The main problem with Em's current style is...

[Common]

...it feels like he's just rapping instead of emptying his thoughts, even on "deep" songs like Lighters. Up until Recovery, everything was just straight talk. It felt effortless. Sure, he would obviously put together multis for the sake of it, but it still felt natural. Now, it just feels like he's trying. Sure, some people have a problem with the voice, but that's really not a HUGE deal for me. The lyrics just don't feel natural anymore, he's trying to be clever instead of just being clever. He obviously tried before, but do you know what I mean?

This best sums up what my issue with Em is:

[EminemBase]

I know what you mean, but I like it.

Relapse probably best displays what you mean as a lot of that writing sounds like writing. It's overly rich, overly fussy wording and phrasing but that's what I love about it. It sounds unnatural but it's an indulgence in style, it's got a finesse...

I absolutely know what you mean about his earlier work, it sounds like rhymes were just falling in to place, as if he was just speaking and it was happening by accident; and that's an absolutely lovely element of his vintage stuff, but I'm glad to have different sides.

I like the obsessive focus on phrasing again, even if he doesn't always pull it off or he's corny sometimes now, I'm glad that he's honed in on craft. I just hope he focuses on concepts next.

[Hopsinshadie]

as far as his new style, it feels like he' a little more distant from us. He doesnt feel quite as natural, he feels more robotic. Instead of being the white boy punk he used to be he comes across more as a lyrical encyoclopedia with no true attitude, though tries to force it. But he also tries not to overdo it, you get the sense that he doesn't want to go over the top since TES.

[Blu]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious in his "Our House" verse as well. He's stringing along crazy rhymes for the fuck of it, there's no real purpose in his lyrics.

[Hopsinshadie]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious in his "Our House" verse as well. He's stringing along crazy rhymes for the fuck of it, there's no real purpose in his lyrics.

But I kind of feel sorry for him in a way. Not his fortune, but he's sort of a victom virtue of the fact that he is a 40 year old rich guy now. I mean is it even possible for him to rap about problems anymore? He is 40 now. What is his purpose in his songs supposed to be now? How is he supposed to relate to us?

[Blu]

But I kind of feel sorry for him in a way. Not his fortune, but he's sort of a victom virtue of the fact that he is a 40 year old rich guy now. I mean is it even possible for him to rap about problems anymore? He is 40 now. What is his purpose in his songs supposed to be now? How is he supposed to relate to us?

That's where Em screwed up. His biggest songs usually had elements from his life in them. Now that he's talked about nearly everything from his life, where is gonna head next?

[radioactivejaber]

Blu, I don't really see your point. I'm taking Eminem for what he is at face-value. For a 39 year old rapper he's dope, and he has a lot to say. He's only dropped 3 guest verses in the past 2 years (excluding HTS) and we haven't really seen Eminem in this time. I'll wait till he drops his albums to start pushing judgements, but as far as I'm concerned, Eminem is the best out right now.

[Amaranthine]

50 once said that Em basing his music on his life was the only way an artist could be sure he'd never run out of material to write about, because there's always drama or problems or just something to vent about.

[Hopsinshadie]

Another issue is on Throw That's hook, Eminem says ''I'll throw this dick on you girl.''

If he said that in the MMLP days, that would have been fine. But now people are too critical. People complaing about the little hook on that song. What else is he supposed to say? For sakes, it's not even his album.

[Kill You]

Not everyone HAS to relate to Em though...stop worrying about relating and just enjoy the music. Em sounds like he doesn't give a fuck anymore and his music has been more comical...you're saying you'd rather him give a fuck and make songs for YOU rather than HIMSELF? Fuck that. The last time he made music for the fans we got Recovery and everyone bitches about that.

I want Slim Shady on his next album, fuck all that emotional shit.

[EminemBase]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious in his "Our House" verse as well. He's stringing along crazy rhymes for the fuck of it, there's no real purpose in his lyrics.

But I kind of feel sorry for him in a way. Not his fortune, but he's sort of a victom virtue of the fact that he is a 40 year old rich guy now. I mean is it even possible for him to rap about problems anymore? He is 40 now. What is his purpose in his songs supposed to be now? How is he supposed to relate to us?

But why does he have to rap about problems?

There are infinite concepts and ideas and ways of presenting things; he doesn't have to be poor or going through things to create great art.

It's a limited mind that can only take real life situations or issues, as they're happening, and relay them realistically; he isn't a biographer or chronicler; be creative.

[UofLCard]

No cowbells.

[Blu]

But why does he have to rap about problems?

There are infinite concepts and ideas and ways of presenting things; he doesn't have to be poor or going through things to create great art.

It's a limited mind that can only take real life situations or issues, as they're happening, and relay them realistically; he isn't a biographer or chronicler; be creative.

But the thing is, would the listener be interested? You have to remember that Eminem tried making an album that wasn't completely relying on his own personal life, Relapse. But, we also know that it had a lot of mixed reviews, mostly negative. I'm sure some "true" hip-hop heads enjoyed the album, but the star track for just about everyone else was "Beautiful", a song about his life.

[Blu]

Beautifully said, it's why I love you Menzo.

[EminemBase]

But why does he have to rap about problems?

There are infinite concepts and ideas and ways of presenting things; he doesn't have to be poor or going through things to create great art.

It's a limited mind that can only take real life situations or issues, as they're happening, and relay them realistically; he isn't a biographer or chronicler; be creative.

But the thing is, would the listener be interested? You have to remember that Eminem tried making an album that wasn't completely relying on his own personal life, Relapse. But, we also know that it had a lot of mixed reviews, mostly negative. I'm sure some "true" hip-hop heads enjoyed the album, but the star track for just about everyone else was "Beautiful", a song about his life.

But the thing is, who cares 'who' is interested?

Do you know why Eminem's first two albums contain most of his best artistic genius? because he wasn't trying to aim his music at a demographic, or make art FOR people.

Both The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP are concepts and expression that he thinks is worthy, that he thinks is interesting; he was just concerned with creating original, brilliant material; and the result is consistent, interesting music.

Only when he or any great artist tries to second-guess themselves, the presumed audience or when they stop creating for themselves do they usually lose their spark. Eminem hasn't completely lost his spark, but he's grappling with it. Relapse was a step in the right direction, he was just creating again; Recovery was in a sense, a step backward, but it still has some excellent stuff.

Eminem is at his least compelling when he tries to put a face to the listener.

It should be Darwinian - whoever likes it, likes it. It doesn't matter what any of us want; this isn't / shouldn't be a popularity contest. The best art is an acquired taste not a broad offering for the masses. Sometimes some can bridge the two, but when you start trying to bridge the two or aiming things at people, you compromise, and create something much less interesting.

People who just want to hear Eminem rap about struggle and strife, or think that's where his potential maximizes obviously didn't get him to begin with. So I don't understand why he'd want to create music for people who only appreciate the more straightforward aims of his more generic themes. I'm not saying he should create for me or people like me either; I just wish that he would create things that are original and brilliant to himself. And at the moment, he isn't really doing that; Recovery is him trying to align himself with pop-culture and adhere to certain formats and sounds, it's like Em trying to bizarrely replicate his sound to a modern era...

I sometimes wonder where that groundbreaking artist went.