Eminem "Shows" some maturity on The Eminem Show

Author's Rating:

Pros: Eminem gets some real subject matter; production is still good

Cons: The gratuitous misogyny of "Superman"; Eminem's lyricism has declined a bit

The Bottom Line: 
Stay for the "show". Just leave before his "Encore".

Author's Review
Ah yes, my first re-review. My old one used a track-by-track style of analyzing, which ultimately bogged the review down. I decided, though, since I’m covering all of Eminem’s mainstream albums, I might as well cover this one using the same style.

Anyways…The are two differing opinions people have about The Eminem Show. some people think it’s his best album yet; others think that it alludes to his eventual loss of lyricism and is the start of his downfall. Personally, I feel that all 3 of Eminem’s first mainstream albums are equal, each showing a different persona of Eminem. The Slim Shady LP was the most diverse; The Marshall Mathers LP was the most emotional and explosive; The Eminem Show is the most introspective. Eminem turns away from the insanity and rage of the previous two (respectively) and instead turns to political commentary, his personal issues, and the state of hip-hop itself. Even though the album was lyrically inferior to Eminem’s other albums up to this point, artistically it is Eminem’s magnum opus.

The “show” begins with the curtains being raised and Eminem preparing to speak. Then it jumps right into ”White America”. Eminem goes all-out on this song, talking about his fans, his critics, and even his own success, going so far to say that (“if [he] was black, [he] would’a sold half”). Sadly, it’s true. Like it or not, Eminem’s right. Like 2Pac said, it’s a ”White Man’z World”. He then goes on to address the fact that his critics seem to expect more from him because he’s white (“actin’ like I’m the first rapper to slap a b*tch and say f*ggot”). The production sounds more like a hard-rock song, but Eminem suits it perfectly with his enflamed lyrics and flawless flow. ”Square Dance” is similar, this time featuring attacks at the Bush Administration and the Iraqi War. Think ”Mosh” was Eminem’s best political piece? Think again.

Maybe he’s complained about his mom before, but never has Eminem done it as well as in ”Cleanin’ Out My Closet”. Even though the radio played this song to death, it remains one of Eminem’s best songs ever, as Em looks to his childhood and finally uncovers exactly why he hates his mother. The best is very hypnotic and Eminem changes his vocal tone from the previous songs. While in “White America” he raised his voice to demonstrate his anger, in this song his tone is completely calm, which, combined with the asperity of lyrics depicts his anger much more efficiently. This song is basically a list of grievances he has against his mother, including her drug use, and his submission to her Munchausen's syndrome (by proxy). Now the things he’s said before make sense.

Though it sounds a bit repetitive, both the chorus and the subject matter, ”Say Goodbye Hollywood” is another good song. Over chillingly melodic production, Eminem talks about his personal life once again, this time discussing Kim’s unfaithfulness and the “Guerrera Incident”. He graphically depicts his arrest following the incident before making a pledge to duck out of the spotlight to be a better father to Hailie…wait…didn’t he do a movie a few months later? He’s better step up his act as a parent, since he just won custody of his daughter. In ”Hailie’s Song” Eminem, overjoyed at winning custody, feels like singing. Well, he’s not the best singer in the world, but it doesn’t hinder the song, as Eminem shows vulnerability never before revealed. This song is definitely the most touching song he’s done to his daughter, even ”Mockingbird” and ”When I’m Gone” can’t compare to Eminem actually deciding to sing. Fortunately after 2 verses he gives up and raps the final verse with excellent lyricism as he decides to get over Kim (if only…) and focus on Hailie…Okay, so it didn’t work out that way, but the song is still beautiful.

”Without Me” and ”Business” are two more of this albums singles, and are among the lighthearted ones. The former leaves a bit to be desired. Em’s first single, it’s not a far step from this to “Just Lose It”. The song is clever, as Eminem parodies the FCC’s view of him by spitting shock lyrics throughout the song. “Business” is much better, as Eminem declares it his mission to clear hip-hop from “wack” rappers with “unlyrical lyrics”. Though the premise of Dr. Dre and Eminem as Batman and Robin is a bit unusual, Eminem’s lyrics are definitely lyrical, so I guess he accomplishes his goal.

”When The Music Stops” features D12 as the group spits lyrics about hip-hop and the fine line between music and life. It’s a clever concept, bogged down by generic verses by most of D12. surprisingly, Bizarre’s verse best captures the point of the song

”LL told me to ‘Rock The Bells’
N.W.A. said ‘F*ck The Police’
Now I'm in jail
[…]
M.O.P. had me grimy and gritty
Marilyn Manson, I dyed my hair blue
And grew some titties
Ludacris told me to throw them bows
Now I'm in the hospital with a
Broken nose and a fractured elbow”

This song, however, pales in comparison to the spectacular ”Sing For The Moment,” arguably Eminem’s best song. The production samples Aerosmith’s ”Dream On” to give it a rock-based feel as Eminem discusses the power of music over people’s lives. Ultimately, though, Eminem says that everyone is responsible for their own behavior.

“They say music can alter moods and talk to you
Well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude
Just tell the judge it was my fault and I’ll get sued”

This song is worth the price of admission to the “show” on its own, which is good, because Eminem needs songs like these to balance out the bad songs. ”Drips” is one of the less-than-desirable songs on the album. Remember the “drips” of ”Ken Kaniff” from Em’s previous album? Well this isn’t much better, with Eminem and Obie Trice storytelling about their sexcapades with a girl and the various “parting gifts” she leaves them with. Honestly, if you can stomach it, it’s pretty funny (especially when Eminem says he “feel[s] like [he’s] been stickin' [his] f*ckin' dick in a hearse), but you might just not want to “touch” this song at all. Imagine what you might catch for listening to it. ”Superman” completely wastes a beautiful guitar riff and Eminem’s excellent lyrics and delivery with a 6-minute-long song about misogyny. Unlike the various acts of violence depicted in ”Kill You,” which were so absurd that you had to laugh, Eminem sounds way to serious in this song as he talks about using various “sluts” then abusing them. Some people like it; I wouldn’t recommend it. ”Soldier” is basically “The Way I Am Pt. 2,” except this time, Eminem is a thug. Despite the multi-syllabic flow, the subject matter impairs this otherwise great song.

Don’t worry though, the album may lag near the middle, but once you pass “When The Music Stops,” it’s all smooth sailing through three excellent tracks. In ”Say What You Say,” Eminem and Dre team up to verbally attack Jermaine Dupri and Canibus, basically assuming a position of complete supremacy over their foes. ”Till I Collapse” is my personal favorite song, as Eminem spits braggadocio and battle rhymes, finally placing himself among his personal list of great emcees: Redman, Jay-Z, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Andre 3000, Jadakiss, Kurupt, Nas, then himself. It’s interesting to see such apparent humility on Em’s part, but judging from the lyrical performance he lays down, he’s outperformed half the list. The album finally ends with ”My Dad’s Gone Crazy,” which samples his daughter’s voice. Though the album starts out like a Slim Shady song, in the third verse Eminem inexplicably changes, becoming introspective, even conceding to the parents who criticize him (“I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t let Hailie listen to me neither”). It’s a great way to end a great album, though Eminem’s endings have always been strong.

Like his other two (non-Infinite) albums, Eminem still hasn’t quite crafted a classic. The annoying skits still bog down the album, along with a couple bad tracks. One outstanding factor, however, is Eminem’s newfound maturity. You’ll notice that he’s really toned down the profanity and focused more on serious subject matter. Moreover, the homophobia of the previous album is gone; he only says “f*ggot” twice, once as a reference and once to refer to his deadbeat father. If only he had combined the lyricism and production of the previous album, he could have made The Eminem Show a classic.


Final Rating: 4 1/2 Stars, Rounded Down
1. Curtains Up (Skit) [Not Rated]
2. White America [5 Stars]
3. Business [4 1/2 Stars]
4. Cleaning Out My Closet [5 Stars]
5. Square Dance [5 Stars]
6. The Kiss (Skit) [Not Rated]
7. Soldier [4 Stars]
8. Say Goodbye Hollywood [3 1/2 Stars]
9. Drips [3 Stars]
10. Without Me [3 Stars]
11. Paul Rosenberg (Skit) [Not Rated]
12. Sing for the Moment [5 Stars]
13. Superman [2 1/2 Stars]
14. Hailie’s Song [5 Stars]
15. Steve Berman (Skit) [Not Rated]
16. When the Music Stops [3 1/2 Stars]
17. Say What You Say [4 1/2 Stars]
18. ‘Till I Collapse [5 Stars]
19. My Dad’s Gone Crazy [4 1/2 Stars]
20. Curtains Close (Skit) [Not Rated]

Great Music to Play While: Wondering what the hell happened to Eminem