sslabs's Full Review: The Eminem Show [PA] [Limited] by Eminem
Madonna always had an edge, until her style took a heartfelt turn when she had her first child and creatively gave birth to Ray of Light. Marshall Mathers, also known as Eminem now displays another side of his creativity, through the eyes of a father. Not long before the release of The Eminem Show Marshall was granted joint custody of his daughter Hailie Jade after a long battle with his ex-wife Kim Mathers.
On The Eminem Show, Mathers is angrier than ever, yet something (someone) manages to keep him from killing everyone in the room. Like every previous “Eminem” album, Mathers has something to say, stories to tell, and pain to share. With MTV, radio, and Billboard clogged with mindless, thug, brag rap, it’s no wonder the youth of America were literally gasping for Marshall’s latest release.
The Eminem Show was so hotly anticipated that bootleg copies hit the streets weeks before its official release. Interscope had to scramble and move the release date up to offset any potential lost sales. Retailers jumped the gun and instead of waiting for the new music Tuesday, opted to sell on the weekend. With only one day left for official soundscan tally before resetting for the next week, The Eminem Show sold nearly 300,000 copies. Artists and labels are happy when their albums debut on Billboard with first week sales of 200,000.
Getting more than that in one day is astonishing. So why does Eminem sell nearly four million copies of The Eminem Show in just five weeks? Why is he protested by some, and embraced by others? Why did Elton John perform at the Grammy awards with Eminem, someone that was accused of being homophobic?
Yet Stevie Wonder called The Marshall Mathers LP a modern day version of the blues? Why on earth did such trash almost receive the Grammy for album of the year before being handed to the mediocre and lame Steely Dan? Pay close attention and maybe you’ll figure it out for yourself, if you haven’t already done so.
I’m sure anyone that loves music, that keeps an eye on such things is wondering just what the fuss is all about. Well Mathers is a clever chap. You see, like a family movie, Mathers ropes in the young crowd with the catchy tune, one that’s playful and has MTV written all over it. The youngest consumers will latch onto the dumb and goofy things that Marshall spits out.
But Mathers has a lot more up his sleeve. For the older, more seasoned rap fan, there are political statements to make, stories of tears shed, and the anguish of a young boy that was abused by his mother in one way or another. The young teens requesting Without Me on TRL, will never know what Mathers is referencing when he raps “trailer park girls go around the outside, ‘round the outside.” It’s not for them anyway, that line was taken from Malcom McLaren’s Buffalo Girls a rap tune that made the rounds before many of today’s Eminem fans were even born.
Yes Eminem has ‘em all locked up. The Eminem Show is so fundamentally different from other rap records, that it’s almost unimaginable. The only real similarity would be the cursing, Eminem never brags about money, cars, women, or fame. Take that away from rap and 99% of rappers would have to put their mics down. The first track White America, Mathers immediately bonds with and rallies his young troops when he says “It’s like a f*ckin’ army marching in back of me.” He never asks for support, but explains that he already has it, that he grew up like millions of kids in America.
Mathers wastes no time taking shots at “brag” rap as he drops the second track “Business.” Using a Batman and Robin scenario (much like Without Me) Mathers and Dre save the world from the lame and commercial rappers that seem to be under every rock. Sure to end up on his theatrical debut 8 Mile and accompanying soundtrack Cleaning out my closet finds Mathers telling the world just how much his Mother ruined his childhood. But even with all of his critical statements and anger, Marshall finds himself singing “I’m sorry Mama, I never meant to hurt you.”
One of the strongest tracks Square Dance with a classic if not old school hip hop beat, paints a very cold, scary, and truthful view of the world we live in post 9/11. From the very opening, Mathers displays a business attitude when he says “I’m a pitbull off his leash.... all this peace talk can cease.” He not only tells the youth to wake up from their smug slumber, but informs them that war, may very well be in their future. Mathers also takes time to poke fun at a government that failed in a keystone cops kind of way, to unravel the US mail anthrax mystery.
Mathers almost falls into the “brag” pit with Soldier. Coming from anyone else I’d think he was bragging or attempting to paint a tough guy picture. But I can’t deny that when he speaks of lawsuits, cynical critics, and pistol whipping a guy with an unloaded gun, it all actually happened. So tolerance is the theme for me here, and thankfully Mathers keeps this tired rap fare under control throughout the album.
Without Me is the smash hit debut single from The Eminem Show. This is Mathers’ My name is, the track that makes him look like the Weird Al Yankovic of rap. I can see some forethought with the placement of the following track Sing for the moment. It’s as if Mathers knows he has “their” attention and decides to bond a little. Sing for the moment immediately touches with the help of the Aerosmith sample Dream on. If you’re going to use the material of another, this is how you do it.
Mathers first Stan material Sing for the moment, finds Mathers opening his heart and telling the kids he doesn’t just know their pain, he knows their pain. When Mathers raps “He sags his pants do-rags and a stocking cap.... his step-father hit him, so he socked him back.” Mathers tells his fans that he knows why they’re all screwed up, all victims of both parents working, broken homes and a loss of family values. But Mathers goes further than ever before when he simultaneously shares his past tears and conveys a quiet understanding with “...For anyone who’s ever been through sh*t in their lives, till they sit and they cry at night wishin’ they’d die.”
Marshall Mathers has a little ray of light that goes by the name Hailie Jade. Mathers is madly in love with his daughter and almost seems like a regular Joe when he takes every opportunity to mention her. On Hailie’s Song Eminem does something he never attempted on the previous two albums, singing. Yes Eminem sings, not attempting to emulate Mariah or Celine with a cracking voice, rather he sings softly and within his limits.
If I hadn’t heard the song myself, the idea of it would make me cringe. But Hailie’s Song is one of the strongest tracks, and it’s a favorite of mine. Breaking up things up with his rap talent, Eminem proclaims “Our baby’s traveled back to the arms of her rightful owner....”.
Not only does Eminem brag like any father would, he also lets Hailie serve as “Flavor Flav” to his “Chuck D” on My dad’s gone crazy. This isn’t really anything new for Eminem, it’s a display of his insane side with mentions of killing in strange ways, and acting like a lunatic. The only new angle here, as he raps, Hailie chimes in with “I think my dad’s gone crazy!. Like Flav she ends some of his lines with the appropriate sound, like a Grrrrrr! after Eminem announces “There ain’t nothin’ I can’t take this chainsaw to....”
I’m sure Mathers could be seen as a questionable father for letting his daughter participate in such a graphic rap, but all that aside, I’ve gotta confess I find the track catchy as hell. Eminem’s partners in crime D12 have an obligatory spot on When The Music Stops.
While D12 had a somewhat interesting debut album, I really could do without them here. Eminem’s ability to write and deliver his verbal assaults exceeds those of D12 by such a wide margin, that their appearance brings mostly yawns. As much as I’d like to see Eminem jettison this dead weight, I know their decent record sales, and Eminem's need for a "posse" exempts them from being handed their hats.
A little bonus the first million or so copies of TES included a second disc. The extra disc isn't a CD, but a DVD with some live on stage material, one music video, and an early preview of Eminem's new movie 8 Mile and some other odds and ends.
It’s funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Yes it’s a total cliché to say “it sounds the same but different” but in this case it does apply to The Eminem Show. Mathers still spends a little too much time telling us he hates his mother, his ex, and his childhood. But Mathers applies enough twists, clever rhymes and funky beats to keep me interested. If you only know Eminem from his singles, or what some “Mothers against something or other” has to say about him, I’m revoking your “bitch and moan card” right here.
What other rapper that charts ever mentions that he cries, has almost insurmountable insecurities or tells in vivid detail that his mother crushed his spirit as a child? I can’t think of one. It’s Mathers’ brutal honesty, rhyme skill, and understanding, that speaks to your teenage kids, your nieces and nephews, your friends and co-workers.
I doubt that any real Eminem “haters” have ever sat down and listened to his music. Maybe Eminem is just too much for some, and I guess that’s okay. With messages often draped in vulgar clothing, it’s understandable. But to all the parents out there, maybe you should take your child’s copy and hear what Eminem has to say. It would be a very good idea to listen to the man that speaks to your children more than you do.
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