Adam Fishman
Musc 108
Final Project
Professor Charry
Eminem’s Relapse: Revisions of the Past
Eminem’s recent work has not been entirely up to par. His latest single, appropriately
named “Old Time’s Sake,” features little more than a regurgitation of his older, more successful
styles. One can easily hear blatant techniques utilized heavily in his hit album “The Eminem
Show,” as well as those of more recent work, such as his single “Crack a Bottle.” Dr. Dre is
nothing new either. Furthermore, the fact that Mathers has released not one, not two, not three,
but four singles before the dropping of Relapse shows that he either a. is running out of ideas, or
b. is desperate to keep his name out there, so he is trying to become popular in the market once
again before the release of his full album. Furthermore, all four singles are featured on Relapse,
so it makes little sense to buy the most recent ones beforehand. The album material that can be
found online however has been promising: songs that have leaked to the likes of YouTube and
other networks seem far better than the singles, but nothing is certain until the album is officially
released.
The first listens of Eminem’s new music yielded mixed results. With February came
“Crack a Bottle,” which was great – he was back with a new style. March and April however,
would be very different. “We Made You” and “3 AM” were ok and pathetic, respectively. “Old
Time’s Sake” was just an ok combination of older styles. “Beautiful,” on the other hand, was
uplifting and motivational. One can only hope that the full album will revive the spark that used
to drive Marshall Mathers. His older work had anger, passion, and was fueled by problems that
would drive even the most levelheaded man to the edge of insanity. As of late, Eminem seems to
have lost his motivation, having replaced it with self-hatred due to his relapse, which will impact
his music for better or worse; so far, it has been for the latter.
“Crack a Bottle” was hands-down the best single Eminem has released in years; his style
was totally different, exemplified by his higher-pitched rapping. It was very creative and
innovative, without any ties to his past work. Three months later, things are very different. “We
Made You,” lyrically, is little more than a rehash of “Ass Like That” with a few new women –
namely Kim Kardashian – to match the times. It features the same odd accent, seen five years
ago in Encore, but without the attitude. The two are very similar, although the musical aesthetic
is arguably different in that the former is just Eminem rapping solo. Overall, it is decent, but not
better than “Crack a Bottle” simply because the latter was made as a club banger which people
can truly have a good time to, whereas the former seems to target individuals; it would not work
in a large setting. “We Made You” seems to feature an unfamiliar sample; Eminem has sampled
others in the past, as seen in the likes of “Sing for the Moment” which used Aerosmith’s “Dream
On,” but something here is different. He complements the seemingly sampled music on “We
Made You” by keeping it minimalist, adding little more than his own voice. This adds to the
song, bringing it above “3 AM” in musical quality.
April also brought “3 AM” to the shelves, but unlike “We Made You,” it is simply not
good music. Of course, this is subjective, but the lyrics are not deep, meaningful or creative. As
least “We Made You” was rather comical. The lyrics of “3 AM” reflect Mathers’ drug habits,
but they are simply mediocre: “3 AM in the morning” is redundant; even the skit with Paul that
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will be seen on Relapse is more creative in revealing Mathers’ recent drug history. “Déjà Vu” is
a far more honest song about the exact same problems, and should have sent “3 AM” to the
cutting room floor. Furthermore, Kim Kardashian’s behind is mentioned again. When I heard
this, my head literally sank. It was like watching a fashion designer wear the same clothes for a
week straight, like watching your favorite baseball player go hitless in the playoffs – because
that’s what this is for Eminem: the playoffs. He’s aging, and needs a solid album to get back on
top again.
“Old Time’s Sake” is not bad overall, but it pales in comparison to the hit singles that
Eminem fans are used to hearing. The opening is nothing special: “This is your captain
speaking… you are now free to smoke about the cabin.” This song also features Em’s beloved
(but not so much by this listener) accent, along with scratching reminiscent of “Square Dance.”
The chorus is not bad. In fact, it’s rather catchy. The beat is stripped down to what Eminem
fans are used to hearing – it’s raw and outwardly simple, yet synthesized and highly produced.
The background sounds (beeps and DJ scratching mainly) are not easily heard, but definitely
audible, which complement the baseline. Dr. Dre’s lyrics are by far the weakest part of the song.
I actually spaced out and began daydreaming during one of his longer verses. Eminem and his
post-production team managed to spruce it up somehow, though, essentially saving the song
from complete mediocrity.
The most recently released single, “Beautiful” is what should be expected of newer
Eminem songs. It features a quality sample, Rock Therapy’s “Reaching Out,” and is both
lyrically and aesthetically moving. The balance between original music and sampled music is
perfect, and the baseline could not match more beautifully. The somber tone of the song matches
the lyrics and gives insight to recent themes of Eminem’s life like no other song on Relapse (so
far) other than “Déjà Vu.” At the same time, however, the song is inspiring and elevating to the
listener: “Don’t let ‘em say you’re not beautiful… just stay true to you.” If the rest of the album
is this good, then my comments on the other singles can be thrown out the window.
The lyrics that Eminem has put out on other songs of Relapse are more personal, more
offensive, and more self-deprecating than those of his singles. It seems that he put more effort
into the album as a whole than the singles. “My Mom” features the anger that so brazenly
characterized his earlier persona. The end of the song, however, features Eminem pronouncing
“Mom” like “Mum,” in an accent reminiscent of “bum” in “My Band,” released when he was
collaborating with D12. This accent, regardless of Mathers’ opinions on it, is bringing down his
whole career. His hard lyrics of the past are good, but his drawl is not. “Insane” also has the
harsh unrelenting lyrics of the past. The album’s successful combination of the old themes with
a new style is very refreshing. If only it was seen in the singles (but without the accent).
The overarching themes of the album are his recent relapse and addiction to prescription
drugs, combined with a newfound anger similar to that which got him going in the first place.
This listener will have to hear the rest of Relapse before drawing any conclusions, but if the
album as a whole is anything like his most recent singles, Eminem will have to do better. The
songs that can be found online are better than most of his recent work, but are still not on par
with the work that launched Mathers to stardom. Why Eminem chose the “3 AM” and “We
Made You” is still beyond me; neither appeal to a broad audience and are not likely to get much
radio play in comparison to “Crack a Bottle,” “Beautiful,” or even “Old Time’s Sake.” The
recent singles hopefully show that Eminem is saving the best for the album; otherwise his career
may be in jeopardy.
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