Eminem - Revival

[SlammedZero]

I've had a couple days with this album and my opinion on it is that it's fantastic. It just seems to get better the more you listen to it. It has a different flavor to it for Eminem but he's just that talented that he makes it work. While I don't think Walk on Water was the greatest single to try and drop from a highly anticipated album, I don't think it really matters in the long run. Definitely a peculiar move though. As for the album, it did take me a time through for me to really appreciate it but its a really great album.

What says you Eminem fans?

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Haven't listened to it but Eminem has really changed when you see a track list containing collabos with Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Skylar Grey and Pink. Worlds apart from The Slim Shady LP days.

 

[Tabascocat]

Haven't listened to it but Eminem has really changed when you see a track list containing collabos with Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Skylar Grey and Pink. Worlds apart from The Slim Shady LP days.

It seems they are all doing that now and it drives me crazy. Quite a few singers I like sing with rappers I have never even heard of.

My daughters got me to like Katy Perry, the old Perry. Now, every one of her songs is with someone else and terrible......talk about doing a 180

If I want to listen to Pink, then lets have just Pink shall we? Lets say she has 10 collabo songs and she performs in concert. Do those other 10 artists show up for a bit then jet?

 

[JoeyBoy718]

It seems they are all doing that now and it drives me crazy. Quite a few singers I like sing with rappers I have never even heard of.

My daughters got me to like Katy Perry, the old Perry. Now, every one of her songs is with someone else and terrible......talk about doing a 180

If I want to listen to Pink, then lets have just Pink shall we? Lets say she has 10 collabo songs and she performs in concert. Do those other 10 artists show up for a bit then jet?

I guess I have higher standards for Eminem considering his track record. I've always been a fan of rap and never cared for R&B or pop. I don't really see how the two are related. I guess since rap has basically become pop, it isn't out of the ordinary for the top rappers to rub elbows with the top singers. I was never into it. I miss the days when an NWA would never do a collabo with a Whitney Houston. Oh well.

 

[Tabascocat]

I guess I have higher standards for Eminem considering his track record. I've always been a fan of rap and never cared for R&B or pop. I don't really see how the two are related. I guess since rap has basically become pop, it isn't out of the ordinary for the top rappers to rub elbows with the top singers. I was never into it. I miss the days when an NWA would never do a collabo with a Whitney Houston. Oh well.

I love old rap like NWA, LLCJ, Tupac, Snoop etc but my favorite was Eazy-E by far. The stuff in the last 20 years has no interest to me. Kanye, Drake and Jay Z are not rappers in my book

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I love old rap like NWA, LLCJ, Tupac, Snoop etc but my favorite was Eazy-E by far. The stuff in the last 20 years has no interest to me. Kanye, Drake and Jay Z are not rappers in my book

I liked Jay-Z's first album from a rapper perspective. Liked Kanye's first two albums from a musical perspective. Never was into Drake. I find myself pretty much listening to the same rappers from two decades ago. Can't get into modern rap. It's lost everything that made it special. Sorry to derail this thread. Just can't imagine this Eminem album being anything somewhat enjoyable considering the guest list and the Beyonce song I've already heard. And I thought SSLP was one of the greatest albums of all time. MMLP was up there too. Even Eminem Show was great. All downhill from there. Each album seems considerably worse than the previous. This one looks like it's gonna take the cake.

 

[SlammedZero]

The guest features don't really bother me. They're just there to help with the hook anyway. If you walk into the album with your mind already predetermined based solely on your opinion, then yeah, you probably won't like it. I really enjoy Eminem as an artist so I continue to be a fan even through his evolution. People always want that original youthful, angry Slim Shady material but that isn't Eminem anymore. He is 45 now and has been through deep drug addiction, losing his best friend, and the price of fame and fortune. He is a different person. I thought Recovery was an amazing album because a deeper Eminem emerged from it.

He is still quite possible the best to ever do it, imo, and I have been a hip-hop fan since the glory days of the 90s.

 

[Melonfeud]

I'm not a fan & doubt I'll ever be but I'd caught him on SNL a few weeks back as the featured musical guest & he had some blond gal on a piano ( I think) that had a hook to her in that song(if that's what it's called?) that IMO, was it's only saving grace of the performance.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I havent had the chance to get it yet.

 

[Reality]

The only song I have heard from his new album so far is the Walk on Water song with Beyonce and honestly, I couldn't make it through the whole song. It literally sounded like some guy ranting, not rapping, just talking and ranting .. but in rhyme .. which is more annoying than entertaining.

I was an Eminem fan back in the 2000s, but outside of a couple of songs since then, he's really just been yet-another-rapper like most others who fail to ever separate themselves. It's the same with pop music as well as other genres. The creativity and unique styles have been replaced with more flat-line songs, that sound like every other song out there.

I feel bad for him in the sense that he's not arrogantly oblivious to the fact he and his music is more heavily criticized these days, and not for the controversial reasons of the past, but more so for the failure to live up to the guy he used to be. I think he would benefit heavily from taking a few years off and only working on music when he's inspired to do so. You don't lose that creativity like he had, but it can be drowned out by parameters defined by those around you and by the other popular songs of the moment.

 

[Trouty]

The only song I have heard from his new album so far is the Walk on Water song with Beyonce and honestly, I couldn't make it through the whole song. It literally sounded like some guy ranting, not rapping, just talking and ranting .. but in rhyme .. which is more annoying than entertaining.

I was an Eminem fan back in the 2000s, but outside of a couple of songs since then, he's really just been yet-another-rapper like most others who fail to ever separate themselves. It's the same with pop music as well as other genres. The creativity and unique styles have been replaced with more flat-line songs, that sound like every other song out there.

I feel bad for him in the sense that he's not arrogantly oblivious to the fact he and his music is more heavily criticized these days, and not for the controversial reasons of the past, but more so for the failure to live up to the guy he used to be. I think he would benefit heavily from taking a few years off and only working on music when he's inspired to do so. You don't lose that creativity like he had, but it can be drowned out by parameters defined by those around you and by the other popular songs of the moment.

There's actually a name for this style [bolded], Reality, and for the life of me I can't remember it from my English 102 class. Its obviously not freestyle rapping, or a cappella. It's a growing trend and has merit, both in the artistic/music/rap scene, but also in lit, as it's more poetry than it is music (like rap, hip hop etc)

Damn, I wish I could recall the name of the genre, as there's some magnificent stuff out there. Now I'm curious as to how well Em did, as that type of artistry is no joke, and tough to do. Its a very niche genre, but incredibly respected within the art world and Lit world.

@BigStar, maybe you can help me out?

Also, Reality, I think Eminem separated himself forever, in 1998. Its just that his style has gone stale in recent years. It's still unique to him, but he hasn't evolved as we all would've liked. Still, he has 3 albums in my top-100, all time.

 

[Trouty]

I havent had the chance to get it yet.

It'll probably offend you. Stay away, bro. Stay away.

 

[Reality]

It's a growing trend and has merit, both in the artistic/music/rap scene, but also in lit, as it's more poetry than it is music (like rap, hip hop etc)

But see, this is my point. Eminem was great in the 2000s because he wasn't following trends or trying to do what everyone else was doing. He had more uniqueness and more flare back then. Now, his music is nothing special. There are plenty other artists who do a much better job with the styles he uses and if it weren't for his name recognition and cameos by other popular singers, no one would be paying any attention to his music.

 

[Trouty]

But see, this is my point. Eminem was great in the 2000s because he wasn't following trends or trying to do what everyone else was doing. He had more uniqueness and more flare back then. Now, his music is nothing special. There are plenty other artists who do a much better job with the styles he uses and if it weren't for his name recognition and cameos by other popular singers, no one would be paying any attention to his music.

I can't disagree that his style has grown stale (without hearing this latest LP), Reality. He needs to evolve. And not into Pop like he's done in the last ~decade or so. His own creativity seems to be lacking lately. Playing it safe, not exploring more.

Still, I wish I could find the name of that style of flow he was doing that you posted about. There's some killer artists out there doing that all over the US now.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

There's actually a name for this style [bolded], Reality, and for the life of me I can't remember it from my English 102 class. Its obviously not freestyle rapping, or a cappella. It's a growing trend and has merit, both in the artistic/music/rap scene, but also in lit, as it's more poetry than it is music (like rap, hip hop etc)

Damn, I wish I could recall the name of the genre, as there's some magnificent stuff out there. Now I'm curious as to how well Em did, as that type of artistry is no joke, and tough to do. Its a very niche genre, but incredibly respected within the art world and Lit world.

@BigStar, maybe you can help me out?

Also, Reality, I think Eminem separated himself forever, in 1998. Its just that his style has gone stale in recent years. It's still unique to him, but he hasn't evolved as we all would've liked. Still, he has 3 albums in my top-100, all time.

You talking about spoken word?

 

[Trouty]

You talking about spoken word?

Thats it, man!!!! Thanks, brother! We covered it several years ago in college. Is this what Em is doing in the post Reality referenced?

 

[Reality]

I can't disagree that his style has grown stale (without hearing this latest LP), Reality. He needs to evolve. And not into Pop like he's done in the last ~decade or so. His own creativity seems to be lacking lately. Playing it safe, not exploring more.

Still, I wish I could find the name of that style of flow he was doing that you posted about. There's some killer artists out there doing that all over the US now.

Honestly, it wouldn't matter as I really don't enjoy that style of music. It has less to do with the music and more to do with not liking singers who casually talk (slow, no beat, no rhythm) while rhyming their lyrics. I typically don't like slow rap music. I tend to favor rap songs that follow faster rhythms while they sing their lyrics as if they are another instrument.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Thats it, man!!!! Thanks, brother! We covered it several years ago in college. Is this what Em is doing in the post Reality referenced?

I don't know so much if it's spoken word. Spoken word is also known as slam poetry. Became very popular in the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in NYC in the 90s. Saul Williams is a legendary slam poet. He has a movie called Slam that's really good. Usually it's not over music but it can be. I've heard it over live jazz before. But this Eminem song is more of just slow rapping if you ask me.

 

[Trouty]

This is a really good one.



Kendrick Lamar is the best in the mainstream world at it.

Rap only becomes "slam/spoken word" when it becomes a concept album-driven (telling a story; KLamar -- Good Kid, M.A.A.D City)

 

[Trouty]

I don't know so much if it's spoken word. Spoken word is also known as slam poetry. Became very popular in the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in NYC in the 90s. Saul Williams is a legendary slam poet. He has a movie called Slam that's really good. Usually it's not over music but it can be. I've heard it over live jazz before. But this Eminem song is more of just slow rapping if you ask me.

DUDE!!! It's Slam Poetry, brudda! That is it! That is what we spent about a week on.