Kill You wrote:EminemBase wrote:Geno wrote:Like Shady 2.0 music or not (Em included), say they sold out or not... it doesn't matter. They all kept their style, and image, and still did 50k. I'm happy with it. I wouldn't want them to sell 500k and put out a horrible album. What's the point?
They kept their styles, and images. But they compromised for the worse.
They AIMED for radio based on what they thought people would like. That's always the worst mistake any artists/musicians/rappers make, it results in the phoniest music: lukewarm.
And that's what this album is, lukewarm.
It's not horrible, but I don't think anybody can truly say it's amazing. They put out a lukewarm album and sold 50k; but I think they and others think they had to put out a lukewarm to do that, but the point is: it actually works the opposite - put out an AMAZING album, and you win the most.
They sold 18k of their debut independently, and that album doesn't compromise one iota. They would have sold 30-40k on the next album even if independent IMO, as the second always improves on the first by at least twofold if there's a buzz... so the label situation didn't really appear to help them any. They could have compromised none, and did better.
The album is alright, but I look forward to the future. Didn't make a dent to me.
Who's to say they compromised at all though? What if they really wanted to make this type of music? It's like Recovery, we can't really say if Em started making emotional songs for himself or just to please the fans...it's probably the latter.
I personally think this >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> what's on the radio today.
Well if they genuinely made the best music that they wanted... cool, good for them. I don't like it as much as they do, and don't think it's great, but that's neither here nor there.
However, I think it's obvious that they did compromise; Royce's comments in particular point to it with him saying the album is what people said 'they can't do' - they went out of their way to try and write stuff to prove a point, or cater to a style... that automatically right there makes it a compromise. As it's not as organic, or just an authentic birth of material, it's with agenda to others.
Similarly with Em... well Em has admitted as much anyway. He said he aimed wider. He listened to the fans and aimed wider.
The problem I have with this is you can't second-guess what people want. Often people don't know what they 'want' until you show them. It's like, I could never have 'wanted'
Relapse as I'd heard nothing like it, I was expecting and wanting something TOTALLY different. And yet, what I got I completely loved. And it's obvious to me (I believe anyway) that Em loved/loves it.
And the reason it's so good is because it's authentic artistry. Whether you like it or not, it's raw and authentic because the artist made it for themselves. You hear that, it's unique.
When artists start making for others or their 'fans' (fans are interchangeable and only like what you're doing in the moment or not anyway, so it's bizarre and illogical to aim at a faceless, moving crowd) is when they lose their grip, get broad (money, cars) and make inferior material.
The material on
Our House to me is inferior, for that reason. I can feel it being aimed at faceless crowds in different directions, and irrespective of all that - the production is just hella messy and loud, and there's not much innovation or excitement to the material for me.
You can't know if you like or dislike or want something that you haven't heard yet, which is why a fan's wish to an artist should always be irrelevant. I just wish Em and co. would have the mentality of creating original and amazing art (that HE / THEY think is amazing) that will
become a want/fulfillment to people and 'fans', rather than trying to adhere to bizarre rules of populism and perception, and trying to create material that provides something that already exists.