3 a.m. is Amazing

[Sam.]

I'm sort of torn on Relapse 2. An awesome song like Cocaine would've been on it, but a poor song like Taking My Ball (albeit, good rhyming) would too.

"Cocaine" is average.

"Taking My Ball" is awesome.

"Cocaine" Lyrically is well structure in comparison to "Taking My Ball", Vocab and Rhyming is also better.

[Sam.]

Yea!

Actually the comparison is very radical if you ask me.

[Berry]

I'm sort of torn on Relapse 2. An awesome song like Cocaine would've been on it, but a poor song like Taking My Ball (albeit, good rhyming) would too.

"Cocaine" is average.

"Taking My Ball" is awesome.

Content wise, Cocaine is obviously a better song.

[OMEGA]

content is

Not every song has to have "good" content to be good. Besides, content is something really, really subjective. Some may find the content in 3 AM (and all Relapse) awful. I find it to be a work of genius.

[EminemBase]

I'm sort of torn on Relapse 2. An awesome song like Cocaine would've been on it, but a poor song like Taking My Ball (albeit, good rhyming) would too.

"Cocaine" is average.

"Taking My Ball" is awesome.

Content wise, Cocaine is obviously a better song.

No it's not.

It's just more rhymes about fame and his daughter, I didn't know it was still 2002.

"Taking My Ball" is much more entertaining and enjoyable.

[_Hawk_]

It's just more rhymes about fame and his daughter, I didn't know it was still 2002.

"Taking My Ball" is much more entertaining and enjoyable.

And 'Taking My Ball' doesn't cover topics like violence, rape etc which have never been covered before? That's a pretty flimsy suggestion. Certainly it would be correct to say that it's more creative than most of his (recent) introspective tracks, but if you're listening to a track for a meaning, it could easily be an extended freestyle. I actually think a track like JGAF has a lot more depth, because aside from the diss-lines and punchlines, it has an underpinning suggestion which is maintained throughout the tracks, and thus support each line and gives it a credible relevence.

[EminemBase]

It's just more rhymes about fame and his daughter, I didn't know it was still 2002.

"Taking My Ball" is much more entertaining and enjoyable.

And 'Taking My Ball' doesn't cover topics like violence, rape etc which have never been covered before? That's a pretty flimsy suggestion. Certainly it would be correct to say that it's more creative than most of his (recent) introspective tracks, but if you're listening to a track for a meaning, it could easily be an extended freestyle. I actually think a track like JGAF has a lot more depth, because aside from the diss-lines and punchlines, it has an underpinning suggestion which is maintained throughout the tracks, and thus support each line and gives it a credible relevence.

It's not about the topic, it's HOW he covers it. But with introspection... there's almost no room to get creative, as it's simply a retelling or inner-struggle.

Point is, he's done fame and his family life to death. There may be the odd angle or way left that he can interpret it or some personal stories we haven't heard...

But just relaying your life is not creative or artistic. I listen to Eminem for originality, not for an audio documentary of his struggles. It's boring.

"Taking My Ball" is creative, it doesn't matter that he's bashing celebs and rhyming about cartoonish violence. The lyricism is original, the word placement, the rhyming, and then the concept of childishly 'taking his ball' and going home, as in, in the rap game etc. is brilliant. And the flow is incredibly satisfying, like all Relapse flows. It's rhythmically stimulating.

It's a much more enjoyable track on almost every level. That's just the artistic elements and lyricism, not to mention its chorus and production.

[BigBoss]

Just dropping in to say Fuck you Em.

[_Hawk_]

It's just more rhymes about fame and his daughter, I didn't know it was still 2002.

"Taking My Ball" is much more entertaining and enjoyable.

And 'Taking My Ball' doesn't cover topics like violence, rape etc which have never been covered before? That's a pretty flimsy suggestion. Certainly it would be correct to say that it's more creative than most of his (recent) introspective tracks, but if you're listening to a track for a meaning, it could easily be an extended freestyle. I actually think a track like JGAF has a lot more depth, because aside from the diss-lines and punchlines, it has an underpinning suggestion which is maintained throughout the tracks, and thus support each line and gives it a credible relevence.

It's not about the topic, it's HOW he covers it. But with introspection... there's almost no room to get creative, as it's simply a retelling or inner-struggle.

Point is, he's done fame and his family life to death. There may be the odd angle or way left that he can interpret it or some personal stories we haven't heard...

But just relaying your life is not creative or artistic. I listen to Eminem for originality, not for an audio documentary of his struggles. It's boring.

"Taking My Ball" is creative, it doesn't matter that he's bashing celebs and rhyming about cartoonish violence. The lyricism is original, the word placement, the rhyming, and then the concept of childishly 'taking his ball' and going home, as in, in the rap game etc. is brilliant. And the flow is incredibly satisfying, like all Relapse flows. It's rhythmically stimulating.

It's a much more enjoyable track on almost every level. That's just the artistic elements and lyricism, not to mention its chorus and production.

I'm not disputing that at all, I completely agree, however I don't think it's correct to suggest that 'with introspection... there's almost no room to get creative, as it's simply a retelling or inner-struggle'. Kim, '97 Bonnie and Clyde, and perhaps even Stan (from a completely warped angle) are about as creatively ingenious as they get, and could be happily placed in a list of Em's top 10 most artistically influential tracks.

I guess as well the argument that his lyricism is original on 'Taking my Ball' could be applied to 90% of Em's tracks as well; no two songs are the same (but now I'm being pedantic). I think the point I'm trying to make is that 'Taking my Ball' was obsolete before it was made; in terms of what we're listening to, it's not new at all; the sound, style, and content has been raped by Em. It's just the lyrics themselves that are new.

If you're suggesting that listening to such tracks for new humorous, witty lines is what is so original then that's completely different, and I agree. However, I think the same can be applied to his introspective works. Take 'My Darling'; the line 'the mirror grows lips and it whispers 'come nearer'' is almost poetic. I can get a similar thrill from a line like this as I can from an extremely well constructed celebrity pun.
And I'm still happy to listen to 'Taking My Ball'; as you say: the flow is incredibly satisfying, like all Relapse flows. It's rhythmically stimulating. And I guess that's the main point. But the distinction I'm making is between originality; in terms of overall concepts, meanings, flow and production vs lines and witty lyricism.

(NB: I'm not bringing the Cocaine vs Taking My Ball argument into this at all, as I think the former is pretty poor).