Off The Dome Volume 1: Shady Business

[Atone]

Part 1

thought i would start my own blog, and only reason i'm postin it here, is because my blog is going to be about Hip Hop artist's, and the reason i'm postin in the shady chit chat is because my first Blog is going to be about Eminem.

1st of all, in a way yes i am a stan, i have every solo join em has touched, BUT, i'm not quick to jump into a new track he makes, it took me about 5 months to actually listen to all of recovery, reason for that would be because i was busy with more important aspects in life, but i have noticed something about Eminem.
Looking back at my major eminem Collection, i have took notice that each album he does has a different style, different rythem, and different sounds.

If you look at Infinite, i know the story with that album is he was trying to find his style, i call bullshit, maybe his fans say that, if em himself has said it, then i'd probably believe it but i dont think i'v heard or seen an interview with him saying so.
BUT with Infinite, you notice he's more into the Multi's, and he's not really killing, raping, and going at anybody, he's just being a normal artist, and you could almost say his Infinite album is pure classic, but i can't fully put that into truth, yes, it would be a classic if it had somethin to catch my ear right away, every track sort of sounds the same, maybe if it had somethin that stood out, it would be a 5 star album. also i would like to ask, is there a Jealous Woes part 1? Part 2 is extreamly dope.

Look at the producers for Infinite, Only 2, Porter and DJ Head and the only thing he produced was a skit, so, basicly the entire album is Produced by Porter, now notice the huge difference durring the Slim Shady Era, on the E.P, Porter is still seen as one of the producers, but this time there is a difference, DJ Head has a full production for one track, and a anoter DJ known as DJ Rec, as well as F.B.T, i don't know who F.B.T. is but it gave Slim Shady a new style, A new formula so to speak.

Leading into the Slim Shady LP, which is Eminem's major Label debute, again, MAJOR Formula change, but not to much, the producers have changed, from Porter, to the Bass Brothers, this time around there is a full blown difgference to each song, Just Don't Give A Fuck/Still Don't Give A Fuck, both about the same topic, but both still sound incredibly different...

"Slim Shady brain dead like Jim Brady"

opening line tio the song made me laugh so hard, and even more throughout the whole song, it's almost as if he is saying he don't give a fuck about the world and he aint afraid to be goofy, he aint afraid to be himself, which is perfect for a debute album, coming out the gate saying fuck a hater, let me do me. can't get no better than that.

"I'm zonin off of one joint, stoppin a limo hop in the window/ shoppin my demo at gun point"

Just that one line, it's like, wow, i mean, he rhymes in places alot of people wouldn't even look, or think, this is the last song on the album, and it leaves people BEGGING FOR MORE! which is exactly the way to leave it, have the world anticipating what your going to do next. but i'm not done with this LP yet, let's go back to My Name Is....My Name is was the 1st single, but yet, not as goofy as most people claim it to be, ignorte the video for a mont, just listen to the lyrics,

"Well since age twelve, I've felt like I'm someone else
Cause I hung my original self from the top bunk with a belt"

and then

"Ninety-nine percent of my life I was lied to
I just found out my mom does more dope than I do (Damn!)
I told her I'd grow up to be a famous rapper
Make a record about doin drugs and name it after her"

yes, he does act a lil goofy in this track, but he still has some realistic lines, and that last line came true for Relapse, weather he did it on purpose or not, it is very fascinating to notice little clue's and things like that in his music.

Moving on, his track Brain Damage, it just seems as real as real can get, for those of you who are like me, and was bullied in school, you can almost see yourself in this song, you almost feel like you are back in that moment when you felt like you could just flip out and start kickin everybody's ass that fucked with you,

"Then I got up and ran to the janitor's storage booth
Kicked the door hinge loose and ripped out the four inch screws
Grabbed some sharp objects, brooms, and foreign tools
"This is for every time you took my orange juice,
or stole my seat in the lunchroom and drank my chocolate milk.
Every time you tipped my tray and it dropped and spilt.
I'm gettin you back bully! Now once and for good."

hearing that, holy shit, i actuyally was thinkin back in school, i litterally wish i could go back, and fight back against my entire school, even when he was trying to be goofy, he pulled you in his life, gavce you his eye's just for that moment.
thats the greatest way to appear in the world's ears for the 1st time. and the bass brothers did a great job with the production. now get ready for the next big change in his music..

[Atone]

Part 2

The Marshal Mathers LP.
1st of all, this is almost as if he's debuting all over again with such a style change, and i love the intro to this album it's almost like a big fuck you to cecorship.
Now the 1st track, Kill You,

"They said I can't rap about bein broke no more
They ain't say I can't rap about coke no more"

Slim Shady LP sold over 10 mIllion worldwide, now, in a way he is braggin about this, but he's not sounding like every other rapper that has sold millions, he's just stating the fact that he was able to sell.

"AHHH!) Shut up slut, you're causin too much chaos
Just bend over and take it like a slut, okay Ma?
"Oh, now he's raping his own mother, abusing a whore,
snorting coke, and we gave him the Rolling Stone cover?"

a direct shot at his mother, in a strange, but funny way, plus again, indirectly brtagging about making the cover a famous magazine, but making it sound good at the same time, not many rappers have done so the way eminem can do it.

now, "Stan", how can you not like this track, so much creativity in this song it's crazy, and very very real, this could happen to any artist and probably has.

"Who Knew" basicly a big story of his life, he's being real, and stating that growing up, he never thought he would get to the point that he was at during that time, and talkin directly about and to his critics, if you think about it, people made to big of deal about his music, i'v listened to other rap artist that have said far worse things i ntheir music, but barly even got noticed, who knows, maybe it's bevause the media would not expect such vulgarity from a white trash middle american.

Again, the production changed wand so did the the formula, this time around it wasn't just the bass brothers, Dr. Dre added his prescription to this sickness, giving it the cure that would sound so crazy in the end, and the last track, "Criminal" was almost like the "Just Don't Give A Fuck / "Still Don't Give A Fuck" tracks, it had a similar beginning, but again, it had a new sound, and another perfect ending to what was almost like another debute album.

"And if it's not a rapper that I make it as
I'ma be a fuckin rapist in a Jason mask"

i am so grateful Dr. Dre found shady, otherwise the world would be in so much trouble.

now with the eminem show, again, he took a brand new direction, this album wasn't about bullies, or murder, he took a political stand point, and it again, had a new formula but still caught our attention.

Although his producers didn't change drasticly, the style did.

the style was almost like an uplifting sound, listeners could get pumped up while listening to each track, with "White America" he made a clear point, that most of america could relatye to his music, and he was incredibly right.

"Let's do the math - if I was black, I woulda sold half
I ain't have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that"

if you think about it, this statyement is so true, look at all of the black rap artist that have sold as much as eminem, it's very hard to name more than 5 without doing research, Marshal Mathers LP, and Jay-Z's Blueprint both came around the same time period and Jay Z didn't do sales anywhere NEAR what eminem's did.

It's almost as if Eminem does not want the same style on each album, he looks for ways to sound different, and always finds somethin new to rap about, and it's safe to say that "Encore", may not have been his best, but it was definitly different, basciyl some could look at is as almost a retirement album, as he looked back at his old self, spoke on his old beef's, "Like Toy Soldiers" was almost as if he was saying rap took most of his life away and he got caught up in the media's bullshit, but even though most people disregard this as a true eminem album, even eminem himself call it trash, i look at it iun a different light, he needed some time off, he was stuck in a hole, and needed to fight out, and even though it's not his best album the tracks are not as bad as most people say, the album is catchy, funny, and has some serious songs.

Mockingbird for instance, about his daughter, and when i listen, i cry, because i have a Little sister and this song reminds me of what i would do for my little sister, how far i would go to make her happy, even at his worst, he still makes music people can relate to.

[Atone]

Part 3

Encore could have been his retirement album, but it wasn't, 5 years after, he came out with his much anticiapted "Relapse" and again, most people, even eminem trashed it, but, tyhis album was so different, and a step up from encore, again, a different sound, like he has done with every other album he changed the formula, and took you into his past with drugs, his thoughts, and made more music that people could relate to, with "Deja Vu" he spoke on his near death experiance, his true life story regarding his issues with drugs that took his mind away from music.
No matter how hard people try you can't disregard this album, it fits perfectly in his lyrical autobiography, you could feel every minute, you were truly in his life, as a listener, you were caught in the story, with his past with Mariah on "Bagpipes" and another goofy tone with "We Made You" but, like i pointed out, he made his promice from "my Name Is" come true when he made a track called "My Mom" and it was about the drugs that he later became involved with. it's no wonder why his mind is so fucked up.

Dr. Dre did most of the production, and did a great job mixing with Eminem's lyrical style. and a year later, we got Recovery, a definite change in styl;e, but it could almost remind you of "Infinite" it's almost as if he went back to that style for his rhyme sheme for this album,

"Cold Wind Blows"

Although most people hate his Yelling style and find it annoying, i find it a new step, and honestly i love it, i wouldn't call this track the best opener for an album but it is magnificit, alot of great rhymes, alot of multies, it's brilliant.

With this album, it's almost as if he's aknowledging that he beleives he is better than most rappers, but still not bragging like most rappers do, alot of people say this is his comeback album, like he left? i would say it's a refreshing album from what his past 2 albums were, and again, each song has a way to pump you up.
And again, he takes a new direction, if this was after the Marshal Mathers LP, nobody would have thought he would work with Pop artists such as Pink, or Rihanna, but he did, and somehow, it worked, great musi, coming from great voices, making perfect collaberations.

Won't Back Down should have been the opening track, followed by Noty Afraid. with Not Afraid, it's almost as if he's saying he is willing to fight every obstial and he will overcome, and nothing will stop him. although the beat to not afraid is not as perfect as some would want it to be, my version of Recovery has a different beat, thanks to a not so known Producer that deserves credit, and an aknowledgement, Mart85 put a great mix for this track and made it more listenable.
Most people i talk to say they don't like W.T.P, i beleive this should be a single, i love the song, maybe because i myself am white trash, but i vibe to this song, Eminem made a brilliant club song. It almost sounds like 50 Cent's " Get Up", now, going thru changes has a sample from Ozzy, whiich is definitly different, but enjoyable, i love this track, every minute of it.

Now with the final track "Untitled" again, has us wanting more, well, at least for me it does, this album was definitly a perfect 10, he's being different, without trying to copy the formula of what hip hop is doing, eminem is the most orginal emcee there is, how can you hate on that...although, some will try.

[RainMan44]

I just read the whole thing, and I was going to go to sleep afterwards, but I couldn't leave you without a response after you wrote all this. Nice work, found it very interesting to read. And I agree with everything you said.

[Atone]

Next week's edition will be in Hip Hop Domain, it's gonna be about Tech N9ne, and i thought that maybe one of my Blogs should not involve me totally kissing the artist's ass, so sometime this month i will be workin on an edition of my Blog Series on the Leaders of hip hop's downfall, and which artist's can pick up the peices

[Rollimeo]

nice read man can't wait for the tech n9ne one