Eminem – Rap God - One A Day

[yoda you can call me]

http://www.1songday.com/2014/01/eminem- ... em-rap-god

It is now almost 15 years since ‘The Slim Shady LP’ was released in 1999. Besides making me feel ridiculously old, that statistic confirms something else: that Eminem is an absolute juggernaut of the music industry. Alongside Eminem on the charts in 1999 were Ricky Martin, Sugar Ray, Goo Goo Dolls and Shania Twain. No points for guessing which of these artists continue to reign supreme in 2014. Longevity is one thing, but it is unachievable without the knack for adaptation that Eminem has proved he has over the years. Regardless of how good your core offering is, the shifting sands of popular opinion will usually render it redundant within a few short years. Innovate or die is a pretty common theme in tech but is also readily applicable in music. While you needn’t necessarily drive that change, you have to at least be responsive to it. Remaining steadfast in your dedication to your sound is idealistically admirable but commercially lethal. Eminem is at once both an innovator and a rapid responder, taking the tumultuous tastes of the mainstream in his stride as he continues to release chart-topping hits.

Though you wouldn’t necessarily know it to listen to ‘Berzerk‘. The lead single from ‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2′, produced by Rick Rubin and a pretty transparent attempt to ape the Def Jam founder’s work with The Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C., sounded exactly like its production suggested it would: a sad, noisy, incoherent attempt to bring the late 80s into the 2010s. With ‘Rap God’ though, while influences and Em’s back catalogue are both alluded to lyrically and visually, historiology does not burden the song. Instead, the track, ostensibly a shot at those doubting his rhyming skills as he ages and continues to put out material anchored by Rihanna choruses, is Eminem back at his venomous, acerbic best. At a time when Kendrick Lamar is busy calling out almost every rapper alive in an effort to gain control of the rap game, constantly reasserting your dominance is imperative to being considered a genuine force in the genre. If there were any doubts about Detroit’s favourite son, they’re dispelled on this track.

Most notably, this is not an accessible song. There is no real reason it should have charted at #7 in the US. As much as I tend to dislike his collaborations with Rihanna, it is the pop potency that a typical chorus brings that this track is undeniably missing. The needling synth line that underscores lengthy verses don’t do much for catchy quality either, even if it does help boost the earworm factor. By contrast, a #2 placing on the Hip-Hop/RnB charts is entirely justified given Eminem’s renewed commitment to progressing rap as an art form, putting out some of the fastest spitting (97 words in 15 seconds at one point, for those playing at home) we’ve heard since Twista was popular back in the early 2000s. At over 6′ long, it remains intriguing to the very end in a way that only an act with the heritage, cachet and vision of Eminem could pull off. There are ways and ways of going about reinventing yourself. Nearing his 25th year in the game, ‘Rap God’ is a vital, hungry and energised riposte.