Menzo wrote:What irks me is that there is no sign of any upcoming artist that can touch the extra-terrestrial presence that Em has produced as a writer and rapper and what Kanye has produced (and continues to) as a visionary.
We're doomed.
Yeah well I honestly haven't heard anyone since Em or anybody in history that rivals Em at his best.
To me, Em is the Tyson of rap.
Tyson to me was the greatest (regardless of records, I just mean technical) heavyweight and one of the greatest boxers ever because he could do almost every single aspect as well as the next.
A lot of heavyweights had their strong and weak points. Foreman was a huge hitter for example but had awful defence. Tyson on the other hand was as fast as he was powerful. As powerful as he was illusive, and incredibly accurate. He was a machine.
It's like he was just born to box. I've never seen any fighter, not even Ali, as good as Tyson in that sense. Every single punch is thrown so perfectly, no flappy form, everything is as it should be.
And that's what I feel Eminem is in rap because you have other great rappers that have their strong points and weak points... 2Pac did songs about his community and society, he stood up against issues and also made it emotional. But that was his strength, then you have Nas, who's strength is probably... loose narrative storytelling, smooth, and politics.
But then you have Em, he can make music for any mood and is basically as good at all of them. He can be as funny (and I don't mean the goofy first singles, I mean his classic wit) as he can damning, he can be as angry as he can political, as he can poetical. He has the potential to do all and then you have his technical ability, endless flows and styles.
That's just the technical side of it, and there's certainly some rappers that can compete in some technical aspects with him but when it comes to content? not even close. Never heard another ARTIST period with content as compelling as his best work.
It's like audio theatre. I feel like 2Pac is the Ali of rap and Eminem is the Tyson of rap. 2Pac, like Ali, called himself the greatest, was loud, a showman, shrewd and emotional... and he's also the one people generally (generic rap fans) call the greatest of all time.
This is the same for Ali with boxing. But when you actually examine Tyson vs. Ali, regardless of who would of won (I would predict Tyson knocking Ali out within 6 rounds), Tyson towers above Ali in skill, despite people saying Ali is the most skilled of all time. Ali was very skilled, and fast. But he was nowhere near as accurate or powerful as Tyson.
Tyson, like Em, came after that initial particular 'great one' though and they're both live wires, so people often feel obliged to place them 2nd at least.
On the subject of Tyson by the way, most serious heavyweight analysts or fans probably would only place him at 9-15 greatest of all time. But in terms of form, skill and just boxing awe, no other heavyweight comes close. Same with Em in mainstream rap.
I'm not saying he's the next Eminem, I'm saying he could he great too and probably on an equal level if he really strived for it.
He wouldn't even have to be provocative, just get people thinking. I'm optimistic, but maybe that's because if a future legend comes, I wanna work with him (Or her). 
