awkwardreviews

After three whole years, the “Rap god” has returned to grace the mic with lyrics and metaphors that blow up any other rappers attempts to rhyme.

Let me make one thing clear, I am NOT a fan of hip hop/rap of the modern era, I stopped caring in 2004 whether one shitty rap song was better than the other shitty rap song. Nothing about modern rap appeals to me. It uses overly complex, stupid beats, with repeating choruses, and horrible rhyming schemes and lyrics that don’t deviate song-to-song.

The one saving grace of this terrible genre was Eminem. After Wu-Tang stopped making wide-release albums, and Big pun unfortunately passed away. We were introduced to what has to be the worst genre of music I’ve ever heard. The Lil’ Waynes, Drakes, and Kanye Wests of the world dominate the music industry, and it’s frightening and somewhat sickening.

So in 2009, once I saw that Eminem FINALLY released a new album (Relapse) after his stint in rehab, I was thrilled. I don’t think the three year wait was worth it then, although he wasn’t inherently bad (still miles ahead anyone at the time), he returned with a strange accent, and simplified lyrics. He ended up dropping the accent in 2010, when he released the follow-up album “Recovery”, and made it more serious. However, the trend of simplifying lyrics, making metaphors less prevalent and interesting, really hurt his abilities in my mind.

So was this three years’ worth the wait? HELL. YES.

It is clear that Eminem/slim-shady is not what he used to be, or… he is not LIKE he used to be. This is not a jab at his rapping abilities, not at all, I mean he uses a different kind of music. His creative choices were something to marvel at in this album. While a few songs didn’t particularly appeal to me, the album as a whole was technically, and most importantly, lyrically, fantastic.

“Marshall Mathers LP 2” isn’t just a simple rehash of “I’ma make fun of my mom”, this album is an honest and true example of a rappers maturity. Instead of shying away from his somewhat intimidating age of 41, he faces his mid-life head on, and even pokes fun at himself. Of course this is done in the typical Eminem fashion, with supersonic metaphors and lyrics that make your mouth open as you try to wrap your mind around the lyrical mastery that is unfolding in front of you.

I don’t plan to talk about every single song here in detail, but needless to say, this album is hilarious at parts, but extremely emotional in others. A great example of this are two of this album’s standout tracks, “Legacy”, where he discusses the troubles of being different, and “Headlights”. “Headlights” is perhaps his most resonant and touching track in a decade, something to marvel at.

After a decade, Eminem finally forgives and even apologizes to his mother. Stating things like his famous “cleaning out my closet” track is something he cringes at now, vowing to never perform that track again. This song, honest to whatever deity you may or may not believe in, made me choke up a little. I was a fan of Eminem ever since I was a little boy, and seeing him in this state of mind was both shocking and refreshing.

This album may don the name of his first album, but it cannot be more different. It shows a state of maturity from Eminem, while addressing some of his issues and problems. An album that makes you laugh uncontrollably, and perhaps even weep, it is a return to form by an artist that seemingly always had it in him to create some of the best rap/hip-hop tracks in the world.

Album highlights: This albums included many great songs, however, three of his best include “Headlights”, “Legacy”, and my favorite track “Rap god”.

I want to quickly note that “Rap God” is a masterpiece in its own right. If you have the time, I suggest you listen to it, and try wrapping your mind around the countless metaphors he throws at you… in supersonic speed.

Overall, this album was nothing short of a major success, after what had to be over six years of music I didn’t particularly LOVE. Eminem returns with one of his best albums. It’s different no doubt, but in this case, he changed for the better. And I can’t wait till his next one.

Grade: A-