Jan 7, 2022 Great post. Prime Em (98-02) had plenty of simple lines that hit so much harder than his stuff in the last 12 years. The s--- that I been through my pencil never could pencil I said shut up when I'm talkin to you. You here me? Answer me! Go file you a lawsuit, I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe Those are just a few basic examples off the top of my head. If you go through Devil's Night and MMLP especially there are gems like this scattered everywhere. The Eminem Show has them too, albeit not as many. He definitely lost something about him on TES, hard to pinpoint what though (and it's probably my favourite album of his btw). His obsession with bars and corny puns is too much at this point. I enjoyed Side A and B but he needs to focus less on this and more on storytelling/imagery. Unfortunately I think he watches YT reactors and those cringeworthy f---s gobble up the shittiest lyrics of his.
Jan 7, 2022 This is why Darkness writing is so exceptional. He hit the mark there. We need more of this energy.
Jan 7, 2022 Bravado aside, self-confidence has been an issue for a very long time - since Yellow Brick Road in fact. I suspect being smeared as a racist and turning 30 (among other things, like his relationship troubles) drastically lowered his self-esteem, and no doubt took a lot of the magic out of rap for him. He's been trying desperately to retrieve it ever since, but with mixed success (usually in the form of glimpses/verses rather than full songs, let alone entire albums). But, even though I was altogether disappointed with them, I have to admit his last two albums are the most confident he's sounded in years. I'd say this is partly due to anger and motivation to prove his haters wrong, but also, more recently, in his mind saving face with "the black community". (Looks like all those years of antiracist virtue signaling finally paid off!)
Jan 7, 2022 I always return in time for the album right? good thanks brother, you been keeping it yeezy?
Jan 7, 2022 I haven't been keeping up with him. Last time I heard anything was Lost Boy and I loved that album.
Jan 7, 2022 I don't go back to Darkness much, I don't go back to Stan much either, but the writing on those songs is masterful.
Jan 7, 2022 On a different note, I don't think Eminem is capable of making another song out of his comfort zone like Stimulate or Bezerk at all anymore. Which is sad because Stimulate is easily top 3 Em tracks for me, and I'd love to hear more experimentation in this next project. Even stuff like maybe a soul beat or something would be dope.
Jan 7, 2022 Idk. Hearing Discombobulated, Guns Blazing, his verse on You Gon’ Learn, Godzilla, and a few more from MTBMB shows me that he definitely can make some great music still
Jan 7, 2022 2015 we were begging him to hop on some trap style beats, tbh now I think it's bit overdone.
