a serial killer, that concept would have been much easier to get into.
Nov 11, 2017 because there are 200 people in that tag who only care about eminem news, not discussion
