Nov 16, 2024

I still cant get over how confused Eminem is about his own characters in GC2.

First of all, Eminem is supposed to be kidnapped, but Shady says "scared of your reflection, its just a mirror", so is Shady like a standalone entity or not in this situation?

Eminem says "let me go", Shady responds "ha, never", yet he just lets him go at the end.

One of most subtle problems is this detail:
Shady says "Marshall is getting a conscience" and Eminem goes angrily "f--- you!"
But wait, isnt Shady the one without conscience? Why is Eminem upset at this "insult" when the whole song is about Shady being evil and Eminem not being like that. If Eminem also doesn't want to have conscience, whats the line between Shady and Eminem?

Eminem then blames him for attacking Chris Reeves, and Shady hits him with good arguments, "you are me, you are also at fault" to which Eminem just says "man you rip on paraplegics"
He has no counter argument to anything Shady says but instead just blames him again as if he has another point, but any point he can make Shady already covered with "you are me"

Then Eminem mocks David Carradine and Shady is amused, but Eminem should not be making those analogies making fun of a dead person, that is Shady's turf.

Then Shady hits him with another set of good arguments, with the layered voice and all, but all Eminem has to say is "you're full of s---". Shady is not full of s---, you are! Shady didnt say a lie at all. Even Eminem adlibs "yeah, true" during the layered section.

Then Eminem says "let me go" and Shady does and gets the gun and kills Shady, but it is also a murder/suicide? Again, is Shady standing next to tied up Eminem or is he looking at the mirror?

And what is laughter at the end supposed to mean? Is Shady dead or not?

The song is really poorly thought up and executed. There are interesting moments, but the concept makes no sense at all.

My Darling and Bad Guy did this way better.

And this song suffers from the same problem My Darling has. The devil/Shady has lots of good points but Eminem has nothing. In My Darling he just curses, but offers no counter arguments. Same thing here. Eminem is too focused on one side, the other is not a fleshed out character, yet it is supposed to be the side we root for.

I believe Eminem can do better and this concept needs another attempt. Ideally, it would be like My Darling but Eminem is chill and Shady cannot get to him because he is emotionally not affected and over him. He just rationally provides counter arguments and drives Shady crazy because he cannot get a reaction from Eminem.

GC2 has too many problems I listed above to be considered a good song. Praise worthy attempt, but not executed well.