In a way, it sums up why we still care so much about Eminem: He’s always had the ability to be shockingly self-aware, and whenever he decides to touch on it, his brand is a little more potent, a little more reverential than the average artist’s.
Fun.’s Nate Ruess shows up for the hook and while on paper it might sound like a cheap turnaround on a once-fervent opinion, the song works as it walks the flimsy line between compassion and anger. That notion climaxes here as the rapper goes into full-on Sorry Mode, admitting that he can’t even listen to his 2002 hit “Cleaning Out My Closet” anymore because of the anger he once expressed toward moms. One theme that runs rampant through the album as a whole is his revelatory decision to place blame on his father for his messed up childhood and not, as many have heard for years now, his mother. Speaking of enlightenment, “Headlights” gives us quite possibly the most touching moment Em has ever put on wax. Borrowing heavily from the Beastie Boys and some of the oldest schools any rap enthusiast could find, the song is chalked full of buried wit as Marshall eventually asks “are you bozos smart enough to feel stupid?” Never before has idiocy sounded so enlightening. Single “Berzerk” is such a finely tuned throwback, you begin to wish your iPod had two speakers and a cassette player. Need proof? Check the constant nods to the yesteryear that pop up with more intensity than a Calvin Johnson highlight reel. Yet where other big name artists tend to struggle while trying to find their footing in transition aided by age, Eminem embraces and subsequently thrives off that inevitable maturity. Fading into silence as he continues to rap (a subtly provocative move in its own right), the song ends up being the most revealing and intelligent way to begin such a breathtaking ride through what it’s like for Detroit’s best MC to officially be over the hill. Rather than lean on the singular crazed-fan story that made his 2000 single such a smash, here he follows up the actions of Stan’s baby bro (who, coincidentally also has the initials M.M., Matthew Mitchell) with an afterward tirade that gives the song two extra minutes of pure reflection. Lead track “Bad Guy” recalls Marshall Mathers‘ “Stan” with a little less Dido and a lot more layers. Mathers doesn’t need to purchase a Picasso to announce his arrival as an adult he’s been on that side of life for years.Īnd that’s what makes this set so … interesting. Sure, his most revered peers might share his years in number, but they can’t even begin to touch his growth.
#EMINEM THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP FULL ALBUM HOW TO#
Before children became the new gold chain in hip-hop, Eminem was trying to figure out how to raise a little girl while somehow getting a do-or-die music career off the ground. Photos of his once-baby Hailie have made the rounds online seemingly for no other reason than to remind us all of how old we are. The Marshall Mathers LP2, if nothing else, proves that it doesn’t. From the second he first asked everybody if they liked Primus 14 years ago, his shock-value shtick always felt like it had an expiration date.
Yeah, it might take a royally fucked up mind to come up with the things he says anyway, but it takes a truly brilliant one to somehow parlay that into mainstream success. All the immature jokes or disgusting skits or graphic intentions have been by design, remember. Part of his appeal has been a subconscious consistently wise beyond both his and his listeners’ years. It’s been a fascinating question, wondering how Eminem would age. Thirteen years later, and if the world wasn’t so bogged down by apathy and ego, who’s to say this thing wouldn’t surpass it? Based on performance alone, MMLP2 would at least have a shot.
Wildly entertaining, gruesomely hilarious and surprisingly poignant, the set is worth its namesake, the same record, lest we be reminded, that sold 1.76 million copies during its first week of release in 2000, on its way to earning the title as fastest-selling hip-hop record ever. In a year cluttered with high-profile hip-hop releases, The Marshall Mathers LP2 is undeniably the best of the best and it’s not close.