). Any ways, I know I'm late to post my review, but I figured it would be interesting for some to see a review by someone who doesn't really have all the nostalgia attached to Em (though I definitely grew up in the time where you couldn't hear someone singing the lines to Without Me on the school bus, or turn on the tv and see that I-Pod commercial for Lose Yourself.)
Also my list goes: TES>MMLP>SSLP>>>>Relapse>Recovery>>>>>>Encore
Bad Guy: Going into this album, one of the most common things said about Eminem was that he had lost all the misery in his life. He had no adversity to use as fuel, and his ability had never really recovered after Encore. The idea that he could even capture a spark of that glory felt like a forlorn hope. This track changed all of that anxiety into unimaginable hype for me. The first two verses feel very fresh, Em isn't flexing his skills, but he's creating a very unsettling atmosphere as Matthew and the production is working perfectly with that. The 3rd verse gives us a full blast of homages to his previous work, and Matthew becomes hilariously unraveled. The final verse is so incredible, it's practically theatrical. While Survival had us rolling our eyes at Em claiming he was still up against the odds, Bad Guy had me covering my mouth. Every line is brutally honest and that self loathing he's known for comes on as strong as ever. I think it's a contender for best verse of the year and it's his best introduction track period. 10/10
Parking Lot: I find it hilarious every time he shoots that dog and takes the time to laugh at it while fleeing from Police.
Rhyme or Reason: One of the things that's noticeably been missing since Em's return has been his charisma. On Relapse it felt like he was relying too heavily on shock value to impress his listeners, and Recovery was packed full of rhyme schemes that just made me feel like he was trying too hard. On this track however, it feels like he finally got it back. His flow switches up constantly and seamlessly, and I love how he toned back his rhyming in favor of a more organic feeling song. I can't recall the last time he tried such a simple rhyme as "If I had I wouldn't write these rhymes on my pad/I wouldn't be so bad/yeah/dad". The sample of Time of the Season is very unexpected and it all works. It's also great to see Em having a sense of humor again. 9.5/10
So Much Better: This song is hilarious just for the fact that the title alone had me thinking we were going to get a Recovery ballad filled with corn. Instead, he gives us a song that could easily come from the conjoined hip of Superman. Em once again shows us why his hooks are the greatest and I love that stinging piano that's reminiscent of a lot of his old songs. The first verse feels a little off, the Dre, Lupe, touche part feels forced. The second and third verses are amazing though. They are full of quotables and ooze with a vitriol that we can all relate to. 8.75/10
Survival: As a single, this song got old fast. I feel like if it weren't for Recovery, I would of felt more positive about it, but it definitely felt like an omen for the album. On the album it works pretty well. Since the first three tracks have proven that we're not getting a stagnated album, you can appreciate the song for what it is: A rocking hard anthem about rising to the occasion. Liz Rodriguz gives us the worst hook in the album, evoking images of ghostly Skylar floating around on I need a Doctor. I don't even mind girl hooks, but there's something so insincere about her voice that it gets in the way of pumping my fist to the decent lines Em is spitting. I like it more than I hate it however. 6.5/10
Legacy: This one has been destroyed by rest of the community, there's nothing really more for me to add. Being someone who was bullied a lot growing up, this one hits home for me, especially when he says he had a bad day at school. I love Yellow Brick Road, and somehow he managed to bring us to that same setting, but do a completely different song about it. It's a masterpiece. 10/10
Asshole: Em jumps on this track immediately rides those loud bombastic drums immediately. His verses are mixed with biting disdain for those expecting anything resembling human decency from him, sarcasm, and hilarious lines such as "Even Helen Keller knows life stinks." Skylar provides a passable hook, but I wish her voice was more involved, it sounds like she's turning into a ghost again. While I feel Em really brought his A game to this song, I wish it were a little more self reflective on what it means to be an asshole, as opposed to just plainly stating that he's one and that's all you should expect. That and a few minor nitpicks bring this song down for me. 8.25/10
Berzerk: As a single it was awesome, and on the album it's even awesomer. I can agree that there's a lot going on, and I can see how it can lack cohesion for people, but that just doesn't happen for me. I'm glad Em's lyricism is toned down, and I'm glad there is so much variance between his verses. The hook is Godly, and for a single this was a very bold choice, very fresh and interesting. Em doesn't need to rhyme his ass off for every song, and it's nice to get a track that just bleeds energy. 9.5/10
Rap God: This song is off the wall insane. Every time it comes on, I feel like I'm listening to the Rap equivalent to Van Halen's Eruption. His flow is one giant guitar solo that goes through a new flow every thirty seconds. The opening really sets the mood that you're about to witness something epic, I love the throw back to Remember Me. The beat is very minimalist and takes a backseat to Em's rapping just as it should on a song like this. You can criticize some corny lyric or weird obscure hip-hop reference, but this song does what it sets out to do perfectly. 10/10
Brainless: Maybe at some point this album was going to be called the SSLP 2, because this song feels like modern Eminem take on that album from production to the lyricism to the cartoonish description of events. I love how the chorus gets this low tenor that sounds like he's singing on a Chain Gang. The only flaw I can pick out in this song is the part where he has a long ass pause between Oc and Tober in an attempt to begin a new line. I really like his "Chop/Pause" method, but in that case it really gets in the way. Also I have to give him props for doing the exact same subject matter (Legacy _and making two very different tracks successfully from it. 9.75/10
Strong Than I was: This song mirrors Hailie's Song in more ways than one. I can appreciate Em having the balls to sing, and the idea that this could involve Kim's perspective does elevate the song for me a tinge. However, while on the first few listens this song was quite enjoyable, it gets old fast....just like Hailie's Song. His emphatic "UH!s" do cause some cringes after a while, but you really do get the sense that this song is important to him. I skip it sometimes, other times I keep it going just because it flows well with The Monster and sometimes I need a little corn in my diet. 5/10
The Monster: People really need to get over themselves and their hatred of this song. Face it, Em is partially a pop artist and he's been one since he decided he needs to do a song like TRSS on his albums, even though he said he personally doesn't like those songs. You can say Em's rich enough where he doesn't need to do this kind of thing to make money, but he's not the only one who benefits from the album selling well either. Producers, collaborators, personnel all need this album to sell as well as it can, both for exposure and for their wallets.
Now with that rant over, I'm going to give my opinion knowing this is a pop song, and not pretend like this wasn't intended to sell records. First off, Em's verses get pretty introspective, providing a song that goes a little deeper than most radio songs would, though I wish he would get more specific and not so general with what being a Monster means, though that would probably lessen the appeal of this song. I love the beat, giving a nice haunting feeling while maintaining the catchy feeling that you need. Rhi's chorus is actually really good except for the line "That's not fair", because for the life of me I don't know why you would talk about your mental demons and then say something so whiny and childish like that. The enjoy the final part a lot because Em joins in on the backing, and it gives us a nice switch up on an otherwise predictable melody. It's a good pop song, but it could of used some more polish I think LTWYL is a bit better just because its subject matter is more focused. 7/10
So Far...: By this point in the album I think Em has made me laugh at least 10 times. This song is hilarious, and you have to respect the humility of this guy. The parts where he sings on the bridge are especially funny because of how off key his voice is, and how pathetic he's making himself look. While the "Detroit is the inspiration that keeps me going" line causes a little cringe, it's not enough to take away the enjoyable this song is. Bonus points for how experimental it is and also being titled like another corny Recovery track. 9.5/10
Love Game: The levity from the previous track continues, making Love Game feel like a part 2 of a giant song. I'm so fucking glad Em and Kendrick decided to do something like this as opposed to a predictable rappidy rap rap track for all the fanboys to debate if Em got Renegaded, or if he showed why he's the GOATest GOAT to ever eat grass ever. The blowjob rapping almost made me fall out of my chair, and Kendrick delivers classic lines like "I'm a sucker for love you're a sucka for dick" and "Chlamydia couldn't even get rid of her." I think this track showed off a whole new side of Kendrick to be honest, granting him a lot more personality than I thought he had. Em's final verse is incredible, creating some imagery that rivals that of "As the World Turns" and "Still Don't Give a Fuck". Also out of Rubin's 4 tracks, I think this one is the most infectious especially when Kendrick starts singing along. 9/10
Headlights: Part of the reason why my fandom for Eminem grew so rapidly, was because I realize how similarly we grew up. I have a lot of baggage with my mother, and hearing someone finally say it's okay to hate your mother, and at the same time make that sentiment feel empowering vs shameful always spoke to me. No form of music has ever made me cry; it's made me laugh, pump my fist up, bang my head, but never cry. This track got DANGEROUSLY close. I love Em's "Christmas Flow" throughout the track and Nate definitely steals the award for best feature on the album (In general I have to say I'm glad Kendrick was the only rapper on this album, Em seems to do better when he's on his own.) I feel like the impact of this song will lessen as it gets listened to more and more, but just for that initial rush of emotion and the balls Em had to do a song like this it must receive a perfect score. 10/10 (Probably one of the most important songs of his career.)
Evil Twin: I've gushed over this album so much, and I've seen this song received a lot of praise, but I can't help but feel disappointed by it even though there's not really a singular flaw I can find besides the fact that I don't like the beat. I guess what I can say is that it wasn't the right kind of song to end the album with. Em always ends things with tracks that are intense and powerful (SDGAF, Criminal, Underground, Dad's Gone Crazy), while Evil Twin feels more subdued like Encore. The lines are hilarious, especially when he reverses his 'Mother Fucka" to "Rape your mother" and "KIll your Parents. That was brilliant. I guess I was just expecting something different. 7.5/10 for album song 9/10 for the song alone.
Is it better than MMLP?:
I know this question seems like sacrilege to a lot of people on here, but I've loved MMLP2 from top to bottom, so I feel like it warrants commenting. I think the answer relies on whether you see an album as something that's more than it's parts, or just as a collection of songs. As a collection of songs, MMLP edges out MMLP2, because a lot of them are just pure perfection, while with MMLP2's tracks there can be a poor moment in even a song I'd rate 10/10 (Italian Sausage anyone?).
However, as a collective whole, MMLP2 wins for me. Every track that follows the previous is just the right thing you needed, elevating songs that on shuffle, I might give a skip, I still haven't managed to not listen to the whole album after just selecting Bad Guy to listen to, and when Legacy pops on shuffle I find myself loading up the whole album afterward. MMLP on the other hand is very easy for me to cherry pick what I want to listen to. I put on Drug Ballad, and I'm scrolling for the next song, because I'm not in the mood for Amnityville (also even if it is there's no way I'm listening to Under the Influence, ever.) MMLP2 is also way more cohesive in it's themes and aesthetic. The voice clips from what I'm assuming are 50's B movies remain a constant element in his tracks, along with bringing up topics, rhymes, lyrics, and themes from the original MMLP. MMLP on the other hand never really felt like to me a "reflection of Marshall Mathers."It felt like he put whatever good songs he made, which are AMAZING, but nothing is as personal or introspective as some of the other works he's done.
So ultimately I give MMLP2 a 10/10, because of how it works as an album, not because all of his songs are 10/10. He definitely furthered territories and I'm astonished at how creative he can be at the age of 41, I can only imagine what he will put out after this
.Thanks for reading, I apologize for the wall of text. If you guys like what I have to say, or at least find it interesting, I might do the Deluxe tracks as well, but for now I'm quite worn out from typing this monster up.
Also thanks for providing a ton of entertainment for me over these past few months. You guys are awesome
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