Jan 11, 2016 From what I've heard, Eminem is a rare case of a rapper who has a lot of funny, not-to-be-taken-seriously songs. Actually, most of his songs are funny songs, like most of SSLP, dark humor in MMLP, Encore, Relapse, and a lot of funny songs in every other album, even if it's set out to be serious. Eminem could basically belong in a comedy rap category. I didn't do the math, but from the top of my head, he has more funny, joking songs than serious songs. Humor is a risky thing to base your songs on. If someone doesn't share your sense of humor, your entire premise fails. Most of modern criticisms on Eminem are actually because of a failed joke attempt, lines that were supposed to be funny but ended up being bad, either because the joke is actually bad or the one who heard it didn't share that sense of humor and immediately disliked the song. Eminem has a very niche sense of humor and for some it works, for others it doesn't. Like, for example, Relapse. I love Relapse, but I can understand the hate it gets. I understand people find murder and r--- jokes unappealing. Because of that, the entire album depends on you sharing his sense of humor. Very risky. Next we have all criticisms of Recovery basically, other then yelling, being about bad puns and punchlines. Again, the premise depends on you sharing his sense of humor. Same thing with h---: The Sequel, MMLP2, etc. Not to mention Encore, that's the ultimate example of a drugged out Eminem basing his songs on something he thought is funny. But even today when a lot of people consider Eminem to have fallen off badly, when it comes to actual real, serious songs, he still delivers. In the middle of all serial killer jokes, he got serious on Deja Vu and made an amazing song. It's fair to assume there was more where that came from, it's just that he wanted to do a different kind of album. The only bad line on Bad Guy is "toilet's clogged cause I'm talking a lot of s---". Another joke attempt and it doesn't fit with the rest of the song at all. Eminem's humor used to work because it fit at the time with him being edgy, shocking etc. The world has moved on from that, what was funny 15 years ago is outdated now. He can't shock anymore, there's far worse things in the world we're used to by now other than a celebrity joke or pretending to k--- someone and insult women. Other rappers take themselves seriously and make serious songs. Serious songs are more likely to stand the test of time than a joke that can be funny once and then it's over. Even when Eminem's bragging, he's trying to be funny. I believe if Eminem focused on being serious for a moment and made a serious album with little attempt to be funny, he can deliver a classic album, full of songs like 8 Mile, Lose Yourself, Deja Vu, Stan, etc. His serious songs are often met with praise. Even people who lost faith in him can get surprised, as was the case with Bad Guy. Though, modern Eminem has a slight problem with serious songs now, as he's trying to be too technical and fit too many rhymes, the message and fluidity suffers for it. I don't think he'll be doing that on his next album anyways, so that's not my concern now. But if Eminem got serious, he'd still be making great music.
Jan 11, 2016 Eh. I believe he's more focused on making serious songs than in the past; I think he knows that the entire thing about murdering and raping people have gotten old therefore he's reduced his dependence on said humor. In the past, it was hard to tell what was serious and what was funny because most of the songs about him pretending to murder somebody ("Kim") was based off of anger. There's no way to tell if he's being funny or not because his emotions feel very feel. He feels pissed off at the world, he feels like he wants to go against it. That was what made The Marshall Matters LP so salivating. It wasn't a persona album where the person was trying to prove himself, it was him not giving a f---. Relapse was him knowing about the shock humor; henceforth the accents and etc. It's not if you're onboard with his humor, is the allure of if he's being serious or not; there's still people who f--- with horrorcore no matter how tired the lyrics may become and early Eminem albums shared that allure. Recovery was his transitional moment; when "Love the Way You Lie" made it big; it was the start of a new Eminem. Someone who was more focused on pop domination and influencing people than f---ing the world. He knows his place, he can't go back to his Slim Shady persona because the world has moved on; shocking things have become the norm and there's no way to make something that was once reviled well... reviled. I'll miss the old Slim Shady but hey, if pop Eminem is still as good and can do that flow well... he's here to stay.
Jan 11, 2016 this doesn't make any sense mate, have you heard some of his songs in the past two years?
Jan 11, 2016 I heard Bezerk and Rap God yes. But I still hold the belief that this is a different Eminem.
Jan 11, 2016 im talking about songs like; Psychopath Killer, Twisted, Right For Me, All I Think About & Raw.. s----s kinda boring now
Jan 11, 2016 So because humor is risky, he should take the safe route? Just because it will "stand the test of time". That's f---ing stupid. I'd rather do something that makes me laugh instead of coward to the majority. So I guess all film comedy's can't stand the test of time either... cause a joke is only funny once right? Then it's over? If you find something funny IT IS funny. Regardless of what anybody else says. Isn't that correct Mr. Spatula with an avi of a f---ing spatula?
Jan 11, 2016 Is he really concerned wether people find him funny or get his sense of humor tho? He's gonna sell millions if he's serious or not as its been said many of times he could literally release of album of him making random noises and outsell most people
Jan 11, 2016 Em can be funny when he puts thought into his punchlines. There's a few lines on the SSLP that still make me laugh to this day.
Jan 11, 2016 Em doesnt give a quarter of f--- of all of your opinions. I love every punchline in recovery .. I find the toilet clogged joke hailarious in the middle of a very serious song .. I laugh because I know Em when was in the studio said I wanna f--- with my fans and put this joke here. I love mmlp2, Shady XV and Southpaw.
Jan 11, 2016 Murder & r--- content in Relapse is a joke to u ?? It's not funny at all. It's just good like a murder movie would have been that's it. I don't think most of the songs on Relapse are nothing funny at all maybe few lines here and there that made me laugh but that's it. Only really comedy rap songs from Em were songs like My Name Is, Real Slim Shady, Without Me, Just Lose It etc.. ( Usually the first singles) Relapse is mostly storytellin. Probably half of the songs u considered comedy are storytellin' tracks that tells murder stories (unfunny stories)
Jan 11, 2016 Well here's my take on this People never cared about the funny songs, those were just to appeal to the masses like Without me. Till I collapse etc those were the songs that got me in the zone. That being said, Em's humour was refreshing for a simple reason like you said : It's not reserved or shy, it polarizes , Sure it shoots over the top sometimes but that's just being himself And music world aside no matter how old you are, you should never completely lose your sense of humour in my opinion, that wold be pretty boring. Personally I was always about songs like Guts over fear so I agree with you in that sense but I don't mind it if he mixes it up a little
Jan 11, 2016 I guess when he said "I write songs for me, f--- what you like" he wasnt kidding.. Or maybe he was
Jan 11, 2016 No, he shouldn't take the safe route if you ask me. Like I said, I love Relapse and I'm still a huge fan. I'm saying IF he took the safe route, he would still be recognized as one of the best and a lot of those who hate the new Eminem would enjoy it. Good jokes stand the test of time, but there's nothing worse than a bad comedy. It always hurts to watch. So if his humor doesn't work like it used to, if he focused on being more serious, he'd avoid those negative criticisms. But if you ask me, he should just be himself, if that meant Relapse 2 or Recovery 2, whatever he wants. Yes, murder and r--- in Relapse is supposed to be funny. The accents put an emphasis on that. All those stories are funny to Eminem. Don't tell me Same Song And Dance is not supposed to be taken lightly, or Stay Wide Awake. The subject matter itself is not funny, but the way he approaches it is light and tongue in cheek.
