ARTIST: Eminem
ALBUM: Relapse
LABEL: Shady/Aftermath/Interscope
RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2009
It’s 3 a.m.—Time for His Revenge
Written by John Diaz
The latest album by famed rapper Eminem named Relapse released May 19, 2009 by Shady/ Aftermath/ Interscope records is something you have to hear for yourself. The album can be summed up in the words used in the twelfth track of the album “Stay Wide Awake” which says, “Soon as my flow starts, I compose art like the ghost of Mozart. Even though they all say that they’re real, I know that most aren’t. Boy you think you’re clever, don’t ya? Girl you think you’re so smart, Come with me to another side in a world so cold and so dark.”
With the track “We Made You” currently on its 8th week on the billboard top 100 chart peaking at #9, that wasn’t even the single off the album, this thing is ridiculous. Eminem has something else to say. If you thought he was done, he isn’t. There are events in his past that have made the man what he is today. Songs and skits in the beginning of the album describe trauma no one would wish on anyone. Songs like “My Mom” and “Insane” thrive off of the constant memories of adolescent anguish forced upon him by his mother and stepfather. Another track on the album “3 AM” refers to memories of times where he may have been intoxicated. There is definitely a deep dark side to the conscious of Eminem that we have yet to see.
Now, the entire album isn’t like that. I’d say only about half of the album speaks from the depths of the mind. Get ready now, drop that beat DJ. The refreshing tracks produced by Dr. Dre like “Old Time’s Sake” and “Crack a Bottle”, the single off the album, featuring rapper 50 Cent, are awesome beats with matched lyrics. Back from his past, these two tracks are prime examples of why Eminem and Dr. Dre are still in the game. “Bagpipes from Baghdad” features sick bagpipe riffs and an interesting new scope of samples for tracks. Twenty tracks, five of them skits … that’s a lot of beats. Other tracks include, “Hello”, “Medicine Ball”, “Must be the Ganja”, “Déjà vu”, “Beautiful”, and the culmination and payoff of the album, “Underground”; which features symphony instruments and insane lyrics delivery.
Feeling angry or like the world is against you, pop this album in. Feeling good and need some new music to get you in the mood, pop in this album. Hitting the club and need some beats to get you in the groove, pop in this album. Want to mellow out and realize that things aren’t going as bad as they could be? Pop in this album. With that said, the entirety of the album is fresh, clean and well produced. Did Eminem reinvent the rap genre? Not exactly. Is there something to be absorbed by the fans by this delve into his psyche? Yes, there is. Keep your mind open and listen to some of the most flawless lyrics rendered through the voice of Eminem.