One word to describe this track is refreshing. Refreshing. For someone who has made it a must to study music, Eminem music and been doing so for little over a year now... i havent heard a more refreshing Eminem sound EVER. Something so different, so creative, so absorbing since his comeback. It Demands attention, it demands respect.
Starting from the beat. Its my favorite Eminem Beat of all time- and i'm fucking serious! Yes, there may be more technically capable beats, more banging, more lean, more complex... fuck all that shit. Eminem is a "dark" artist and this is the "darkest" beat he has EVER been on. The Gregorian moan in the background sets the mood so beautifully its bananas. The Intro, the lowering of intensity in the middle the various background sounds, the grand finale. Awesome.
I LOVE the fact that this track has no hook. I hate it when Eminem sings even his own hooks. There i said it, his voice is just not suited to that side. ESPECIALLY after drugs fucked it up even more. Thank God he ddnt use the beat on Recovery because a Hook would have made the track ordinary. Plus, its evidence of musical progression, self confidence. Its everything a seasoned artist should do. True EVOLUTION- changing for the better.
I love Royce's delivery but one thing i hate is how "whiny" he makes Eminem sound. His voice is so strong, so bold, so baddass it makes listening to Eminem feel wussy. Welcome to Hell is one of the few exceptions. For once they COMPLIMENT each other voice-wise they do sound "like one person" Eminem kinda "mans up" dont know how but his voice is STRONG but under CONTROL. Its assured.
I dont know rhyme schemes. I know they exist, but i dont even know 1. But the FLOWS on this are so many, so intricate, so DYNAMIC... like i said not since No Apologies have I, an unseasoned listener, picked it up. And the switch from Royce to Eminem is seamless- no long pauses, no hook, no change in speed. Seamless.
Lyrics are EXACTLY what i would love Marshall to rap about until the days he retires. People love all that introspective shit. I like it too. But go back and listen to a top 20 of Eminem tracks and you will notice that more than 70% of his classics are primarily about music. What it does to him, what it does to you, what it can do, what it should do, what it has done. Marshall's anger is in his life and his passion in his music. This track is a perfect mix of that fire and inspiration. He's talking about how good Bad Meets Evil is and if thats not "good content" go check how hip-hop started and what the role of an MC was.
The Punchlines are hard-hitting. Yes, the "die hard" one is awesome. The 'squirt gun" one is great. The "Tila Tequila one" is innovative. Its dynamite- a condensation of everything that made Eminem an all out ill disser in tha game without a victim. (the shit ones were shit though
)The orgasmic, organic interlink at the end brings me close to tears. Only two times on the whole EP do i feel like Bad Meets Evil is ONE regime instead of TWO ill emcees- here and on A Kiss. It adds flavour, its intriguing, eargasmic.
All in all, this ca only go higher on the way i rank tracks. If you dont think its groundbreaking fair and fine. But if, you hate new Eminem, hate the shouting, hate the voice, hate the beats, hate the "selling out" hate everything about Eminem or new Eminem... DONT hate on this one. Its pure hip-hop and i'm a stan all over again.
