disappointed

[tadpole25]

I really loved Slaughterhouse's debut album. I like Welcome To Our House, but I didn't love it. Maybe it takes time to grow, but it really feels like Eminem's involvement in the group changed what they were about.

I really enjoyed the intense hardcore noisy loud and rowdy Slaughterhouse (tracks like Loud Noises). Eminem adopted more pop radiofriendly beats, forcing the members to slow down most of their rhymes. The fast-paced lyrical intensity is gone. Sometimes it is replaced with cerebral wordplay or profound storytelling, and other times its not.

Some songs are deep and personal, but most of them are light-hearted - but not in a jovial way, but moreso cliche. Throw That is a prime example.

My Life and Hammer Dance are both solid tracks, but I was disappointed because I expected them to just be missed cuts released before the album (kind of like what Drake released weeks before the album). Our House was a strong track as well.

I'm also surprised that of all the connections the 5 rappers have combined, Busta Rhymes (who does a great job, by the way) is the only guest feature.

Not saying Eminem's handling of the album is going to detriment to them overall, but it certainly impacted Slaughterhouse too much.

In the end, it's a very good album. But it's not the groundbreaking album I was hoping for.

Maybe it takes time, but even with the endorsement of the best-selling rapper of all time, Slaughterhouse isn't gaining the amount of fame I expected. Yelawolf tried to the do the same thing, by releasing radio-friendly tracks on his record only to find that he only had 1 hit. Bar 50 Cent, none of Eminem's signed acts have expanded far beyond Eminem's most loyal supporters.

This is not their breakthrough to widespread fame. If I didn't follow Eminem on Facebook, I would have absolutely no idea about this album at all. But, this is a decent beginning for a long career ahead of them.

[ImANoob]

your problem is that you expected it to be a ground breaking album. as i said before, expect a GOOD album and itll exceed your expectations.

[EminemBase]

I agree man, major let-down. I wouldn't even go as far as to call it 'very good', I'd say it's painfully average, and often: incredibly dull.

It's also alarming to see the negative influence Em now has over artists; rather than inspiring - he broadens, rather than enriching; he dumbs down... this is a very broad, generic, expected, predictable album in every respect. Where has Eminem's ingenious spark gone?

Em is so charismatic and bat-shit energetic that he can manage to bridge the gap with his own music, and still make it compelling ("Space Bound"), but he should really leave SH do their thing, as they all supposedly said he did. These beats are just terrible.

WTF is up with that constant clap / 808 / what the fuck ever it is (I'm clueless about production) that is on EVERY-FUCKING-MODERN-RAP-BEAT-IN-EXISTENCE now; particularly Alex Da Kid's, it's so cheap and tacky. I mean, why the fuck doesn't Em want to do something incredibly new or different, he's quite literally following the pack and trying to fit in now; think of the amazing production of say Devils Night and the lack of true compromise there, and then compare it to this. So sad.

As for SH; they're so up their own asses about how they're the saviours of rap that they forgot to implement any quality or true originality in to the proceedings. Best in the game? with this fucking album, are you kidding me. Think back to Wu-Tang or Nas or truly classic acts that made their mark; I wonder - could any of them truly and genuinely believe that they had made their own version of that kind of imprint, do they truly believe this is a classic album? if not, why put it out. Why settle for mediocre or just 'good'. I really had hope for these guys, let-down after let-down.

I'm still waiting for a truly new classic act in rap to live up to their potential (and no, I'm not being unrealistic or wanting a mind-blowing masterpiece, but just an HONEST offering. Enough with the fucking compromises!!) and deliver a top-to-bottom-not-compromised-for-major-mass-obvious-commercial-appeal-piece-of-shit-let-down album.

B.o.B, Yela and now these guys. Fuck money, and capitalism, ruins all art, and artists.

[sully10x]

Sorry, but horrible thread.

Loud Noises? Really? That song is garbage compared to most of this album.

And EminemBase, I as most value your opinion, but I'd have to say you are in the minority on this one. Dull? This album is the least dull album I've listened to in years.

Beats terrible? I love the beats on Die, Our Way, Rescue Me, Frat House, Get Up, and Goodbye.

I think you need to realize this is a FUN album, not meant to be very introspective. Sure it has its deep moments such as Goodbye and Rescue me.

I do agree that Eminem had way too much involvement, and probably ruined it as far as being a true classic. But in that case, take it out on Eminem, and not Slaughterhouse.

"I'm still waiting for a truly new classic act in rap to live up to their potential (and no, I'm not being unrealistic or wanting a mind-blowing masterpiece, but just an HONEST offering. Enough with the fucking compromises!!) and deliver a top-to-bottom-not-compromised-for-major-mass-obvious-commercial-appeal-piece-of-shit-let-down album."

It's almost 2013, which means you will be waiting forever. You are failing to see that lyricism is on its last breath. In a couple years, you will very likely look back at Welcome to Our House as one of the last true rap albums.

[Jim Bob]

Just another mediocre rap album. SH had a chance to really make some noise in hip hop and they just settled for mediocrity. I haven't even listed to the album since the day it leaked.

Really disappointing stuff coming from Shady records ... especially coming off Bad Meets Evil, which was a real rap album , and the mixtape - which murders everything out there right now. It shouldn't be a surprise that people are disapointed with this album.

[EminemBase]

And EminemBase, I as most value your opinion, but I'd have to say you are in the minority on this one. Dull? This album is the least dull album I've listened to in years.

Really? not for me.

I can hear the attempt for it to be lively but most of their verses are very boring. They're either self-serious and it's dull bravado, or they attempt to be witty and it falls flat. Good rhyming and flows don't make the content good. There isn't even that much impressive rhyming or flows here; Royce's rhymes and flows are shockingly lazy in spots and I didn't hear any 'wow' flow/delivery moments from Joell like I normally do. Crooked was easily the best on the album to me.

But it's definitely a dull album overall; because it feels like an attempt to be something they're not, it doesn't feel authentic. They have the hottest producers and attempts at populist hooks; it's not like an authentic exercise in creativity, and their verses are way below their top standards.

Beats terrible? I love the beats on Die, Our Way, Rescue Me, Frat House, Get Up, and Goodbye.

Well I don't like 'em. There are some good moments in the beats and yeah the second half of the album is definitely better mixed and produced; for me the really good blend begins at "Rescue Me", and the production becomes better, but it's still noisy and overproduced, and generic.

When I think of classic or unique production... even think of the Relapse beats, or beats from classic albums like Illmatic or Internal Affairs; the beats are (and the beats I love and I think are the best for hip-hop) stripped down, crisp and melodic. They're like a really rich, dark backdrop for the rhymes, and the rhymes are emphasized and complimented by the flow.

Where as, with the beats on Welcome to Our House and most modern albums now; they don't compliment or sit 'behind' the vocals, they overpower them and hinder them. They're very noisy, there's too much going on, too much sampling and too little clear, rich instrumentation. I just find it very annoying to my ears and find that it ruins otherwise potentially classic songs.

I think you need to realize this is a FUN album, not meant to be very introspective. Sure it has its deep moments such as Goodbye and Rescue me.

Well man, I can't 'realize' it's a fun album. I can't logically convince myself it's fun if it's just inherently not, to listen to for me. You don't have to 'realize' things are fun, they either are or they aren't to you. I've heard a lot of fun rap even in recent years, and this isn't.

I wish the album was fun, I don't mind fun music.

B.o.B's debut was a fun album, Welcome to Our House is dull. There are fun moments such as the "Flip a Bird" hook and the very very occasional line but most of the attempts of wit fall flat and there really isn't much meat on the bones or many impressive, or enjoyable moments to me.

I do agree that Eminem had way too much involvement, and probably ruined it as far as being a true classic. But in that case, take it out on Eminem, and not Slaughterhouse.

Well I have taken it out on Eminem. If you read back to my initial post in this thread; I criticize Eminem and ask where the groundbreaking artist I know him as has gone, and say that he appears to broaden and worsen artistic influence now, rather than enrich and enhance it.

But, it's not just Em's involvement or the beats; I found Slaughterhouse's performance on the album totally lackluster, as well as the song ideas; there just isn't much to it. And like I said, if it was just enjoyable and fun it wouldn't matter, but I genuinely don't find it a fun listening experience. I find the beats messy and noisy, and overpowering, and I find most of the verses unmemorable and much below the standard I expect from them all. I wish there was a barrage of crazy flows and lines, there just isn't. There's an occasional flash of niceness here or there, but they're otherwise generic.

It's almost 2013, which means you will be waiting forever. You are failing to see that lyricism is on its last breath. In a couple years, you will very likely look back at Welcome to Our House as one of the last true rap albums.

I don't agree man.

Take a look at say, Big Boi, or members from Wu-Tang; they're still putting out unique, arguably classic material that is true to its core.

Slaughterhouse, like B.o.B and Yela, completely compromised and would rather try hit the charts than the history books. And I really think people don't like to admit it, and fans don't like to admit it; as even good reviews of this album seem to recognize the compromise and lackluster elements but it's almost like the reviewer / fans try to rationalize their distaste for the bad aspects, and justify it like "oh well, SH need to make hits too and, this is better than most stuff so, therefore it's great!". But I don't think like that, I can't pretend it's better than it is.

There's still unique hip-hop being made, but this isn't it.

They are four good rappers, all with the potential of brilliance (Joe in particular), but to me, this album is a major let-down. It's almost like... Canibus' debut album; people felt let-down because they could hear Wyclef had tried to mould Bis' sound to suit something else, and it felt fake and like an attempt to make him something he's not, and this album feels like that. Except their verses aren't close to as entertaining or rich as Bis' on that album even.

[momentsgolden]

I'm still waiting for a truly new classic act in rap to live up to their potential (and no, I'm not being unrealistic or wanting a mind-blowing masterpiece, but just an HONEST offering. Enough with the fucking compromises!!) and deliver a top-to-bottom-not-compromised-for-major-mass-obvious-commercial-appeal-piece-of-shit-let-down album.

B.o.B, Yela and now these guys. Fuck money, and capitalism, ruins all art, and artists.

There is THE ONE!!! Kendrick

[EminemBase]

I'm still waiting for a truly new classic act in rap to live up to their potential (and no, I'm not being unrealistic or wanting a mind-blowing masterpiece, but just an HONEST offering. Enough with the fucking compromises!!) and deliver a top-to-bottom-not-compromised-for-major-mass-obvious-commercial-appeal-piece-of-shit-let-down album.

B.o.B, Yela and now these guys. Fuck money, and capitalism, ruins all art, and artists.

There is THE ONE!!! Kendrick

Yeah well from what I've heard of him he sounds great.

And I've watched a few interviews with him and he's definitely a real artist; I'll be checking his debut for sure. Need to listen to his material leading up to it first though. I know Section .80 is meant to be amazing, need to get around to listening.

[cheeseburger]

Slaughterhouse, like B.o.B and Yela, completely compromised and would rather try hit the charts than the history books. And I really think people don't like to admit it, and fans don't like to admit it; as even good reviews of this album seem to recognize the compromise and lackluster elements but it's almost like the reviewer / fans try to rationalize their distaste for the bad aspects, and justify it like "oh well, SH need to make hits too and, this is better than most stuff so, therefore it's great!". But I don't think like that, I can't pretend it's better than it is.

For once I really dont like to agree with you. Youre absoluty right here and I feel like Im one of those fans. This album was suppose to save hiphop and bring back lyrics and what not. But I gotta be honest, its decent at best as a lyrical project. And if Im looking at it from a radiofriendly "follow the sheep" way of seeing, its not that good either. Yelawolf made better "mainstream" songs on Trunk Muzik 0-60.
Its quite clear that songs like Frat House are made to be bumped by the average listener. But I can tell you, NO ONE will bump it where I come from. Because everyone in SlaughterHouse lacks "it". (Im sorry to say this, but they are not interesting)

ANYWAY, Im buying it. Ive already ordered one copy.
For two reasons;
1. For me personally it was a good album overall. English isnt my major language so maybe that helps. I like the beats, the hooks and Royces melodic rhymeschemes. Crooked is really good on this album, expecially on Rescue Me. Joell had a couple ups. Joe Budden, meeh, not my cup of tea.
2. Its new and fresh for me and I like new music. It doesnt have to be outstanding.

My 2 cents

[tadpole25]

your problem is that you expected it to be a ground breaking album. as i said before, expect a GOOD album and itll exceed your expectations.

The problem was that Eminem hyped it up so much, delayed it three times and really conveyed to everyone that they were really working hard on it. With all of the resources they had, they could have made a monumental album. But instead, they made an album that is just good.