Aug 7, 2020

I think we may just have a fundamental diff interpretation here. I think he camouflages the introspection in that tunnel vision shock value frequently. So, yeah, put the straightforward serious songs in their own pocket - Deja Vu, etc. Elsewhere, he's swallowing klonopin on "3am," passing out at a Ramada Inn. (other moments: searching his couch pillows for a stray pill, getting shitfaced with Mariah lol) There's little moments like that throughout the album where I think it's yes, a goofy serial killer narrative but it's also doubling as this feverscape from a knowingly washed person who is aware how pathetic he was during his addiction. So it's like the whole album is Em in that coma he wakes up from on Deja Vu, but reality is fleetingly sprinkled in. Like this is a concept album that acts as an extension of the 12 steps, recovering addict coming to terms or whatever. Not trying to say this is brilliant or works 100 percent of the time, but I think it's deliberate and kind of inspired in that sense.

Do I listen to something like Insane, ever? No. (Do I have my stan hat on? eh kinda!! :p ) But I'll take this version of personal, which reconciles all the mean spiritedness and nastiness of his peaks as a celebrity and addict through a silly serial killer conceit, over like, the generic and just kind of boring projects that follow . those feel truly impersonal , even if some of them pantomime introspection, overtly.

 

Aug 6, 2020

Imagine walking by WPG's place on a Tuesday and him blasting Insane? Anything is really possible in 2020. I'm for it

 

Aug 7, 2020

This thread made me relisten to my mom. Its actually dope

 

Aug 6, 2020

my mom is one of the best eminem songs. stepdad is... not

 

Aug 7, 2020

Yeah, I definitely don't see Relapse-Eminem (or 'slim shady') being the same character as the cartoon world violence of the first three albums, or rly trying to be. Even if Dre's son gave that direction, Eminem is clearly trying something new. So I don't agree its simply a matter of him trying to 'recapture the old magic' and failing (like he does on We Made You). So it really does stand out as an outlier for better or worse, if you vibe w the arabic serial killer r--- raps stuff or not.

My gut is he wanted to talk about his drug addiction, how the past several years crippled him, so him concocting silly, knowingly anti social feverscape s--- about like Lindsay Lohan is his way to trojan horse the subject matter in while also giving 'fans' the schlock they supposedly wanted. idk, i dont listen to it every day or every month lol, but its kind of a unique effort and has more artistic merit than 'OMG the accent!' takes gave it credit for.

 

Aug 6, 2020

Not my type of fetisch

 

Aug 6, 2020

Combination of me talking sense into him... but also most likely some LA hipsters ironically listening to it on shrooms / deciding *this* is the Eminem they’ll champion

 

Aug 6, 2020

My valiuUuUuUmMmMm

 

Aug 6, 2020

Go find you a white crayon and color a f---ing zebra.

 

Aug 6, 2020

I consider relapse era eminem as a seperate artist from anything before and after it. He was so disconnected from the world, both musically and as a person, it made this era so unique and memorable. Such a shame he let them convince him this was garbage. If only he defended this album as much as he defended revival, and revival didnt even deserve to be defended.

 

Aug 6, 2020

@Koolo hacked WPG

 

Aug 6, 2020

eventually the universe will come to a unanimous agreement that Relapse is Eminem's best body of work.

 

Aug 7, 2020

hah, shifting the debate! I prefer things stand where it's a rhetorical tie + some people coming away seeing Relapse in a slightly diff light than before. Because, that's the real crux of this, I think: the debates over Eminem have calcified. We give @WPG a hard time bc he's a good sport - the heir to narsh's throne as forum mascot!!! - but i do appreciate he's constantly reevaluating and challenging himself on someone as overexposed as eminem

ANYway, I don't know, man. I think i've made my argument already on why a lot of the songs work and the quality of the music. You mention the sum of the parts - the production, the complexity of Em's rhyming, the thematic darkness - almost as an aside lol. Beats are great! It has playful, 'complex' rhyming, it's got a theme that works on a few levels. Not bad!!!!!

I don't like breaking down music as if it's the rubric from Dead Poets but like you said: Deja Vu, My Mom are memorable/good. Let's chock in Hello and Beautiful too. It's more than a few single obvious choices; that's a quarter of the album off the bat. No defense on We Made You or Insane. Underground is pretty lame, sure. Crack a Bottle. So discount me on those (I'm not saying this is Kid A lol, just pointing out theres more to this particular catalog than the accents) The rest? I think there's at least something - sonically, thematically - to appreciate. I agree w Travis Barker - 3am def has merit. Agree w Tyler the Creator on Same Song and Dance. The fantasies elsewhere are so weird and dumb it's kind of funny? Like purposefully funny, lighthearted and self effacing. Especially since, like, at this point, Eminem music is a genre onto itself. Anyhow I just think it's hard to divorce, say, the psychoanalysis when you're talking about a concept album from a recovering drug addict... engaging with that aspect is pretty important for a project like this

It's almost inconceivable to envision a project like this coming out today, or even in 2009 for that matter. It's got a sound and POV that is pretty singular. Not saying it should be on Em's Rock n Roll Hall of Fame plaque or anything but there's enough at work that makes it more than the misfire it was assigned for so long. deserves its reevaluation (or at least the debate going on )

 

Aug 7, 2020

I already answered My Mom, but somehow went down a Relapse rabbit hole. Love or hate the accent, Stay Wide Awake remains one of his most technically impressive songs.

 

Aug 6, 2020

Hello is criminally underrated. It’s the 2nd best song on the album after Deja Vu imo

 

Aug 6, 2020

Definitely your mom

 

Aug 7, 2020

Another fan of felching I see

 

Aug 7, 2020

Because it is f---in’ good no need to ignore anything lol.

 

Aug 6, 2020

I'm still confused how an Arabic serial killer is now synonymous with "vintage Slim Shady"

Like what songs or features on his first 4 albums had this Arabic serial killer?


Agree with Hello though. If he'd have used his normal voice it'd have been a phenomenal song and the perfect comeback single.