"Rihanna saved Eminem from becoming a relic" - NY Times

[King Lance]

damn these fuckers went in

It’s difficult to think of Eminem — perhaps the most transformational pop music figure of the 2000s, and still a multiplatinum star — as a supplicant in need of a handout. But in 2014, he is merely a galaxy-size cult favorite, a 41-year-old white rapper far from the center of pop culture, leaning heavily on reputation and largely failing to innovate.

What has saved him from just being a prodigiously gifted relic is Rihanna. The last two times he’s topped the Billboard Hot 100, it’s been with her at his side: “Love the Way You Lie,” in 2010, and “The Monster,” last year. Both are songs with turmoil at their core, by a pair of artists with often differing ideas of how to communicate it. But these songs — “Love the Way You Lie” in particular — are slickly bruised, Rihanna’s voice pushed slightly past its typical neutrality, and Eminem channeling his anguish into narrative cohesion. In total, Eminem and Rihanna have released four songs together — the others are “Love The Way You Lie (Part II)” and “Numb,” both of which have appeared on Rihanna albums.

For Eminem, who’s become reclusive in recent years, both during and after his struggles with drugs, this was an increasingly rare high-profile occasion. . For Rihanna, one of the most photographed pop stars of the day, this was like a cute, mildly distracting side project. If Eminem only wanted to remain a hero to nostalgists and to rap purists, he wouldn’t need Rihanna. But here she was, because Eminem needs more.

And yet she seemed grander than Eminem, who has remained resolutely blue-collar in demeanor and work ethic. His expertise is both thrilling and tiresome. At times, it feels as if he’s rapping merely to satisfy himself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/arts/ ... .html?_r=0

[Supershade]

No.

[Excita]

Fuck off Rihanna

[Raul]

makes sense, I think

[Blackquill]

At times, it feels as if he’s rapping merely to satisfy himself.

They say that like it's a bad thing.

Press salty because Eminem won't give them shit to talk about anymore besides actual music and they feel entitled to drama.

[Him Shadow]

if it wasn't for Rihanna LTWYL and The Monster wouldn't be that big

but yeah, that article is stupid

[Kahleb]

Heard from a recent interview with Rihanna.

Interviewer: People are saying that Eminem was sent by God to teach people how to rap.

Rihanna: I don't remember sending anybody.

[Raul]

Heard from a recent interview with Rihanna.

Interviewer: People are saying that Eminem was sent by God to teach people how to rap.

Rihanna: I don't remember sending anybody.

[TheGentlePlayer]

Heard from a recent interview with Rihanna.

Interviewer: People are saying that Eminem was sent by God to teach people how to rap.

Rihanna: I don't remember sending anybody.

[Him Shadow]

edit: nevermind, troll fail

[slims]

New York Times is for conservative people.

[kkaniff]

Wouldn't "galaxy-sized cult favorite" be something of an oxymoron?

Jesus fuck, finally
I've been lurking 2 forums, waiting for somebody to point this out.
NYTimes lost.

[kkaniff]

This just in: Eminem's fanbase has become so huge that he isn't even popular anymore.
In other news, Hopsin flopped so miserably that the world simply won't stop playing his music!

Lol.
It's kind of amusing really, in a rather pitiful manner.
It's one thing to slander the guy's music and denigrate the effort the guy puts into his stage performance (which literally every other publication/fan has had nothing but praise for) and it's another totally different matter to make up things to support your opinion.
Hardly professional, but then again I hardly expect that from critics nowadays.

[Erowid]

New York Times is for conservative people.

Depends on how liberal you are in comparison, but traditionally/as a general rule... no, it's not.

[Erowid]

damn these fuckers went in

It’s difficult to think of Eminem — perhaps the most transformational pop music figure of the 2000s, and still a multiplatinum star — as a supplicant in need of a handout. But in 2014, he is merely a galaxy-size cult favorite, a 41-year-old white rapper far from the center of pop culture, leaning heavily on reputation and largely failing to innovate.

What has saved him from just being a prodigiously gifted relic is Rihanna. The last two times he’s topped the Billboard Hot 100, it’s been with her at his side: “Love the Way You Lie,” in 2010, and “The Monster,” last year. Both are songs with turmoil at their core, by a pair of artists with often differing ideas of how to communicate it. But these songs — “Love the Way You Lie” in particular — are slickly bruised, Rihanna’s voice pushed slightly past its typical neutrality, and Eminem channeling his anguish into narrative cohesion. In total, Eminem and Rihanna have released four songs together — the others are “Love The Way You Lie (Part II)” and “Numb,” both of which have appeared on Rihanna albums.

For Eminem, who’s become reclusive in recent years, both during and after his struggles with drugs, this was an increasingly rare high-profile occasion. . For Rihanna, one of the most photographed pop stars of the day, this was like a cute, mildly distracting side project. If Eminem only wanted to remain a hero to nostalgists and to rap purists, he wouldn’t need Rihanna. But here she was, because Eminem needs more.

And yet she seemed grander than Eminem, who has remained resolutely blue-collar in demeanor and work ethic. His expertise is both thrilling and tiresome. At times, it feels as if he’s rapping merely to satisfy himself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/arts/ ... .html?_r=0

Anyone actually read it? It's not the uptight panning that people here are framing it as.

In fact, he even says that Em DOES NOT need Rihanna, IF what he wants is to remain an important figure to "nostalgists" and "rap purists"-- Hello, the entire population of this board. He doesn't need her in order to remain respected by the people that matter, or should matter, to him... but he DOES need her as clickbait if he's still trying to be part of the zeitgeist.