Eminem slyly rolled out an announcement in the middle of the MTV VMAs on Sunday, revealing that he had a new single dropping in roughly 24 hours and a new album arriving in mere weeks.
So for those who've been starved for new Slim Shady, Tuesday was a very good day.
At midnight, Eminem unveiled "Berzerk," the first single off his upcoming disc, "MMLP2," or "The Marshall Mathers LP 2." (The fact that this appears to be a continuation of 2000's "The Marshall Mathers LP" is only further reason to celebrate.)
But on "Berzerk," you're not going to find a sonic throwback to "Marshall Mathers" as much as a nod to the Beastie Boys. With Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre producing - the duo, in fact, co-produced the entirety of "MMLP2" - "Berzerk" wants to take us "back to straight hip-hop and start it from scratch" while sampling Billy Squier's "The Stroke."
"The song isn't sinister and slinky, like the best material on the original 'Marshall Mathers LP.' It's a loud, brash and quick tune," the Los Angeles Times says in its review. "The song works because, lest we forget, Eminem is a phenomenally gifted pure MC. ... It's all high-energy block party material, meant for a rapper who can deliver a relentless torrent of words, and quickly."
Lyrically, Em is back to his old habits when it comes to slaying celebrities - one jab is interpreted as being directed at Khloe Kardashian - but he also doles out daps "to his rap brethren, including Kendrick Lamar, Birdman, Dre's old N.W.A. buddy MC Ren and Public Enemy" on the "loose and playful" track, MTV notes.
Grantland picked up on a lighter, less somber Em, too, pointing out that while his "lead singles are almost always hyper and technicolor, rarely ... has he sounded like he's having this much fun."
What's your verdict on "Berzerk"? "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" arrives November 5.
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