Why do people love / hate Eminem to the extremes that they do?

Surely it’s not because he’s a white rapper. Hell, you can’t spark a philly in a cipher without accidentally igniting the blond tresses of some young Caucasian emcee nowadays. Aesop Rock, Sage Francis, El-P, Eyedea, and others are all doing their thing now. The only possible difference between these rappers and Eminem is that none of these rappers do hardcore rap. No other white rapper has ever done gangsta or hardcore rap successfully.

Why is that? Listening to hardcore rap is one thing - listening is passive, an objective observation if you will - but embracing and creating your own version of music dealing with such extreme instances of frustration, violence, and misogyny is something else entirely. For one to be able to accurately create the music means that there is something in the person that deeply identifies with its themes. And the last thing anyone wants to admit is that a young, white, preppy teen from Woodcrest for example, might have something in common with a black, thugged-out hoodrat from Compton. Because if that is true, then some serious changes need to be made on both sides of the tracks.

But, apparently the two groups do have something in common, and Slim Shady’s mainstream success is a glaring, unyielding example of a bridge between the opposites. Judging from his album sales, there are many others out there just like him who identify, that just haven’t picked up a mic yet.

The Eminem Show demonstrates that Slim Shady is uniquely aware of this concept. Clearly realizing that mainstream America views him as a completely different entity from both his hardcore/gangsta peers and the pop audience who idolize him, he does his best to rub the hypocrisy back the faces of his detractors. Still Em does his best to entertain, engaging fans with the raunchiness, humor, and sheer skill that helped propel him to the top. On the album, Eminem also and shows a degree of growth as an artist by handling the majority of the production himself and rapping with more refined, less unrestrained lyrics as well. It’s certainly not the best effort we’ve seen from the Detroit rapper, but The Eminem Show may be the most honest.

Tracklisting
1. Curtains Up (skit)
2. White America
3. Business
4. Cleanin Out My Closet
5. Square Dance
6. The Kiss (skit)
7. Soldier
8. Say Goodbye Hollywood
9. Drips
10. Without Me
11. Paul Rosenberg (skit)
12. Sing For The Moment
13. Superman
14. Hailie’s Song
15. Steve Berman (skit)
16. When The Music Stops
17. Say What You Say
18. ‘Till I Collapse
19. My Dad’s Gone Crazy
20. Curtains Close (skit)

“Without Me” is the first single from The Eminem Show and it couldn’t sound more pop if Christina, Britney, and N’Sync were all singing on the hook. The beat Em produces for this is simply a modified version of D12’s “Purple Pills” hit, complete with the low, rubbery bassline and the crazy “sax on crack.” Lyrically, he dances across a wide variety of topics, including slinging a brief assault on Moby, but never really goes into a great deal of depth into any of them. It’s a pure pop song created to satisfy the TRL crowd.

Eminem does get a chance to prove his maturity as an artist though with songs like “White America” and “Sing for the Moment.” On the former, Em produces a rock-inspired track to spur him into discussing how America embraces him and demonizes him primarily because he is a white hardcore rapper. He brings up a valid point saying that he by no stretch of the imagination is not the first rapper to curse, use the word “f*g,” or rap about abusing women, but from the way the media and public-at-large respond to him, you’d certainly think he was. “Sing for the Moment” allows the emcee to delve into the fascinating topic of how angst-ridden white youth readily embrace black culture through their ability to relate to the pain and frustration contained in Hip-Hop music. Musically he selects a slower tempo, skillfully borrowing somber elements from “Dream On” by Aerosmith. He raps, “That's why we, sing for these kids who don't have a thing/ except for a dream and a f*ckin rap magazine/ who post pin-up pictures on they walls all day long/ idolize they favorite rappers and know all they songs/ or for anyone who's ever been through sh*t in they lives/ 'til they sit and they cry at night wishin they'd die/ 'til they throw on a rap record and they sit and they vibe.”

But of course, it’s not an Eminem album without rowdy verbal attacks and other assorted forms of all-around random nastiness, and the rapper definitely delivers in this latest outing. Spitting venom on “Square Dance,” Marshall Mathers attacks his most vehement detractors, potentially sparking the Canibus conflict Hip-Hop heads have been drooling in anticipation of since the release of C! True Hollywood Stories. It’s not exactly a thunderous Canibus diss considering the fact that “Rip the Jacker” dedicated nearly half of his third LP expressly to the purpose of violating Marshall Mathers, but since ‘Bis doesn’t appear to be “on the radar,” Slim probably went easy on him. Still, Em should take a lesson from the Jay-Z / Nas fiasco and not underestimate someone who appears to have fallen off, Canibus has been backed into a wall and definitely has the teeth and nails to fight. Later, even Dre gets swept up into the battle spirit on a sparse beat laced by the Doc for “Say What You Say.” Verbally he backhands So So Def producer Jermaine Dupri in response to some untoward comments JD made about Dre and Timbaland. Eminem trades verses with Dre throughout the piece, surreptitiously sliding in a few extra jabs at Canibus.

Fresh off of completing litigation proceedings against his mother, Eminem comes out swinging again with more matricidal thoughts on the lamenting “Cleanin Out My Closet.” He comes at Debbie Mathers with more anger and disappointment, this time not focusing on his childhood, but on his mother’s actions since he became successful. Rookie emcee Obie Trice lends his rhyming talents to “Drips,” as he and Em describe two different sides of a sexual encounters with a not-quite virginal girl that left them both making appointments at the clinic. Plus, the Dirty Dozen D12 stops by to kick verses on the banging “When the Music Stops.” Listen to Em’s verse for another subtle Canibus reference.

It’s ironic that Em called out Everlast on his questionable singing abilities during their beef last year, then decided to croon on “Hailie’s Song.” Whitey Ford may not be able to take Em lyrically, but he definitely beats him in the singing department. For this piece, Eminem sings about the stability his daughter brought to his life, kind of like Lauryn Hill’s “To Zion” except without the vocal skill and direction. The rapper does a nice job with the music, though the slow, piano and guitar-based song does come off as far too syrupy-sweet. As if purposely trying to be contrary, Em comes back later expounding on his psychotic tendencies saying, “not even Hailie can save me” as she repeatedly exclaims, “My Dad’s Gone Crazy.” The wild, lyrical “lashing-out” here over the spastic beat better epitomizes the Marshall Mathers fans have grown accustomed to.

As far as production, this album is truly more Eminem than his previous efforts, with all of the musical compositions created by Slim except for “Business” and “Say What You Say.” His impressive work behind the boards shows that he’s serious about completely mastering his art, and is not just satisfied to remain a pure rhyme-spitter like too many of today’s rappers. He’s got miles to go before becoming another Dr. Dre, but he does have his feet pointed in the right direction. He knows his formula and sticks to it.

All in all, Eminem does create a decent album with The Eminem Show. The production, though not on par with the best efforts of Dr. Dre, is certainly capable of getting some heads nodding. Of course, Eminem is still as lyrically sharp as he ever was, though he is starting to outgrow the need to recklessly sling expletives and verbal abuse. Will you like the album? Just like his previous albums, you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it; there are few in-betweens. But regardless, it does deserve a listen. Go on, don’t be skurred…



To read the letter “Stan” wrote to Canibus about Eminem copy this link into your browser’s address bar and click ‘go’:

http://www.epinions.com/content_47304773252





Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends