If Eminem made Can-I-Bitch today...

[_Hawk_]

If Eminem was to have made Can I Bitch today it would be considered one of his best tracks since his recovery. A catchy hook; some great rhyming; a funny story; great humour (What was that? Pet shop boys) and above all else it's an extremely competent, well made diss-track. In a nutshell it has everything this forum has asked for with regards to new music from Em, and it would definitely show - as the Warning did - that he can recapture that vibe which he seems to have lost.

Now what I find interesting about this is that Can I Bitch is arguably one of the worst tracks Eminem made between 1999-2004. Certainly it's a good track, but by no stretch does it out-perform any track on SSLP, MMLP or TES (except perhaps for drips). It's certainly forgettable when compared to the music he had made up until that point, yet as I said if he were to have made this track today the forum would go crazy.

I honestly think this whole track shows that Em has lost his natural approach to making music. I recon this track was made extremely quickly, yet now Eminem's verses seem so forced. Yes we only have some features this year to go on, yet he used to be able to rattle those off easily (Dead Wrong was finished within a few hours).

What does anyone else think? Does this track surmount the majority of Eminem's work post recovery, bearing in mind he was beginning to suffer from prescription pills when he wrote it, and it was made with the same Encore feeling of: "they'll love whatever shit I put out".

[Kill You]

Yes, if it was released now it would be considered one of the best songs since his comeback actually.

[JustEnjoytheMusic]

If he released that song now, people would say that he can't let go off the past. That he's being childish. That's as far as the content goes.

I actually like the song, made me lol a couple of times (the Pet Shop Boys part, as you mentioned yourself). I haven't analysed it, but lyrically it doesn't seem to be his best work. "Storytelling wise" (as far as it is a story) it's good and funny. I like the sing-song kind of flow, but nothing I could listen to forever.
Overall, it's a solid and humorous song and great diss track (especially since it's directed at Canibus. It creates a very clever contrast to Canibus' style), but as far as your question goes: No, not really.

It's just that you can hardly compare something from the Relapse era or Recovery era to this. He uses a different style, other topics, it's just too different for me to judge whether it's better or not. You can't compare apples to oranges.

Good track, but I prefer several songs after his comeback.

[_Hawk_]

See that's where I disagree; I could see him making this type of track. He still has the same wacky sense of humour, and with the accents on Relapse in mind he could easily slip into this 'sing-song' type of tune. Remember that The Warning works on a similar, if slightly more vicious, level. "let me whisper sweat nothings in your ear, boo".

As you say, some would consider such a diss childish, but understand that I wasn't trying to suggest he necessarily has to direct such a track towards Canibus, and that this was an album filler: it's tended to help add variety to a wide spread of music. Nonetheless, if it were to be a track made today - and it did leak - I think the forum would be over the moon. It would die down fairly quickly, but I honestly believe it would be ridiculously well received. It wouldn't appear that he's trying too hard and that's the main thing. The Warning felt completely natural.

[JustEnjoytheMusic]

See that's where I disagree; I could see him making this type of track. He still has the same wacky sense of humour, and with the accents on Relapse in mind he could easily slip into this 'sing-song' type of tune. Remember that The Warning works on a similar, if slightly more vicious, level. "let me whisper sweat nothings in your ear, boo".

As you say, some would consider such a diss childish, but understand that I wasn't trying to suggest he necessarily has to direct such a track towards Canibus, and that this was an album filler: it's tended to help add variety to a wide spread of music. Nonetheless, if it were to be a track made today - and it did leak - I think the forum would be over the moon. It would die down fairly quickly, but I honestly believe it would be ridiculously well received. It wouldn't appear that he's trying too hard and that's the main thing. The Warning felt completely natural.

Phrased that way, it sounds cool . I'm not saying he couldn't or shouldn't do it, just saying that it wouldn't have fit on either album. It would be out of place, but the Warning wasn't part of an album either, neither was Can-I-Bitch... I'm kind of destroying my own point, right ? That's the reason I don't debate, especially not in a foreign language. I have the tendency to understand my opponent too well.

As far as dissing goes, though, the way I see hip hop of today (at least mainstream and underground-on-the-verge-of-mainstream (Tech9ne) ) is that the dissing mentality is dying slowly.

It seems to me that collaborations are the new form of dissing.
To destroy the other person on the same track (Hello, No Love or a lot of Tech9Ne collabs). It's much more subtle, pretty vicious AND it's good for economy/business (because the fans buy "their artist's" music, so double-sell, really) AND you're still cool with the artist you work with. Win-Win-Win situation.
So, I'm not sure how wise dissing would be for Eminem. Not saying that he can't or that it wouldn't be a good song, but dissing an artist by using his name means promoting him. That does not only account for Eminem but the majority of "mainstream rappers" (I absolutely detest that term!).

[_Hawk_]

If you're writing in another language then you're English is brilliant!

I'm surprised this hasn't had more comments to be honest. Maybe I need a high post count and an avatar with a motivational signature, but I think the topic of whether dissing is commendable is incredibly interesting. Hopsin dissed Tyler quite viciously and I think it worked really well. Obviously it can appear to be childish, however Eminem has had a fair amount of rappers he could easily launch at: Benzino and Canibus to name a few.

Indeed, is a few lines at the beginning of a cypher to subliminally assault another rapper (Canibus) more cowardly than doing it openly? Em went off his nut when Whitey Ford did just that, and consequently I think his subtle jabs against Canibus make him seem like a bit of a pussy.

[Mathers]

Indeed, is a few lines at the beginning of a cypher to subliminally assault another rapper (Canibus) more cowardly than doing it openly? Em went off his nut when Whitey Ford did just that, and consequently I think his subtle jabs against Canibus make him seem like a bit of a pussy.

Like Menzo said he was probably just mocking underground rappers.

[SoldierShady]

It'd be irrelevant as fuck, son.

[MikeNUFC]

It's a better diss track than The Sauce, in my opinion.

It made Em just seem so above Canibus - the laid back sound to the song shows how irrelevant he is, emphasised by the mentioning of Dupri and the Pet Shop Boys. Picks apart Bis' music and character while telling this humorous story with him and Dre. It's quite brutal, really.

The Slick Rick homage is fucking amazing as well. Obvious reference but twisting it enough that it's not a chip rip off

Totally underrated.

Do somethin'! At least one punchline
C'mon till the meter reads 9-9-9-
ty-nine percent of my fans are blonde
'Bis c'mon answer me man respond!
Tell me 'bout the sun rain moon and stars
Intergalatical metaphors from Mars!
Raw to the floor, raw like Reservoir Dogs
Bite another line from Redman's song!

I know exactly what you mean about how it was probably made pretty quickly. His comedy now sounds totally forced, almost like he's trying too hard. But Em could knock out immense verses like that back then, even if this was only just before the drug problems.

[Trimss]

How could someone react to this honestly. If you were Bis, what would you do? You'd get mad. The guy dissed you in a funny way, and he made fun of you so hard that it's like he doesn't care.

If he doesn't care, why bothering attacking him? This track is a mindfuck for Bis lmao.

[JustEnjoytheMusic]

If you're writing in another language than you're English is brilliant!

Thanks .

Eminem has had a fair amount of rappers he could easily launch at: Benzino and Canibus to name a few.

As I stated previously, those rappers are - okay, Benzino much more so than Canibus - are irrelevant to the game (these days; not saying Canibus wasn't very relevant ten years ago), especially speaking of mainstream. If Eminem named them outright, it would be better promotion for them than anything they could achieve by themselves. They'd get talked about. If Eminem wants to hurt their careers, it's best not to mention them at all because whenever Eminem said in a song 'not even on my radar' or something along those lines, I thought, "Then why mention them? They obviously caught your attention."

Indeed, is a few lines at the beginning of a cypher to subliminally assault another rapper (Canibus) more cowardly than doing it openly? Em went off his nut when Whitey Ford did just that, and consequently I think his subtle jabs against Canibus make him seem like a bit of a pussy.

I disagree. Eminem is turning 40 this year, seeing him diss some person that a majority of his audience doesn't even know seems petty and immature. When Whitey Ford subliminally dissed him, Whitey Ford was established in mainstream while Eminem was establishing himself. And outright diss was smart and helped him getting attention (pretty much what most rappers who diss Eminem these days are trying; Hello, Benzino who is incapable of promoting his own album without saying that he'd continue with their feud). Also, dissing was a lot more alive back then than it is today.

[_Hawk_]

See I think a random diss would be childish, but one against a rapper who's provoked him? I think it could come off well.

Really the point I've been trying to make though is that this song is viewed so flippantly, yet if it was released to this standard by today's Em it would receive a brilliant reception. A fairly consistent flow, some brutal rhymes, humour, nothing corny at all: really everything this forum has wished to see rolled into one track.