Rating: 4.5/5
Producer: Dr. Dre
Release Date: May 19
It’s been about five years since Encore, Eminem’s last album, came out. His temporary hiatus caused by drug and alcohol addiction, family problems and a stint in rehab.
And the five-year wait is well worth it.
Relapse, the name of Eminem’s seventh studio release, is definitely one of the darkest and most real albums he’s released, but the reunification with Dr. Dre has taken the rapper back to his classic form from The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. This album will also ensure that Eminem will regain his best-selling rapper title from Lil’ Wayne–and deservedly so.
The hype and expectations around this album built up as the studios released five singles before the May 19 drop date.
The first single released, “Crack a Bottle” premiered on Power 106 and featured Dr.Dre, and 50 Cent. Eminem and Dr.Dre both kill it on the song, with a smooth flow and power delivery. 50 Cent on the other hand, sounded added on to make the song longer. While rapping, it seemed like the two behemoth of rappers, Eminem and Dr. Dre, just outclassed him in everyway.
In “We Made You,” the second single, Eminem goes back to his old ways of ripping into celebrity culture. Among the celebrities getting the brunt of this is Jessica Simpson, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, Brittney Spears, Sarah Palin, Bret Michaels, Elvis Presley just to name a few. There are numerous other celebrities being made fun of, one must just watch the video to spot others. One sequence that a older audience might be able to spot is when Eminem and Dr.Dre are in a Palms casino, wearing matching suits. This is a spoof of the movie Rainmen. There is even a cameo by 50 Cent at the Blackjack table. Star Trek is also a major recipient of Eminem’s stage acting, with Dr.Dre as Captain Kirk, Eminem as Spock, and a guest appearance by the lovable Bobby Lee.
By far one of the darkest songs Eminem has ever is 3 a.m. The beats from Dr. Dre are strong, but this song is very dark and might turn off some. Eminem raps as his alter ego Slim Shady playing a serial killer, who murders his friends and relatives. In this song Eminem raps with an accent, which didn’t add to the song. The video for the song is equally as dark, showing killing and lots of blood.
The song most likely to be played over and over on the radio is Eminem’s fourth single, “For Old Times Sake.” Dr. Dre is at his best in this song both with his rapping and producing.
The strongest song on the album, “Beautiful,” was the single released a week before the album came out. Eminem told Vibe magazine that this was the only song that he recorded and kept while he wasn’t sober. He raps about his battles with drugs, alcohol, divorce, a custody battle for his daughter Hallie, and the death of his childhood best friend, Proof. This song is an inspirational ballad about winning his battle with addiction and climbing back to the top of the rap industry.
