REVIEW: Marshall Mathers drops another bomb on the hip-hop world
This year has been very exciting for the hip-hop and rap world. A lot of big names have dropped some big records. Kid Cudi started the party with “Indicud” back in April, then Kanye West and Jay-Z gave us “Yeezus” and “Magna Carta Holy Grail” to rock out to over the summer. Next, only a few weeks ago, Drake released his third full-length album, “Nothing Was the Same.” But in my opinion, all this was just building up to the release of the newest album from the greatest rapper alive: Eminem. Tuesday, Nov. 5 marked the date for the release of “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.”
As was previously stated, I truly think Eminem is the greatest rapper alive. This topic can be, and has been, debated over and over; but no matter where you stand on the topic, there is one word everyone should agree perfectly describes Eminem – incomparable. Whether you like him or not, nobody can compare with Eminem. He really is in a league of his own. Nobody makes music the way he does.
“The Marshall Mathers LP 2″ continues Slim Shady’s tradition of producing unique, incomparable music. For starters, if you never really liked Eminem’s music because he was too obscene and vulgar, this album is definitely not for you. It is definitely Eminem and all his four-letter words at their finest. That being said, one of the things that has always set Eminem apart from the crowd is his lyrical genius. This is on display in a fantastic way on this record. I was impressed with this throughout the album. It is something that makes Eminem so much fun to listen to. Nobody does it the way he does.
The bottom line with the album is this: It’s just Eminem doing Eminem. It is Slim Shady at his finest, in my opinion, and it seems like I am not the only one who shares this opinion. Four of the album’s songs are already in the top 20 of Billboard’s Hot 100: “Monster” is No. 3, and “Berzerk,” “Survival” and “Rap God” hold the No. 15-17 spots.
This album definitely deserves “LP” in the title – short for “long play” – with a total of 21 tracks. It is very hard for me to pick out favorites because I really was impressed with the entire album. The opening track, “Bad Guy,” is a poetically beautiful seven-minute track that definitely belongs at the opening of this album. It is the classic “Eminem battling with himself” that builds up to an epic conclusion.
“Rap God” is probably my initial favorite track because it is everything I love about Eminem in one song. Again, it is something incomparable and, in a lot of ways, indescribable. The last two minutes especially are something really special. He puts his skill on an incredible display that is a treat for all.
Some of the tracks also feature some big names. “Love Game” is a catchy track featuring the rap star Kendrick Lamar. “Headlights” is a cool song featuring the unique vocal talents of Nate Ruess, the lead singer of The Format and Fun, and I think it is safe to say we are going to be hearing a lot of “The Monster,” which reunited Eminem with pop star Rihanna. It has a catchy beat with a chorus that is easy to sing along to – that’s all it takes to be a radio hit these days, right? But of course, Eminem’s verses take it beyond this and makes the song so much more.
My final grade for this album is a solid A. Mr. Mathers came to play with this album, and in his own words in the song “Rhyme Or Reason,” “So as long as I’m on the clock punching this time card/Hip-hop ain’t dying on my watch.”