Is Eminem Limiting Himself?

[The Asshole]

After posting last night and thinking about it a little. I do get what you mean and believe he might go back to more conceptual songs on the next album. Although in an earlier reply someone mentioned winning album of the year instead of just rap album of the year, in my opinion if they did not give it to the original MMLP (which is still a crime in my opinion) it probably wont happen. I do enjoy the new extreme lyrical Em but if he maybe toned it down a little it would get rid of the corny lines that at time show up. I guess in the end I kind of want a mix of the more lyrical Em with the song concepts of the first 3 albums, kind of best of both type thing.

[Kippers]

What's crazy is I agree and get what you're saying vintage. I think eminem actually proved his technical wizardry on relapse and refill already an it was so ahead of its time that it's kind of caught a cult like following and appreciation currently. The inner workings of a serial killer theme while playing that angle linguistically is what he was doing and was brilliant. I consider it a concept album from him in full "evil" mode that still amazes me every time.

The em I truly miss and echoes your argument is the "straight forward" conceptual em.
Guilty conscience
Kim
Stan
Lose yourself
Bonnie and Clyde

Songs that weren't caught up in lyrical wizardry but having a "big picture" approach with a story acted out by him talking to you in rhyming Forman while not compromising his flow and his inflections in his voice immolated the emotion perfectly. That is when em is king and cannot be fucked with. I felt bad guy would've been way more effective with that approach.

What you're basically saying is that em should get back into "re-inventing" rap again as opposed to "competing" and step into unchartered territory like he's done in the past with the current scene. I 100% agree.

This is absolutely what I'm saying.

When he's on his songwriting shit, he takes it to a level other rappers can only dream of. Like I said, no one out there, not even the heavy hitters like Kanye and Jay are gonna be making Stan or Lose Yourself anytime soon.

Eminem's body of work speaks for itself. He can get super lyrical. Everybody knows that. He doesn't have to do that.

"Dear mister I'm too good to call or write my fans. This will be the last package I ever send your ass! It's been six months and still no word, I don't deserve it? I know you got the last two letters, I wrote the addresses on them perfect!" is significantly better than "And to think I used to think you was the shit, bitch. To think it was you at one time I worshipped, shit. Think you can hurt people and just keep getting away with, it? Not this time, you better go and get the sewing kit, bitch."

One sounds like an actual pissed off fan writing a letter, the other sounds like a rapper trying to maintain the same lyrical uniform. It takes away from the feeling of the song.

He used to rap like he was talking to his listeners. Now he's like fuck it, I'm gonna make it a point to show off how lyrical I am.

Some songs suffer as a result.

I've had to register to agree with you.

I've been trying to figure out since Recovery what it is that I felt Eminem had changed and left behind, and it's this, 100% nail on the head this. Rapping to the listener as if he's talking to them in conversation, and the words just happen to rhyme.

He's lost - or decided not to focus on - his ability to tell a straight story. Relapse did it brilliantly (I'm probably a part of that cult appreciation which I didn't know existed until this topic). It was his stories that got me listening to his music around MMLP/TES when I was young, and Recovery seemed ultimately less interesting because it wasn't there.

He still has stories to tell, and what has been said about Bad Guy being pretty close, but not as affective as Stan, is how I also felt. Yet he hides narratives under a complexity which completely distracts you from it every time.

I think MMLP2 is a great album though. He's beginning to recapture something and I like it.

[kpprasa]

Bad Guy, legacy, headlights, and IMO Evil Twin do this...
ET only because he reflect upon his career "backstreet boys" etc. and it will have replay value like criminal.
He doesn't make more Lose Yourself's because then the specialness of that song would be diminshed.

[Hopsinshadie]

Love MMLP2 but next one needs to be even sicker

[Corpse_Welder]

I think he likes to tell us all that he's doing what he wants but...I believe he has a whole lot of influence from the label, his own highly competitive nature, and album sale/reception. That's why it's generally regarded that only underground artists can keep their true vision for their art

[Hopsinshadie]

I think he likes to tell us all that he's doing what he wants but...I believe he has a whole lot of influence from the label, his own highly competitive nature, and album sale/reception. That's why it's generally regarded that only underground artists can keep their true vision for their art

I actually want to see Em drop the label & like in 8 mile when he said he's gonna ''do his own thing.''

[Corpse_Welder]

I think he likes to tell us all that he's doing what he wants but...I believe he has a whole lot of influence from the label, his own highly competitive nature, and album sale/reception. That's why it's generally regarded that only underground artists can keep their true vision for their art

I actually want to see Em drop the label & like in 8 mile when he said he's gonna ''do his own thing.''

That would be a good start. But I also think he has grown to love being a chart-topper and that doesn't usually go along with artistic integrity. Look at how low Relapse sold then he immediately dissed it and changed his style

[EminemInsider]

Forcing concept songs is how we wound up with Recovery.

Conversely, his concept songs on MMLP2 are actually interesting.

[kkaniff]

^ Dude, LISTEN to yourself.

[kkaniff]

I meant CorpseWelder, Em has been topping charts since SSLP. What on earth are you on?

[4Corners]

There's a sinister assurance to his delivery on MMLP2 that hasn't been present since Eminem Show.

[VINTAGƎ]

I've had to register to agree with you.

I've been trying to figure out since Recovery what it is that I felt Eminem had changed and left behind, and it's this, 100% nail on the head this. Rapping to the listener as if he's talking to them in conversation, and the words just happen to rhyme.

He's lost - or decided not to focus on - his ability to tell a straight story. Relapse did it brilliantly (I'm probably a part of that cult appreciation which I didn't know existed until this topic). It was his stories that got me listening to his music around MMLP/TES when I was young, and Recovery seemed ultimately less interesting because it wasn't there.

He still has stories to tell, and what has been said about Bad Guy being pretty close, but not as affective as Stan, is how I also felt. Yet he hides narratives under a complexity which completely distracts you from it every time.

I think MMLP2 is a great album though. He's beginning to recapture something and I like it.

Agreed. This is what I'm saying. I think he feels technical skill is his bread and butter, the reason why he has so many fans. But it's, I think, because he makes relatable songs.

He's not a trend/label/materialistic rapper who only raps about designer clothes and exotic vacations, he's not a studio gangster, he's not a club rapper, he's a real rapper. He makes songs that are relatable to the common person. It's all about feel and not so much lyricism.

There are tons of technical emcees who never blew up because being technical and writing a song are completely different.

[Corpse_Welder]

I meant CorpseWelder, Em has been topping charts since SSLP. What on earth are you on?

God damnit I hate when people react without actually reading or understanding. I said he GOT USED TO CHART-TOPPING meaning he's been doing it a while. His first 3 he was making his music with purpose, he didn't care about sales. Now it seems like he doesn't want to give up his position by making an album without Rihanna

[Hopsinshadie]

I meant CorpseWelder, Em has been topping charts since SSLP. What on earth are you on?

God damnit I hate when people react without actually reading or understanding. I said he GOT USED TO CHART-TOPPING meaning he's been doing it a while. His first 3 he was making his music with purpose, he didn't care about sales. Now it seems like he doesn't want to give up his position by making an album without Rihanna

he needs to start taking chances or he'll never truly recapture the magic yo

[VINTAGƎ]

But to bring things closer to the initial post and not focus on the technical argument -- I just wish he'd have a higher drive for wanting to make a name for himself in the grand scheme of music.

Maybe I'm in the minority because, again, I'm not a self proclaimed "hip hop head." I'll listen to any genre so long as its good.

I listen to a lot of the so called "greats" and I just -- since Eminem is the only artist I'm this emotionally invested in -- want him to one day be up there when the greats are named.

How many rappers are in the conversation when people talk about The Beatles, and MJ, and Zeppelin, and Hendrix, etc.

Rap as a genre, as a whole, is still not respected in the eyes of many.

Here we have someone who sells more records than anyone else making music right now, and it's been that way for the past decade. Someone who can help put rap in that conversation.

He can make it so that when you see a list of the greatest songwriters, you don't scoff or make a face when you see his name.

But he doesn't seem to want to be that guy. He just wants to beat his fellow rappers.

Again, nothing wrong with that, it's his career, his artistic direction, his life.

But when are we gonna see another Eminem? Someone this skilled, who can write songs with the best of them, representing rap and taking things to that next level?

He can be so much more than he is if he looked at the bigger picture and focused as opposed to wasting his talents making sure he's better than mediocre rappers who won't have a career 3 years from now.