Eminem - new album, "MMLP2", out Nov 5th

[Estranged Reality]

yeah. he's done that for years. not lip syncing per se, but he lets the full track play, and he raps underneath it. it helps hide the fact that he runs out of breath fairly quickly. between that and the hype man he has on stage filling in parts of the song for him, he avoids any embarrassing fuck ups.

a lot of rappers do it for that very reason. it's almost impossible to rap like that for a full show, you know?

[bacardimayne]

That was pretty bad.

[Amir]

Most people lipsync on SNL, Ashlee Simpson was just unlucky somebody decided to pull the plug on her.

Apart from Yeezy, his performances looked live.

Is Em looking at a teleprompter half the time?

Edited November 3, 2013 by Amir

[Guest NGOG]

it's almost impossible to rap like that for a full show, you know?

Having seen Eminem live, I'm aware.

2 songs on SNL hardly comprises a full show. You'd imagine he'd have the integrity to try 2 songs. Irrespective of SNL protocol.

[Estranged Reality]

it's almost impossible to rap like that for a full show, you know?

Having seen Eminem live, I'm aware.

2 songs on SNL hardly comprises a full show. You'd imagine he'd have the integrity to try 2 songs. Irrespective of SNL protocol.

Em's a weird dude. He's extremely paranoid, he always travels with bodyguards; despite all the humour in his tracks he's rarely caught laughing or even smiling. The whole hype man thing kinda died out for most rappers long ago but he still does it. And the lip-syncing thing, as I mentioned, he's been doing for years. I can't recall the last time I watched a live performance where he actually rapped the majority of the tune live, for that reason I can't imagine he'd really be that great to see live. He brings some physical energy to his performance I suppose but I feel like he's kinda going through the motions with a lot of it?

IDK, what did you think of him when you saw him live?

[magisme]

What song has more impressive rapping - fuck lyrics for a sec, I'm talking flow exclusively - than Rap God? For real.

[Estranged Reality]

I'm pulling a SunnyDRE here, but this does.

As far as I see it, "Rap God" is pretty much an homage to Busta's flow. And Em does a good job, no doubt.

His flow deserves a better beat, quite frankly. I find it hard to revisit that tune often just because it's not really that catchy musically? Technically, however, it's very impressive.

[magisme]

Nah, man. That style covers like a minute of what's going on in Rap God. Plus Em does it as well if not better than Busta. But mainly, all over the track - and all over the album, really - Em seems to be saying, "How do you want me to spit now? OK." [Kills it] "Next."

[Guest NGOG]

ER, you're being extremely unfair on Eminem by judging his character in the context of commerical appearances. He doesn't strike me as being particularly endeared by the marketing process. Rather than accusing Eminem of being dull, I would say he just doesn't find contrived platforms like Kimmel or Letterman funny. It's part of being a musical genius, you just don't find the things that most people like funny (likewise, most people wouldn't be able to paint an amusing commentary using rap). If you were able to watch Eminem with his close-knit community, I'd imagine you'd get an entirely different perspective on his personality.

You should go and watch his appearance on Jonathan Ross where he comes across as a genuinely witty, intelligent and warm guy. Ross is one of the mainstream presenters that was able to penetrate his 'guard'. Again though, you have to put the latter in context. The media have been exploiting the Eminem narrative for years, naturally he's going to maintain a degree of cautious hostility.

[Estranged Reality]

ER, you're being extremely unfair on Eminem by judging his character in the context of commerical appearances. He doesn't strike me as being particularly endeared by the marketing process. Rather than accusing Eminem of being dull, I would say he just doesn't find contrived platforms like Kimmel or Letterman funny. It's part of being a musical genius, you just don't find the things that most people like funny (likewise, most people wouldn't be able to paint an amusing commentary using rap). If you were able to watch Eminem with his close-knit community, I'd imagine you'd get an entirely different perspective on his personality.

You should go and watch his appearance on Jonathan Ross where he comes across as a genuinely witty, intelligent and warm guy. Ross is one of the mainstream presenters that was able to penetrate his 'guard'. Again though, you have to put the latter in context. The media have been exploiting the Eminem narrative for years, naturally he's going to maintain a degree of cautious hostility.

I think you misunderstood my points. I never said he was dull, and I'm not sure where you're getting off slagging his attitude towards Kimmel since they did really funny skits together when Recovery came out?

He does have a sense of humour, but he's also well-known for being very private, very paranoid (as in, he's literally afraid of getting shot -- even when he sat down with Anderson Cooper, Cooper noted how extremely thorough Em's people were with making sure various areas they went to were "secure" and cleared before he entered). The music seems to be the outlet for all the humour he keeps repressed when he's just interacting with people on a daily basis. That said he can also be very funny with some of his media appearances, like trolling that NFL interview, which seemed to confuse a lot of people ("OMG he's on drugs again!" nah, he just has a weird sense of humour and was fucking around).

I've seen the Ross interviews, I actually watched them back when Relapse and Recovery dropped. I think he did a couple.

I don't think he's really cautious of the media, I think he once said that since Proof's death he's been more paranoid about someone trying to kill him. I think it was a big wake-up call for him in a lot of ways, and then he started self-medicating to escape from some of the fears it brought.

Also, growing up on the streets as a white kid in a black man's world, I think he learned at a rather young age to conceal expressions of weakness, and when you see a dude constantly smiling and looking happy, you're gonna get targeted. That's why he seems to always be frowning even when he's joking around.

Sorry for turning this into a psychology lecture, I just wanted to clarify my point. I wasn't saying he's dull or anything, that being said I do think the SNL performance kinda sucked.

How was he when you saw him live?

[Guest NGOG]

As you say, he was doing that 'rap a bit, move about a bit' routine. Which I have no problem with if the energy's good and he's in the performance. The gig I caught was an absolute monstrosity at Slane Castle; great night.

[Randy Lahey]

What song has more impressive rapping - fuck lyrics for a sec, I'm talking flow exclusively - than Rap God? For real.

[Estranged Reality]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG_OhzrfrVM

i think there's some more lip synching going on here unfortunately, but still...better than snl.

he really looks like his old early '00s self here, too.

[Randy Lahey]

He pretty much has to lip snync. In general, live rap music sucks.

[Crazyman]

I don't think he's lip synching there at all

Which makes it all the more impressive, especially during the "supersonic" part.

Edit: Here's a better link:

Edited November 4, 2013 by Crazyman

[bacardimayne]

That was sick. Rap God isn't even a song, it's a statement. The fact that he seemed to pull it off live with very little lipsync/hypeman assistance speaks dividends after those two less than stellar SNL performances.

He pretty much has to lip snync. In general, live rap music sucks.

Which is the main reason I appreciate Kanye so much. He's one of the few rappers out there who's able to put on stellar live performances without lipsyncing or having 12 hypemen behind him accentuating every second word. I was in awe when he did that Coachella set on the YouTube stream a couple years ago.

I also think I need to step back and humbly say that I was wrong about Rick Rubin. The moment I heard that he was in charge of this album, I was worried, since most of the stuff he's done in the last ~10 years has been mixed horribly, but it seems he's really stepped his game up. This album really benefits from his production (though suffering from a clear lack of Dre input). You could almost say he's... returned to his roots.

Edited November 4, 2013 by bacardimayne

[Estranged Reality]

kanye is probably the best live rapper for me, personally. and ironically enough that may have to do with the fact that he's not a very...technical rapper? i don't know. i don't even get a rapper vibe from him when i watch him perform. he's all over the place, but he has a kind of energy and stage presence that reminds me of rock stars like axl. when he toured with jay-z he stole the show on every video i've watched, and i say that as a huge fan of jay-z (well, older jay-z, anyway).

don't mean to turn this into another kanye-vs-em thing btw, they're totally different so it's apples to oranges.

[wasted]

Love Game he's rapping pretty hard.

Without Dre it's a Pop album. But he's still rapping great about all the same stuff, which seems sort of forced old a bit maybe.

So Much Better is a classic Eminem track.

[magisme]

What song has more impressive rapping - fuck lyrics for a sec, I'm talking flow exclusively - than Rap God? For real.

No way. The whole song is one gimmick. It's catchy and pretty good, but it's one decent idea spread over 5 minutes.

[RussTCB]

I thought both SNL performances were fucking terrible. That YouTube Awards performance is on point though.

[Guest NGOG]

I also think I need to step back and humbly say that I was wrong about Rick Rubin. The moment I heard that he was in charge of this album, I was worried, since most of the stuff he's done in the last ~10 years has been mixed horribly, but it seems he's really stepped his game up. This album really benefits from his production (though suffering from a clear lack of Dre input). You could almost say he's... returned to his roots.

Agreed. I was quite vocal in my criticisms of Rubin too - he done good with this one.

[J Dog]

Nah, man. That style covers like a minute of what's going on in Rap God. Plus Em does it as well if not better than Busta. But mainly, all over the track - and all over the album, really - Em seems to be saying, "How do you want me to spit now? OK." [Kills it] "Next."

The crazy thing is it's not just the double time rapping, he flips back and forth between flows like it aint shit. I'm with you, Rap God and some other songs aren't just regular songs but more of a display of power.

I can already say it's better than Recovery. I think it's going to be like Relapse for me, going to take a few listens to fully appreciate it.

[axlslash]

Listened through the whole thing on a long run this morning. EPIC piece of music. Absolutely magnificent piece of music, shits all over MCHG and Yeezus (both of which I loved, with a preference for Yeezus).

The flows - album is genocide for rapping techniques, because Em has officially killed them all. He's smooth as ever, and has so much power and emotion in everything he puts out there.

The beats - OLD SKOOL. Love the samples he went with: the Zombies, Billy Squire, Joe Walsh...classic rock all over this thing. It's like a DMC/Beastie album with these samples. Could not have been more pleased.

The content - exactly what I expect from Em. Headlights had me tearing up a little bit - wonderful response to Cleaning Out My Closet and a remarkably real track.

Oh, and fuck all the hate for Survival. I happen to love the rapport between Em and Skylar, and love this more than any of their prior collaborations. Same goes for Rihanna on Monster.

If you told me at the beginning of the year that Ye and Jay would both release records this year and neither would be the best rap record of the year, I'd have laughed at you. But here we are.

[RussTCB]

Here's Billboards track by track review for those interested:

1."Bad Guy"
Eminem introduces “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” by bringing his dark side to light and calling out his transgression through the voice of Stan’s vengeful brother, Matthew Mitchell. One of the best songs on the album for its shifting storytelling, Eminem comes face-to-face with his worst enemy by playing off the narration of "Stan." "Grab for some water but I’m that pill that’s too jagged to swallow/ I’m the bullies you hate that you became/ With every f----t you slaughtered/ Coming back on you every woman you insult there/ With the double-standards you have when it comes to your daughters,” Eminem raps on the outro.

2. "Parking Lot (Skit)"
The animated skit may sound familiar to loyal fans. "Parking Lot" continues the robbery we first heard in "MMLP's" "Criminal."

3. "Rhyme Or Reason"
On "Rhyme Or Reason," which samples The Zombies' "Time of Season," Eminem's target is his dad. He examines the side-effects to the disappearance of his father both comically yet sincere, altering his tone and channeling Yoda: "So yeah dad, let's walk/ Let's have us a father and son talk/ But I bet we wouldn't probably get one block without me knocking your block off/This is all your fault/ Maybe that's why I'm so bananas… I related to the struggles of young Americans when their fuckin' parents were unaware of their troubles."

4. "So Much Better"
Em' has never been one to lock down (healthy) love, which he's been brutally honest since "Kim." A broken heart leads Em to wishful thinking that his former lover, who he claims cheated on him with Dr. Dre, Drake and Lupe Fiasco, would "drop dead."

5. "Survival"

"Man, will I survive in this climate or what? They said I was washed up and got a blood bath/ I'm not a rapper; I'm an adapter/ I can adjust/ Plus I can just walk up to a mic and just bust," he raps on "Survival." Eminem is fully aware of the rap climate and competition, but still admits that, even when he's not prepared, he'll survive and strive because of his rap skills.

6. "Legacy"
Em' sheds some insight into how he came to be how he is (reclusive, introverted), in a childhood story led by the trickling of piano keys who are soon paired with rain drops.

7. "Asshole"
In true Eminem fashion, he proudly steps into shoes that fit and makes listeners aware that he's aware of his self-destructive self, but disturbingly feeds off it. "The only women that I love are my daughters/ But sometimes I rhyme and it sounds as if I forgot I'm a father/ And I push it farther/ So father, forgive me if I forget to draw the line/ It's apparent, I shouldn't have been a parent/ I'll never grow up so the hell to your parents."

8. " Berzerk"

Em' pays homage to old school hip-hop his own way on the guitar-driven "Berzerk." Sampling Billy Squier's "The Stroke,""Berzerk" is one of the weakest songs on the album, for Eminem seems to try too hard (vinyl scratching) and raps dated cultural references.

9. "Rap God"

This six-minute, chorus-less song features Em' spitting rapid rhymes on reigning rap, which is an underlying theme of "Marshall Mathers LP 2."

10. "Brainless"
Em' revisits the haunting memories of being bullied in school and fast-forwards to now, where he is one of rap's most influential personas. Hypocritically, yet dismally predictable, Em' continues to spew gay slurs after rhymes of being harassed himself: "Inappropriate so be it, I don't see it/ Maybe one day when the smoke clears it won't be as mother fuckin' difficult, yeah/ To then hopefully you lil' homos get over your fears and grow beards/ It's okay to be scared straight/ They said I provoke queers till their emotions evoke tears/ My whole career is a stroke of sheer genius/ Smoking mirrors, tactical jokes, yeah, you mother fuckin' 'insert themselves here.'"

11. "Stronger Than I Was"
Eminem channels a whimsical, emotionally driven Kid Cudi, when he rap-sings of a traumatizing heartbreak on one of the album's most honest songs. The beat is reminiscent to "Curtain Call's" "Like Toy Soldiers," coincidentally another one of Eminem's most heartfelt songs.

12. "The Monster"

The rapper recruits Rihanna for their fourth collaboration to speak on the woes of living under the steaming spotlight. Eminem raps about his haunting "Monster," while Rihanna flexes her vocal skills on the hook and embraces hers: "I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed/ Get along with the voices inside of my head."

13. "So Far"
The amusing Eminem returns to spit rhymes of his hometown and make fun of his immaturity over a beat that samples Joe Walsh's 1978 solo hit, "Life's Been Good." "So Far" pulls from the "The Marshall Mathers LP's" "The Real Slim Shady," as the beat pops up and Em reworks a classic line ("And every single person is a Slim Shady lurking/ He could be working at Burger King, spitting on your onion rings") to fit the present ("Went to Burger King, they spit on my onion rings/ I think my karma is catching up with me").

14. "Love Game" feat. Kendrick Lamar
Over a sample of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders' 1965 "Game of Love," Em continues the light-hearted delivery by venting jokingly on the roller-coaster ride that is love. Em brings out the comical side to Kendrick Lamar, which many aren't used to hearing.

15. "Headlights" feat. fun.'s Nate Ruess
Eminem's tumultuous "tangled web" of a relationship with his mother, Debbie Mathers, has been prominent in his discography. Em takes a huge step forward by apologizing to his mother on "Headlights" for disregarding the unforeseen hurt that his verses my have caused, specifically pointing out his "The Eminem Show" classic, "Cleanin' Out My Closet." With Nate Ruess from fun. on the hook, Em continues to admit that the absence of his dad, which he thought would bring him closer, tore them apart.

16. "Evil Twin"
Eminem closes the album strong as he proclaims his rap dominance and embraces the villainous side he introduced on day one of his 15-year-plus career.

[J Dog]

I like Bezerk, don't love it, but how do they knock it for record scratching? That's one of the original essence of hip hop, that's like knocking a rock song for having a guitar solo.