Ever since Eminem released Relapse we've all been asking the same question, "will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" It's been a rough ride with the now 40 something rapper from Detroit, Michigan. With his new release of his eighth studio album The Marshall Mather's LP 2 we get some of the old Eminem back, but is that really a good thing?
Bad Guy
One of the main issues with the new album is the sheer size. Almost every song hits or surpassed the 5 minute mark, which is far too long for a rap song. The album itself is just under 80 minutes which is just massive. 'Bad Guy' being the first song it is also the longest (over 7 minutes), it starts exceedingly boring with a bland beat, but once the song hits the first chorus then it soars. Angry Eminem is back and he's as mad as hell. Then at 5:40 the song absolutely takes off and it becomes epic. It's the Eminem we've been dreaming of, it just took so long to get here. 4/5
Rhyme or Reason
After a disturbing skit that brings us back to the first Marshall Mathers LP we're brought to 'Rhyme or Reason.' If you want to hear Eminem rap about Star Wars and do a Yoda impersonation, this is your song. It's got one of the catchiest chorus' in the album, and provides often times hilarious lyrics. It's a nice return to form for Shady. 3.5/5
So Much Better
The song is aptly named. 'So Much Better' is a brutal, and catchy exercise into Shady's mind. Once again we see the angry side of him as he spews hate towards a woman who has brought him to the brink of relapse. It's well written, and quite violent (My life would be so much better/if you just dropped dead). The outro line easily ties this song together into something great. 4/5
Survival
Classic Eminem here. We get a classic rock anthem to start out thing, then thrown into the best beat on the album, with claps and Shady spitting his rhymes like he was twenty. It's simply an awesome song. 5/5
Legacy
If this is the legacy that Shady leaves behind, I'd be okay with it. If anything 'Legacy' is Eminem's most haunting song since 'Stan' telling the story of of him (or someone else) growing up. There's the hardships of bullying and coming to the brink of suicide that leads into an intense and haunting hook/chorus from Polina who gives her beautiful vocals to this song. 5/5
Asshole
Fast, intense, funny, and just plain great. Eminem calls out countless different artists in this song, and labels many including himself. There are countless people we could name this as their theme song for. It's got a nice nostalgic moment from 'Lose Yourself' in there, too. It's unrelenting and it's a definite highlight for the album except for the horrendous chorus which sounds bland compared to the song that proceeded it. 4/5
Berzerk
The lead single off the album, and easily the weakest song of the album. After listening to the whole thing, it's clear to see how lazy this song is. With weak song writing, poor production, and just a boring party anthem. Sure, it's catchy but it loses any emotional complexity that the others song held. It's a good radio single, but it'll be on skip for a long time to come. 1.5/5
Rap god
Another single, and a bit better one than the last. But it's still not that good. It's fast and funny, but it feels lazy again. The flow feels forced and it's Eminem trying to go too fast. It doesn't always work. The chorus is okay, it feels conceited and unnecessary. It's an exercise in filler if anything else. 2/5
Brainless
I think the coolest thing about this song is the piano chords in the background. But after that, the song is horribly average. Nothing new is presented to us, it's just Shady saying "If I had a brain I'd be dangerous." It's really just Eminem just complaining about his childhood again, but not in the ferocity as usual. It's good, but it's boring. 2.5/5
Stronger Than I Was
I'm a sucker for ballads. Especially when Eminem sings, it's almost heartbreaking. His voice is so incredibly raw. 'Stronger Than I Was' feels like an album closer, it's epic, well written and produced. We get the rap around the 3:20 mark, and it still doesn't let up. It's still largely emotional. It's what 'Not Afraid' should have been. It's a prominent middle fingers to his haters, and a song that will stay in your head far after the album has finished. 5/5
The Monster
And we're back. Soothing vocals from Rihanna are the main highlight for this song, Eminem's rapping is good and fast. But it's nothing new from the rest of the album. Lyrically it's strong, but not entirely relevant to the rest of the album. It seems to be much of the same stuff that Shady usually raps about. Rihanna adds a new layer of vocal depth which is welcomed and appreciated. 3/5
So Far...
Finally! Something new and fresh! 'So Far..' starts off with an almost country, upbeat guitar and Eminem just belting it out. It's awesome, the rapping has it's own separate groove to it and the lyrics are completely hilarious. It seems fairly irrelevant at first, but there is a lot of subtext to these lyrics. 4/5
Love Game
More calling out of celebrities and Eminem says "Cray." This is the worst song on the album. There's decent humor to it, but it's so boring. It tries to showcase the talentless Kendrick Lamar, but that falls flat. The calling out is always fun, but that's the only redeeming factor. It's lazy and average. Don't listen to this song. 1/5
Headlights
I wish I wasn't a sucker for Nate Ruess, because that only makes this song that much better. It's got a lot of emotion to it, it's sad, relevant and full of passion. Anyone with family issues are going to be able to relate to Mr. Mathers on this one. It's a heartbreaking song especially when we hear him screaming, "I forgive you" and "Thank you for being my mother and father" it'll keep your eyes and heart open about the rapper and Nate Ruess' vocals during the chorus are simply great. 5/5
Evil Twin
I'm still trying to figure out why this is the album closer. It's not a bad song, it's actually really good. But the placement is odd. It feels like the mid-point song rather than a closer. This and 'Stronger Than I Was' should have been swapped. 'Evil Twin' is fun and catchy, but it's nothing that will stay with you. 3/5
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is a solid outing from Eminem, but it's certainly not his best, and no way compares to the first Marshall Mathers LP. But when comparing this to his last two albums, it's a very good album. We get to see some fresh ideas, and Eminem is angry once again. It's a nice return to form, but at times it does get tiresome and boring as he falls to formula much too often. It's worth the buy, but prepare to have your hand on the skip button a few times. I give The Marshall Mathers LP 2 as a whole 3.5 stars out of 5.
Songs to skip:
Berzerk
Rap god
Brainless
Love Game
Songs to repeat:
Survival
Legacy
Stronger Than I Was
Headlights
Photo Courtesy of Amazon