2008 Woodie Awards
Guess who's back? Slim Shady's back
Ezra Prior, Collegian Correspondent
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Arts & Living
A flighty-sounding flute and punchy drums set the background for Eminem's new freestyle track leaked onto YouTube. Its title: "I'm Having a Relapse" is a clever remark on his up-and-coming re-emergence back into the record industry.
The release date for his new E.P. "King Mathers" has yet to be announced, but judging from the style of the offered preview, Eminem is coming up with new ways to reinvent himself as an artist, despite his recent lack of meaningful publicity or production.
Filled with complicated turns of phrase and intricate arrangement, the sample freestyle is dark and humorous. It is as if he has remembered what he was meant to do: produce quality songs about his own life, instead of D-12 club singles marketed for mainstream consumption.
The reason why Eminem and his music was such a hot top issue was that he addressed socio-political concerns without "sugar-coating" them, as he did in 2002 when he released "The Eminem Show."
Although hurtful language detracted from the CD's moral integrity, its lyrics were packed with envenomed and insightful tirades against the government's attempt at censorship. Knowledgeable of the response he would receive, Eminem fought against it and directly criticized the use of rap artists as scapegoats for social blame.
Lyrically provoking the very societal restraints that "held him back" he created in his songs a self-sustaining tension. The response he received, if not fully welcoming, was enough to reshape a generation's opinion of itself by giving it the voice to express its raw concerns: racial tension, sexuality, drug abuse and violence.
Sure it might not be the best music for toddlers to overhear, but doesn't anyone appreciate the bad boy anymore? Is the rawness of Eminem's expressionism simply crude? Or is there something about his inability to hold his tongue that reveals what makes us human?
By rapping stories that overreach moral boundaries and creating choruses that point to him being merely an artist, he creates a dilemma of representation.
His verses often remark upon why innocent white kids think that rap is cool, forcing the listener to question his or her position when enjoying his verses, just as Shakespeare pulled his audience into a feeling of complicit guilt when hinting at their enjoyment of the atrocities being acted upon the stage.
As a presence, Eminem reminds his audience of the little devil which the freedom of speech affords. He can't and won't be silenced.
The release date for his new E.P. "King Mathers" has yet to be announced, but judging from the style of the offered preview, Eminem is coming up with new ways to reinvent himself as an artist, despite his recent lack of meaningful publicity or production.
Filled with complicated turns of phrase and intricate arrangement, the sample freestyle is dark and humorous. It is as if he has remembered what he was meant to do: produce quality songs about his own life, instead of D-12 club singles marketed for mainstream consumption.
The reason why Eminem and his music was such a hot top issue was that he addressed socio-political concerns without "sugar-coating" them, as he did in 2002 when he released "The Eminem Show."
Although hurtful language detracted from the CD's moral integrity, its lyrics were packed with envenomed and insightful tirades against the government's attempt at censorship. Knowledgeable of the response he would receive, Eminem fought against it and directly criticized the use of rap artists as scapegoats for social blame.
Lyrically provoking the very societal restraints that "held him back" he created in his songs a self-sustaining tension. The response he received, if not fully welcoming, was enough to reshape a generation's opinion of itself by giving it the voice to express its raw concerns: racial tension, sexuality, drug abuse and violence.
Sure it might not be the best music for toddlers to overhear, but doesn't anyone appreciate the bad boy anymore? Is the rawness of Eminem's expressionism simply crude? Or is there something about his inability to hold his tongue that reveals what makes us human?
By rapping stories that overreach moral boundaries and creating choruses that point to him being merely an artist, he creates a dilemma of representation.
His verses often remark upon why innocent white kids think that rap is cool, forcing the listener to question his or her position when enjoying his verses, just as Shakespeare pulled his audience into a feeling of complicit guilt when hinting at their enjoyment of the atrocities being acted upon the stage.
As a presence, Eminem reminds his audience of the little devil which the freedom of speech affords. He can't and won't be silenced.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
DBek
posted 12/04/08 @ 2:05 AM EST
Yeah this has been out for a while. And his new album isn't titled "King Mathers", It's titled "Relapse".
Harry T
posted 12/04/08 @ 11:37 AM EST
this is really old...his single's been floating on youtube and all the news outlets have reported on this like 3-4 months ago. and yes, his new album is relapse. (Continued…)
Drew Hadsell
posted 12/08/08 @ 8:31 AM EST
eminem has had us fans waiting for years when it comes to something new . Ive been listening to all his old albums for like almost 4 years straight . Can't wait for it to come out . (Continued…)
Post a Comment