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Reviews 69

Relapse Is Musical Rehab

By Johnny Firecloud @JohnnyFirecloud · On May 8, 2009
EminemDr. Dre

Did you take Eminem seriously when Slim Shady first hit? Because I sure as hell didn’t- I wrote him off as a novelty act, a violent-hijinks pop-culture clown that deserved roughly as much respect as MC Hammer. That feeling stayed pretty constant over the next decade or so, and I was comfortable keeping it that way- until tonight, when I got my hands on an early copy of his new Relapse album. After hearing the entire 80 minute, 20 song goliath of an album, I have to say that any future discussion of Eminem’s prowess and evolution as an artist will take on an entirely new context.

eminem-dre-relapse

The story’s been well-documented: Back in 2004, Eminem dropped from the face of the music industry, enduring a series of personal setbacks that sent him deeper into solitude and eventually the welcoming, poisonous arms of addiction. Having taken some personal time and inventory, Em drew up a new battle plan, put on his lab coat and went to work with Dr. Dre. The lips were sewn shut. The rumors were rampant, not a damn one of them true- except that some next-level shit was going down. And now, five years later, we’ve got the proof.

Let’s put it this way: it’s no wonder that  50 Cent’s going back to the drawing board and Dre’s starting to make Axl Rose look trigger-happy. This album is a game-changer for everyone associated or in competition with the bleach-topped (former?) Dre disciple, and will certainly be remembered as Eminem’s finest moment thus far. Hell, album closer Underground slaps the entire rap playbook to the ground in brutal, gravel-voiced, thunderstorm-ridden fashion, all by itself. 

But let’s back up.

After a typically theatrical/comedic opening, Relapse begins with the song’s protagonist on a pill-popping murder spree (3 AM). String bursts and keys lay a dramatic, foreboding tone that sets the stage as Em spits one of his most pedophillically hilarious lines ever in the second verse:

Sitting nude in my living room / it’s almost noon / I wonder what’s on the tube / maybe they’ll show some boobs / surfing every channel until I find Hannah Montana / then I reach for the Aloe & Lanolin / Bust all over the wall panel …and so on. He then moves on to Silence Of The Lambs references and all other kinds of antics, tripping balls, freaking epileptic in the woods and so on. Somehow, what began as a gimmick has become a bona fide art form, and the airtight rhymes that carry on far beyond the initial payoff are a sign of what’s to come- an album where no stone is unturned, no combination of words has escaped forensic scrutiny.  

Marshall goes on a Valium rant about his mom (My Mom), grinds jaws into the ground with a seriously fucked up incest blast (Insane) and slaps around Mariah and Nick Cannon over a Middle-Eastern-laced old-school Dre beat (Bagpipes From Baghdad), but really starts spreading his chameleon wings on Hello. It’s here that he drops a pop-lock flow that, just maybe, intentionally steps to Em derivitave Mickey Avalon’s style and backhands him in the face with it. 

Skip right over the gruesome rape scene that is Tonya, and find yourself sucked immediately into the bass-heavy clap jam Same Song & Dance, tales of a murderous look back on love gone… wrong doesn’t quite cover it. We’re not dealing with any new thematic ground here, or throughout much of Relapse, but the lyrical design, flow and production value are far beyond anything we’ve heard thus far from Mr. Mathers. 

In standard form, he takes aim at the celebrity sideshows of the day with vitriolic wit all over the map, particularly on first single We Made You. Sure, maybe nobody’s talking about Sarah Palin anymore, but bearing in mind that the guy’s been off the scene for five years, we should probably be thankful he’s not rhyming about Rumsfeld and Anna Nicole Smith. Although it is a little peculiar that there’s more than a couple references to late Superman star Christopher Reeve littered throughout Relapse.

On Paul, Em’s manager Paul Rosenberg turns in his stripes in a voicemail after hearing the album: “…and then the whole gay step-father incest rape shit? I don’t have your back on this one. I can’t even fucking handle it. I’m done.”

A creepy piano, wet-shot drumming and rising ghostette lay the groundwork for Must Be The Ganja, a tale of paranoia and discombobulation brought on by… wait, what were we talking about again? 

Old Times’ Sake is the obligatory Dre-dripping jam that’s got the right punch, but oddly serves as a weak link in the album- not quite as skippable as Crack A Bottle, but still a fairly dismissible song despite a tight little hook. 

20 tracks into an album, any other artist would likely go out with a feeble skit, a shout-out, a funny little ditty. Marshall didn’t take that route. Underground, the final track on Relapse, is quite simply Eminem’s Illmatic. It’s far and away the most devastating and innovative rhyme Mathers has ever spit, and carries an entire album’s worth of power in its six minutes and eleven seconds. 

While most other MCs talk about what they’re drankin’ and telling tired tales of blazing trees and sluggin’ 40s, Mathers is riding muted guitar tension with an unrivaled, venomous fervor, spitting lines like The fuckin’ antichrist is back, Danny / It’s Satan in black satin panties / This is Amityville, calamity, goddamnit / Insanity pills, fanny pack filled with Xannies / Through every nook & cranny / lookin for trannies… and so on. Twisted shit, and a hard knee to the groin of political correctness, but with a talent that’s impossible to deny. 

By the way- let’s try to keep ourselves in check this time, folks. We’re not talking about the artistic value of Hitler’s paintings. Eminem’s a character, telling a story. Keep that in mind at all times, and nobody has to start picketing and passing blame.

Em’s gravity comes not only from his flow, but from the fact that underneath the twisted bastard whack-job superstar persona, he’s just a guy riding the tide. Tthe slowjam Beautiful is autobiographical, introspective, philosophical and hilarious all at once. The man’s soul shines clear through the music, and regardless of how often he says “fuck” or makes meat-suits out of every sacred cow in the book, that’s always going to give him an edge on the groove-hustlers.

The style Eminem experimented with on Encore has been polished, pimped and thrown into 5th gear, and the result? Well, you can check that Asher Roth bullshit at the door. The real Slim Shady has returned, and there’s no coming back from this Relapse.

eminem-relapse-cover-art

Relapse
April 15, 2009
Aftermath / Interscope / Shady

1. Dr. West (Skit)
2. 3 AM
3. My Mom
4. Insane
5. Bagpipes From Baghdad
6. Hello
7. Tonya (Skit)
8. Same Song & Dance
9. We Made You
10. Medicine Ball
11. Paul (Skit)
12. Stay Wide Awake
13. Old Time’s Sake
14. Must Be The Ganja
15. Mr. Mathers (Skit)
16. Déjà Vu
17. Beautiful
18. Crack A Bottle
19. Steve Berman (Skit)
20. Underground / Ken Kaniff

Relapse Is Musical Rehab
Johnny Firecloud
May 8, 2009
4.5/10
Reviews published prior to February 23, 2015 used a 1-5 star rating system.
4.5 Overall Score
4.5/5

Reviews published prior to February 23, 2015 used a 1-5 star rating system.

EminemDr. Dre
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Johnny Firecloud

Johnny Firecloud's been kickin' names and takin' ass since his first interview in 2001 with A Perfect Circle, 6 years before starting AQ with Kevin Cogill. He also spent ten years as music editor/senior writer at CraveOnline.

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69 Comments

  • Joseph Rose says: May 8, 2009 at 7:18 AM

    You say that you JUST now changed your opinion and started liking Eminem “tonight” as you got this new album. But you’ve already defended him and claimed you liked him in the past. Soooo, which is it?

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    Maybe I haven’t listened to enough Evanescence to see the world through your eyes, Joseph, but I’m having trouble grasping your focus or concern.

    Reply
  • Skwerl says: May 8, 2009 at 10:01 AM

    wait a sec… you talked shit on asher roth, then you listened to it, admitted it was good, and now you’re calling it bullshit again.
    and yeah, you’ve been talking about em positively for awhile now, but suddenly he was on par with mc hammer until last night?

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    Point out to me any one quote where I’ve praised Eminem’s past body of work, either one of you, please. Fifty bucks and a hot Philly handshake to the first one to give me more than a quoted song compliment. Asher Roth is a novelty act that was better than I expected. Not original. I’m on record saying as much. He’s still a Mickey Avalon/Eminem blend in my book, and it’s still an embarrassment that we’re promoting his shit.

    Reply
  • Skwerl says: May 8, 2009 at 10:22 AM

    i only said you’ve been talking about em positively. but now that you mention it, you have gone further than that. for example, when you said: “It’s no secret that Dr. Dre hires the best guns in the game to script verses for him (that wasn’t coincidence that he flowed just like Eminem on Forgot About Dre)…” you went so far as to call em one of the best guns in the game. i would think that puts him above mc hammer.

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 10:24 AM

    lyrically, he’s one talented son of a bitch. i’ve never said otherwise. and you’ve clearly never seen the 2Legit2Quit video. i stand behind the mc hammer quote, too – after em’s first single, i’d say the feeling was pretty much the same.

    Reply
  • GameJerk says: May 8, 2009 at 12:16 PM

    Technically it’s a 15 song behemoth (5 skits). Oh and Underground is technically 4:50 since the album DOES end with a shitty skit w/the Ken Kaniff outro at the end of Underground. You rightfully didn’t mention “Medicine Ball” as it’s pure shit. It’s more of Eminem offending people just for the sake of offending people. The hook consists of the lyrics “I guess it’s time for you to hate me again, let’s begin hand me the pen…” It just screams “pay attention to me, i’m controversial!” I’m aware it being self-aware but it still irritates me. “Underground” is some good shit though and “Insane” made me uncomfortable in the best of ways.

    Reply
  • VLO says: May 8, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    5.19.09…Yeah…
    Does this matter?

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 2:08 PM

    Actually, I felt bad about not mentioning Medicine Ball, because it’s one of the record’s funniest songs. But it was 4:30 in the morning, and the page was blurring by that point. That song has a sick instrumental and a flow swagger worth more than a double-take.

    Consolation prize: Eminem doing a freestyle with a samba band on a German talk show. Weirdest/coolest shit ever.

    Reply
  • Joseph Rose says: May 8, 2009 at 2:45 PM

    I was gonna ask what the Evanescence comment was about, since I’ve never even heard an album of theirs. Then I realized that I had a female singer on ONE of my nineteen albums, so to someone making a narrow-minded comparison, it must mean I like Evanescence. Or something. But yeah, as Slim pointed out, you’re playing both sides of the Eminem fan fence. But hey, it’s the internet, who needs journalistic integrity!? =P

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 3:47 PM

    I wasn’t referring to a chick that sang on one of your albums, sir, but since we’re gettin’ stabby, I’ve yet to hear a DDC song that passes for anything more than a cheap variation on the faux-goth gloomrock schtick Amy Lee & Co. run with. Your work is unlistenable and quantity by no means equals quality. But thanks for reading! We value your opinions here at Antiquiet. Keep up the good trollin’.

    Reply
  • Joseph Rose says: May 8, 2009 at 3:53 PM

    Led Zeppelin sucks. Steve Vai sucks at guitar. The Mars Volta write tidy pop songs. See, how easy it is to write about people who make music? Too easy.
    Do what I do. Write songs, make records, and go get on stages and sweat them out in peoples faces like I have been for the last 16 years and then we can talk.
    And really, why you are listening to Evanescence is beyond my understanding.

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 8, 2009 at 4:02 PM

    I’m just paying my bills, man. I’m lucky to do what I do, and I take it very seriously. But hey, in all seriousness, please – create something worth discussing. We’ll give it the complete bells & whistles treatment right here – full DDC feature. Hell, you’ve even got a home team advantage – one of us grew up with you. So I’ll keep an eye out for that. But until then, we appreciate your devoted readership. We’ll keep doing our best, to make sure you keep coming back.

    Reply
  • Passenger says: May 8, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Why’d you stop embedding mp3s? Makes the read more solid lookin’ (or NOT if thats the case).

    Btw, thats one of the biggest talks shows on german TV. Most popular for one. It was cool but I had to read through all the … to get there :D

    Reply
  • Skwerl says: May 8, 2009 at 5:08 PM

    we didn’t stop really, but getting hauled down to exactly where they execute cop-killers by five armed fbi agents over a few mp3s tends to make you a little more… cautious.
    bottom line is that eminem didn’t give us any indication that he’d be okay with it. and interscope… well, we’re not exactly on speaking terms at the moment.

    Reply
  • Nick Sullivan says: May 8, 2009 at 7:18 PM

    Nice review.

    But I only echo the other commentator’s points.

    If you liked the album… How did you not like The Slim Shady LP or The Marshall Mathers LP? They were lyrical assult courses in sick twisted humour.

    If you liked Underground how could you not like the MMLPlol… That track reeks of mmlp influence. Cite: Kill You, Criminal.

    You act as if Em has just emerged as the best rapper to grace the mic. He’s been the latter for a decade.

    You may of seen him as a novelty but anybody into real rap at the time knew he was a serious lyricist. Cite: Role Model etc.

    Reply
  • hair boy says: May 8, 2009 at 11:10 PM

    meh. lyrically the guy is insanely good, possibly better than anyone currently alive. however melodically he’s hit and miss (rap). Mostly miss. Same Song, Paul and Dejavu are good but the rest I could live without. Anyways the entire message of the 20 track album could have been summed up in the ‘fuck the god damn tv and the radio…’ line off Arma-God-Damn-Mother-Fuckin’-Geddon. And to continue, what’s with Karen O trying to look like the female version of Malcolm Jamal Warner??? Rock died with Kurt. sry

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 9, 2009 at 9:24 AM

    Lyrically, I’ve never doubted Eminem’s prowess. He was my little brother’s favorite rapper for years and years, and he’d always break down the sickest lines that Em would spit, knowing I’m a sucker for a great lyric. But his flow and gimmicks almost always fell short for me. Lyrical assault courses, yes. Complete, well-rounded & listenable songs? Not in my book.

    Relapse is a definite step forward – one that finally fills whatever gaps that used to keep him from being fully listenable to me. He’s finally balanced the artistry with the schtick, and it works really well. Will I start bumpin’ this everywhere I go? Not exactly. But I can recognize the growth, and admire the songs for the examples of artistic evolution that they are. Thanks for reading.

    Reply
  • Spinett says: May 9, 2009 at 3:00 PM

    “Paul” is the best fucking skit, he’s made so far.

    Reply
  • Derick says: May 9, 2009 at 4:33 PM

    This album might possibly be the worst album ever created. Eminem didn’t say one dope line. He just keeps putting the same album out over and over again. Give me a fucking break. Relapse sucks and you guys know it. He’s the corniest rapper ever.

    Reply
  • Spinett says: May 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM

    You either are a pitiful troll, or suffer from brain damage. Probably didn’t even take the time to listen to the album properly, but eager to spit shit about it everywhere. Can’t you even think of anything better than “He just keeps putting the same album out over and over again”, ’cause that’s untrue, and you would’ve known it if you actually listened to any of his earlier recordings.

    Reply
  • Ryan says: May 10, 2009 at 4:23 AM

    Conceptually, artistically, lyrically–no rapper is even close.

    Reply
  • slokal says: May 10, 2009 at 1:19 PM

    Relapse is nothing short of a disaster– a big step down from Encore, which was Em’s weakest album until now. 2 major problems with Relapse: first, Em is exhausted as a verbal stylist. He never put out the best albums or songs, but he used to be head and shoulders above other rappers (except maybe Rakim, Nas, and Biggie at their respective peaks) as a word-artist. He was a verbal prodigy, and you could excuse his repetitive subject matter and lame celebrity bashing because he rapped in utterly memorable, inimitable ways. He’s finished in this regard: he had more memorable rhymes in his 3 or 4 cameos on the first Obie Trice CD than he does on the whole 80 minutes of Relapse. And what is with the awful “Big Weenie” flow he keeps using? The second big problem with Relapse is that Em has nothing to talk about. For the past few years, he’s literally done nothing but hang around his mansion abusing pills. Okay, he also watched VH1 and visited the occasional strip club, too. You wouldn’t have a clue about the huge changes that have occurred in the US (Obama’s election, the economic collapse, the end of the Bush years) listening to Relapse. Heck, Em’s so out of touch he probably thinks Bush is still president. I really wish someone with a bit of creative juice (Weezy? Nas?) would start a beef with Em and put an end to his depressingly over-extended career.

    Reply
  • Chuck-T says: May 10, 2009 at 2:53 PM

    Relapse is a complete disaster of an album.

    Eminem has become progressively worse since The Marshall Mathers LP. The Eminem Show was nothing special, Encore sucked and Relapse is not even worth your time. Beautiful and Underground are good, Deja Vu is good for a chuckle and the rest is forgettable filler.

    Reply
  • PHILOOOOOOOO says: May 10, 2009 at 3:12 PM

    ok…. people need to shut the fuck up.
    I KNEW THAT PEOPLE WOULD HATE!!!!
    i KNEW that ppl wud say that LIL WAYNE is better even after hearing this album…. just because he doesnt have corny ass punchlines every 5 seconds in his songs does not mean he isnt good as lil wayne…… matter of fact, HES 4000000x times better.

    this whole album has excellent flow, lyrics, creativity… so on and so forth… and its better than any alive rapper that will EVER live……

    but still U MUTHAFUCKIN PUSSIES…. just feel the need to hate…

    FUCK U. GO SUCK LIL WAYNES DICK……

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 10, 2009 at 7:38 PM

    You guys kick so much ass.

    Reply
  • maul says: May 11, 2009 at 12:41 AM

    My Mom is straight from the SSLP. I really wish he would go back to the story-telling style in SSLP and mix the flow/voice style he had on MMLP. It just seems so bland now.

    Reply
  • Immortal Bone says: May 11, 2009 at 4:15 AM

    I got this album 2 days ago. It’s been on heavy rotation during my work outs, on my pc whilst playing games, on trains etc etc basically i have been listening to this album constantly.

    My verdict is…….. OFF THE HOOK. I’ve been an em fan since the slim shady ep and i honestly thought Relapse would not be able to live up to the hype. I was wrong.

    A message to anyone who thinks that Em is now washed up, please listen to, Deja Vu, Beatuful or Insane.

    Wow, i’m REALLY glad em is back. I’ve been missing quality music.

    Reply
  • Matt Sturgeon says: May 11, 2009 at 5:29 AM

    I just saw this exact review on another site so I don’t think this guy wrote it

    Reply
  • JMAN says: May 11, 2009 at 7:09 AM

    I started to listening to Eminem when I was 14/15. First Cd was dope the MMLP had me hooked. When I first heard the Eminem Show I didnt really like it but it grew on me. To me this is where I kinda lost interest in the dude. The whole 8 mile deal was kind of a joke to me and this is where he started focusing to much of his time on other shit like 8 mile and obie trice and 50 cent and cashis and producing shitty beats. His Encore Cd was horrible because A.) He produced most of it, and B.) He had absolutely nothing too say. So instead he made fart and burp noises over these shitty beats and the Cd for the most part sucked.

    I feel like with this relapse album he does have a story to tell us. And although it might just be that he has been poppin mad pills and hiding out in his house all day then so be it Ive been waiting 7 years to hear this story be told and I love it. Its amazing!! This Cd might not sell as many cds as the past, but I don’t think that any Rap Cd will ever sell more than this cd in the future thats for sure!!!

    Reply
  • Spinett says: May 11, 2009 at 7:34 AM

    I was more like: “he can’t do shit anymore”, but this album showed me wrong, it doesn’t live up to the MMLP, but it sure as hell does show that he can do it! The only thing he needs is motive, and determination. I’m sure that if someone challanged him for a beef or whatever, he’d have rapped his ass off, like he did in the past.

    Haha:

    Reply
  • Skwerl says: May 11, 2009 at 9:15 AM

    to matt sturgeon: johnny firecloud writes for one other site. but if you saw this review anywhere but here or craveonline.com, let us know, and we’ll go kick some ass.

    Reply
  • Nick says: May 11, 2009 at 9:45 AM

    you had him on the same playing field as MC Hammer until now? You lost all credibility in your opening statement. That album won the grammy for best album of the year, followed by the Marshal Mathers LP which was the fastest selling hip hop album IN HISTORY. The he starred in a major blockbuster film which depicted HIS LIFE.

    Relapse is fuckin sick too. For all of the gay shit that Kanye tries to put out, and that rock sing along shit that Weezy puts out, this album is what slim shady fans wanted. I bet this cd goes platinum.

    Reply
  • Akin says: May 11, 2009 at 12:28 PM

    It’s one thing to say this album is bad – in which case, I’ll take it as your opinion. But if you come out, claim to be a rap fan and open your mouth and utter the words, “This album is worse than Encore,” then you chatting more shit than your arsehole lets out in a week. Bitch please, Relapse is by far the best album this year, better than Encore, better than Eminem Show, on per with Marshall Mathers LP and Slim Shady LP. Dope. Sick. Lyrically, in a different world. I’ve had this album for 4 days and I can’t stop listening to it.

    And to the dude who claimed there wasn’t one dope line, what are you, deef? Retarded? Or maybe you were listening to Asher Rooth or whatever that dude’s name is.

    Reply
  • NYRO-KAYBELL says: May 11, 2009 at 3:01 PM

    1) A million times better than Encore – may we leave that argument to rest.

    2) No album in 5 years, his last album a flop full of shit lyrics, farts, burp and boogle goggle boggle bloggle lyrics and now we have this angry fucked up crazy shit, a crazy change of direction. Some elements of old skool Slim Shady from SL-LP and old skool angry Eminem from MMLP. This album may not be on the same level as the first two, but better than Eminem Show, Eminem has returned on good form – but more dark and shocking as ever before. Deja Vu, Underground and in particular Stay Wide Awake is some of his best stuff ever.

    Reply
  • 3pointer5000 says: May 11, 2009 at 6:51 PM

    I’ve been a huge Eminem fan since I first heard the Slim Shady LP and since then I’ve loved almost everything he’s put out. Obviously some failures of songs like Big Weenie and FACK were just bad, but even then kinda funny…
    Anyway, I think Relapse is amazingly tight lyrically and the beats and instrumentals are insanely good. In order to appreciate you have to take a step back and remember that he’s not out to change your opinion of rap, just to mess around and lay down some fun verses to love. I noticed the repetitive subject matter just like plenty of you. Then again, Underground, Deja Vu, We Made You, and especially Beautiful are total standouts.
    If you wanna listen to shit about the economy and Obama, I’d place my bets on Relapse 2 in December.

    Reply
  • Herbert says: May 11, 2009 at 8:04 PM

    i have a large penis.

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 11, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    Relapse 2 should be interesting, that much is for sure.

    Reply
  • luke says: May 12, 2009 at 5:53 AM

    Wasn’t anybody disappointed with this album?, I mean like it was all back to his “child on helium” voice, I don’t know about the rest of you but I much liked his serious angry songs a lot better. Singing about his own life seriously was way better than singing bout others!

    Reply
  • Kenan Thompson says: May 13, 2009 at 2:45 AM

    Making it simple here.

    The Positives:

    1) Flow: Eminem’s flow is so great here that its possibly as good as the one he had on Slim Shady LP.
    2) Lyrical Assassin: Eminem has chosen some weird beats that are not similar to anything every produced and YET has killed those beats with his delivery of UNIQUE LYRICS.
    3) Coherent: As many people have said, this is a concept album. And keeping that in mind, Eminem has delivered. Atleast Eminem is honest to us here unlike in Encore. Eminem hasn’t been honest to us since 7 years now. While this is not a storytelling gem by any means like his first two albums it’s still pretty good.

    The Negatives

    1)His Voice: Yes, it’s true. His voice is high pitched and begins to get on your nerves later on. The Slim Shady LP had him rapping in a relatively smoother way and with a nasally activated voice and bit of a drawl. Marshall Mathers LP had his actual voice. The one you hear on his interviews. The Eminem Show was a mixture of the two and Encore had troublesome signs indicating that the high pitched voice might become more of a norm with tracks like ‘Ass Like That’, ‘Puke’, ‘Rainman’. etc. And now its become permanent. The voice however was GREATLY tempered by his awesome delivery of some awesome lyrics.

    2)Beats: Yes they were engineered as ‘tough’ to show people that only Eminem could do what he does, but the beats are not something I will remember when I think of this album.

    3) Lack of Variety: Eminem is a genius in that he was able to make an album around ONE SINGLE CONCEPT- Pills Addiction/The Resultant Impact/Violence/Hate as I am sure only he can. But more strokes of different issues on the canvas of this album could have been pursued. This is where Relapse 2 becomes critical as it will show whether he has retained that versatility.

    Overall this album is very good. Not better than his first two for sure, no matter what some overexcited starstruck fans would have you believe, but nearly as good as the Eminem Show (Yes Eminem Show never gets the credit it deserves).For now, I am relieved that this is nothing close to Encore and that I don’t have to think of Encore when I think of Eminem now for that would have been a horrible way to end a career.

    My rating:
    3 and a half stars out of 5 (With 5 being rated very high- not in a way most Amazon users hand them out or how Rolling Stone does, but more like Illmatic and Doggystyle)

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 13, 2009 at 12:23 PM

    Love your SNL work Kenan, but wait, Illmatic only gets 3.5 stars?

    Reply
  • Nonfickshun says: May 13, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    My Mom is my favorite and Deja Vu is pretty good too. But every other song I like (Insane, Bagpipes, Medicine Ball, Wide Awake, & Underground) is mainly because of his flow on those songs. It just doesn’t have that WOW factor to me (other than the first verse on Insane). Em was always a great rapper and he shows that on every song on the album with his flow but the whole album is about rape & pills. And not only is he still attack celebrities, he’s attacking the SAME celebrities. The SS & MM LPs did the same, but not the whole album. I guess what I’m saying is its great to see he hasn’t changed, but it sucks that he hasn’t changed. I think 4.5 Stars is a little too generous. 3-3.5 tops.

    Reply
  • ronnie says: May 13, 2009 at 3:04 PM

    just listend to the album it is great but aint as good as you seem to making out underground is the only song on it that really stands out, i agree that its worth buying but i still think Marshel mathers lp and slim shady lp are the two best albums hes ever made.

    its all a matter of opinon

    Reply
  • Misanthropy Today says: May 13, 2009 at 7:43 PM

    Is the commenter Kenan Thompson really the guy from SNL and that burger movie? Also, I think he was giving you an idea of a few 5 star albums being illmatic and doggystyle.

    I’m working on a concept album right now about richard pryor’s mustaches. I’ll let you AQ guys know when it’s finished.

    Reply
  • vex says: May 13, 2009 at 8:40 PM

    I can not believe what I’ve just read. After reading this asinine review, it was like a train wreck, I couldn’t stop looking (reading) the comments. This may be the worst rap/hip hop album of all time. To preface, I was a huge eminem up until Encore. Well really when he started rapping like that fucking insult dog (triumph)! Who told Eminem that was cool, and allowed that to even go on the record? I bet interscope forced em to make it, but anyways whiny sounding pitches are not cool and have ruined his career. Yeah you idiots will go out and buy this cd, more power to you. I will do as Em once said and keep my fucking 16 dollars! This shit is gay! He sold out and now I am convinced he fucks transvestites… he is still rapping about Mariah Carey? Give me a fucking break, that went down 6 years ago! I hate this shit and so should all of you, if you are really Eminem fans. Hopefully his fairly-soon to be released next album is a little harder than this gay shit. I could have given you all a more introspective critique but I am typing with a lot of anger caused by this garbage. BTW how the fuck does this reviewer not like Em’s first 2 albums but dislikes this one? Review was a joke.

    Reply
  • Marc22 says: May 13, 2009 at 11:33 PM

    pure sickness, dudes a genius, best album in the last 2 years…

    Reply
  • Lo-key says: May 14, 2009 at 7:35 AM

    if you look at this album from a commercial stand point, you’re probably not going to like it, but at an artistic stand point its genius….. and vex, if you’re going critique somebody else’s opinion, please do it correctly. (ie: the last 3 lines of ur comment made no sense) that’s right…….i just critiqued your critique on somebody else’s critique, the difference is, mine made sense. album is 4.5 out of 5 the rest of you can go blow your step fathers.

    Reply
  • Antipholus Papps says: May 14, 2009 at 11:42 AM

    Can I just say that I really liked Encore? Although it didn’t hang together in the manner of his previous albums (and aye, the toilet humour got irritating), it demonstrated a leap in his ambition, and felt like he was attempting something new. If this album takes those new ideas and cements them into something more coherent, as this review indicates, I’m off out to buy it first thing tomorrow.

    Reply
  • Me says: May 14, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    I have all of his albums and a lot of bootlegs – huge eM fan. He’s one of my favorite rappers. Hate to say this, but I really didn’t like this album. He just didn’t seem to be in the zone like his older albums. The beats were nothing like old albums either. Sure the lyrics are eM lyrics, but the beats and delivery seem to have lost their edge. Now I’m sure there will be some stans on here talking shit about anyone that disses eM, but but the truth is this is not up to par with his other releases. Kind of a shame. Wish the old eM would come back…

    Reply
  • K3VIN MILANO says: May 15, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    This album is amazing, and I have loved Em since The Slim Shady LP. He kinda fell off the past couple albums, but he is definitely back on this one! I don’t think Relapse 2 will be up to par with this one, but since this one is so good, I won’t complain.

    Reply
  • That Guy says: May 15, 2009 at 1:40 PM

    lol @ a 4 1/2
    are you serious? this album is pure trash

    each of these tracks have been made before, except without shitty accents, there is nothing new or astounding in here…wow his mom was a bitch…didnt see that coming, omg he’s going to kill someone…well not really, yawn…holy shit, he’s misunderstood…sigh yet again he’s said all this before

    Reply
  • K3VIN MILANO says: May 15, 2009 at 3:13 PM

    Most of the flows on this album are reminiscent(?) of his earlier flowing…..yeah it’s nothing new, but still lyrically amazing the way he weaves words together. Lyrically this album is a monster. Beats are also not bad. He keeps to the concept of the album consistently, and in my opinion shows he hasn’t lost a step. Yeah a few so so songs, but most are pretty straight.

    Reply
  • fraaaaaank says: May 16, 2009 at 7:56 AM

    eminem is amazinggg!!

    Reply
  • mickey says: May 16, 2009 at 7:57 AM

    ok, ive heard a few songs from this album thus far and they are fuckin good except crack a bottle and we made you. Now, you fuckin idiots on this weezy bullshit, Yo, DO NOT comment on pages like this you are morons. Lil wayne is so fuckin stupid and the exact opposite of creative “ill put you ni**as in the closet in the shirt space, you ni**as yellow like sesame street birds face” are you kiddin me? lil wayne in a retarted little tattooed boy with a record deal. I do like some of his shit, but he is nothing more than a spectacle, dont you idiots comment on eminem and dare compare him with lil wayne, whats wrong with you? U dont know dog shit about music or rap talkin shit like that shut the fuck up!!

    Reply
  • cyberbridge says: May 16, 2009 at 2:16 PM

    This was my first visit to this site. I can not agree more with this review. After listing to the entire album from start to finish before i made up my mind on it. I listened to the album 2 more times in full from start to finish with the exception of crack a bottle. The album is awesome the style is different from the Eminem i consider great. The album hit a spot with me for being in Recovery myself and working now as a counselor for substance abuse and sever mentally ill patients. The lyrics on tracks like Deja Vu are the best description of what goes on inside the brain of an addict when the battle begins of wanting to use. The track actually sent shivers to my spine. Even the comical track #1 (dr.west) is so close to a nightmare a addict would have while going threw detox or early recovery its scary. It is so evident that Eminem has really gone threw addiction/recovery/relapse and can as usual take real life experience and turn it into poetry.

    Reply
  • S V says: May 16, 2009 at 4:03 PM

    Waaayyy better than encore. Encore sucked .

    Relapse is really funny and great.

    Bagpipes from Baghdad, Stay wide awake, Hello,
    Same song and dance, we made you, Beautiful,
    Old time sake, Underground, My Mom

    Reply
  • XxJosxX says: May 16, 2009 at 11:10 PM

    While I think you are out of your mind for not paying attention to Em until now, This review was spot on. I agree 100% with everything you said about this album.

    Especially Underground…This is the first review I have read that even MENTIONED the track! After I heard it about 9 times, I told my friend that Underground itself is a classic album.

    I hope after realizing Ems tallents, you go back and listen to some of his older stuff again and see what has lead up to this amazing show of talent he displayed in this album.

    Reply
  • Johnny Firecloud says: May 17, 2009 at 3:31 AM

    @Misanthropy – Get on that shit. Already got the sequel in mind (hint: pubes)

    Reply
  • Raf says: May 17, 2009 at 3:09 PM

    honestly everyone needs to stop talking shit, hands down this album eats it up…no competition PERIOD

    Reply
  • ron says: May 17, 2009 at 9:57 PM

    the album was def better than encore…his lyrical skill was sick in this album…not as good as the eminem show or slim shady lp…but i would say its on par with marshall mathers lp…

    Reply
  • Symulashyun says: May 17, 2009 at 10:24 PM

    you guys are all wack.

    Reply
  • hatersmakemesad... says: May 18, 2009 at 9:02 AM

    I just listened to this album all the way through…

    Ok. This album is reminiscent yes, but it is in an entirely new darker place. Though MM LP and SS LP are arguably better. This is by far the SMARTEST album he has put out yet. His cadences on this album are different from any on the other albums. I don’t know why everyone is complaining about his voice. He has used this voice on his old old old free styles and on Encore. How could any one suggest this album doesn’t tell a story?! “Insane” is the most powerful story in a song I have heard all year. What about “beautiful”? “Crack a bottle” is kinda wack… Regardless this is the best Hip-Hop album I have heard in a couple of years. Hip-Hop fans’ ears have been totally kicked out of wack. How do people obsess over songs that have nothing more to say than a blow job is synonymous with a girl licking a fucking lollipop, popping some champagne, or turning swag on?! Who cares about that shit anymore we get it. Rappers have money, don’t like haters, have tons of girls who suck their dicks, and fancy cars, drink fancy alcohol, can use an auto-tune well, will kill you if you snitch, and don’t fuck with police. Please point out more than 20 hip-hop songs in the past year that were popular were about something else. Who gives a shit anymore? Just because every 4 bars doesn’t have some corny “punch” does not make it bad. Just because he raps on different subject matter doesn’t make it bad. Commercially this album may not get the praise it deserves. But anyone who can’t appreciate this album as a work of art that is a complete tear above what is presently out in the world of hip-hop is a true true hater. Eminem is pure talent. He puts the torture artist foot forward on all of the albums yes, but he does it well and with strength. Grow up hip-hop fans :(

    Reply
  • Vex says: May 18, 2009 at 4:16 PM

    Correction: On my “review of this review” on my 2nd to last line I stated “BTW how the fuck does this reviewer not like Em’s first 2 albums but dislikes this one?”. What I meant to say was, BTW how the fuck does this reviewer not like Em’s first 2 albums, but likes this one?

    Reply
  • MusicFiend says: June 9, 2009 at 5:30 PM

    Album is phenomenal, anyone who disagrees can suck a d-ck

    Reply
  • iain says: August 4, 2009 at 5:17 AM

    The fact you saw Eminem as an MC Hammer act shows what a prat you are. This review is garbage, like the album.
    Its Slim’s WORSE album, yep worse than Encore.
    His new voice ruins the whole album- dreadful vocal performance especially compared to the genius he has achieved.
    Bring back the real Eminem!!!

    Reply
  • Kaoushik says: September 29, 2009 at 2:58 AM

    Em’s been 1 of da world’s best rappers but in dis album particularly his new voice spoilts up da entire shit. Would have been much better if he would have rapped in his natural accent.

    Reply
  • Stephens says: November 9, 2009 at 5:46 AM

    This album is gr8.it takes you to a new world.I like all of the tracks especially underground and 3.am .Em is a genius.No rapper can attempt to diss Him.

    Reply
  • how to detox your body says: November 22, 2009 at 8:04 PM

    how to detox your body…

    Stop suffering and start living…

    Reply
  • hip hop music bloggers says: September 13, 2012 at 5:40 PM

    Great job on this one. Always support. Salute.

    Reply
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