I still have to give Dre the credit for bringing Eminem into the limelight, as well as producing almost entirely his "comeback" album Relapse. I dont think he would be where he is today without the help of the good doctor.
Well Dre didn't really bring Em to the limelight. It's just because Dre was already so respected and he appeared with Em and said he's good so that's what he did. If you're going to credit anyone with discovering and truly helping Em in that sense it should be the Bass Bros. They're the ones who have instrumented his stylistics and assisted his best production.
In terms of Em being where he is... Well, no he probably wouldn't be as famous but I do still think he would of made an impact. Because when you think about it, he made
The Slim Shady EP before he even met Dre. That EP already had "Just Don't Give a Fuck", "97 Bonnie and Clyde" and "If I Had" on it.
Not to mention one of Em's most still incredible lyrical songs "Low Down, Dirty". That EP was making a lot of underground noise anyway and people were really taking note of Em given the fact he was tearing people up on stage. And his appearance on The Wake Up Show.
It was actually Jimmy Iovine who asked for Em's tape and then gave it to Dre. This is all I mean when I say Dre gets too much credit for Em. The Bass Bros deserve creative mentorship and Jimmy deserves actual major discovering credit. Dre just hoped on the train lmao.
I think Dre is the one with the predicable production.
Relapse was a well produced album but I feel Em's beats are not only more memorable but just better. And especially better suited for him. When Em makes beats he starts from melodies in his head, builds from that and writes to the melody.
I mean if I think of an Eminem beat, it immediately jumps to mind. Because it's usually always a totally brand new melody from his head instead of a sample and loud drums. Like... "Lose Yourself". I mean that... From nothing. Is amazing. And in my opinion Dre doesn't make or hasn't made beats that are anywhere as near as memorable or powerful as that beat or "The Way I Am". Or "No Apologies".
So what you end up with is a beat which complements his vocals. You get his voice 'going with' the beat, going along with, sticking to it. Where as Dre does more or less the same shit on every beat. He either samples something and slams huge drums on it. Or he gets a basic bassline... And slams huge drums on it lmao.
And you always get the massive Westcoast BANG CHUM... BANG CHUM on any Dre beat. And it's annoying with Em raps because he always drowns out Em's voice or has a drum that slams in too loud on Em's key rhymes. Where as take... "Square Dance" or "Soldier". Much better man. The beat complements his rhymes, his voice comes through clearer and you get an actual song construction as apposed to another random banger beat with Em vocals on top.
I mean... Nearly every original Em beat is so distinctive that as soon as the track name is said I can instantly spew out the melody. I don't think any other hip-hop producer does that for me. Especially not Dre though. I mean... If you name a
Relapse song... It takes me a minute. And what I have to do is think of Em's flow and then the beat comes to mind slowly. Because Dre's beats aren't distinctive enough, he always kills out melodies with drums.