In the song, Eminem claims that his reference to these two vile men is a projection of Slim Shady’s politically incorrect, brash viewpoints, not of his own. When I listened to this song, this particularly cringey lyric made me pause the song and think about its meaning. This insensitive association between a surprise album and a suicide bombing is complicated by the fact that Eminem helped raise approximately 2 million euros for the victims of that attack.Īnother example of a tasteless lyric can be found on “Yah Yah” (featuring Royce da 5’9”, Black Thought, Q-Tip, and Denaun), a cut in which he compares the media’s vilification of his music to its negative coverage of sexual predators Bill O’Reilly and Harvey Weinstein. While Eminem uses the attack metaphorically, likening it to how the music industry explodes when he drops a new album, it is off-putting. When the album was released, it immediately generated controversy with a lyric referencing the terrorist attack at Ariana Grande’s May 2017 concert in Manchester in “Unaccommodating.” This ignited an outcry on Twitter from the families of the victims, who claimed that the artist was using this tremendous loss of life for his own benefit. Other notable examples of this can be found in “Farewell” and “Marsh.” The second song on the record, “Unaccommodating” (featuring Young M.A, the stage name of Katorah Marrero) suggests a complex relationship between the two artists and their shared ambivalence toward fame.ĭespite the fact that the presence of an openly gay artist on an Eminem album might indicate that Eminem, at the age of 47, has become more accepting, his misogynistic and bi-phobic behavior towards Alexa, a fictional bisexual woman on “Those Kinda Nights” (featuring Ed Sheeran) shows that he still harbors outdated and intolerant views. Paak), and “I Will” (featuring Kxng Crooked, Royce da 5’9” & Joell Ortiz) showcase the trademark dark humor and violence associated with Eminem’s alter ego. Songs such as “You Gon’ Learn” (featuring Royce da 5’9” and White Gold), “Stepdad,” “Little Engine,” “Lock It Up” (featuring Anderson. Inspired by the iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 album of the same name, Eminem opens his recording with “Premonition,” featuring the disturbing screams of a woman, a possible allusion to the infamous shower scene in “Psycho” where Norman Bates kills Marion Crane.įrom this explosive opening, it is clear that Slim Shady is back in town. While that album was impressive, his second unannounced studio recording, Music To Be Murdered By, released on January 17, 2020, marks the return of classic Eminem, with his penchant for brash, offensive lyrics intended to shock. This negative feedback prompted Eminem to record and release the venomous unannounced studio album, Kamikaze. That was certainly the case with the 2017 release of Revival, which was eviscerated by both critics and devout fans. Some feel that his recent albums, in which he tries to remain relevant by collaborating with pop singers, do not reflect the originality of The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. The album also cemented Eminem’s association with cringeworthy, often derogatory, lyrics that included double entendres about taboo subjects, a trademark that would recur on subsequent albums: The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, 8 Mile, Encore, Relapse, Recovery, and The Marshall Mathers LP2.Īs Eminem has aged, the artist’s work has evolved. The cartoonish character–portrayed by Eminem brandishing a Husqvarna chainsaw in blue overalls and a white ski mask–would help the rapper become a pop-culture icon. Shady opened with a warning that Eminem’s disturbing stories were not to be taken seriously, as they reflected his fictional counterpart’s twisted outlook and sense of humor.ĭespite its controversial themes of violence against women, The Slim Shady LP catapulted Eminem to fame. Two years later, this private listening session would lead to one of the most successful rap albums in history, The Slim Shady LP. Dre) heard the music of Slim Shady–the alter ego of Marshall Mathers III (Eminem)–when Jimmy Iovine, the co–founder of Interscope Records, played The Slim Shady EP in the studio. In 1997, music producer and rapper Andre Young (Dr.
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