As you probably know by now, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 has officially leaked. Make sure to buy the album! I've pre ordered the album, so I don't feel bad about downloading the leak. I mean I've already bought the album, so I feel I'm entitled to it. So how do you guys like the album? I was extremely skeptical, but this album was amazing! It is obvious from the beginning of the album that MMLP2 really is a sequel. Eminem wasn't kidding when he told Rolling Stone, "To me, it's more about the vibe, and it's more about the nostalgia." Though parts of the album are clearly adding onto the original album (such as "Bad Guy" and "Parking Lot), this album is more about the vibe which is very similar to original, but this time from the eyes of an older man. I was extremely high when I listened to the album, so it was mind blowing when I first listened to it. I have since listened to it another couple of times and it still holds its own. So here's a track by track analysis:
"Bad Guy" is a classic sequel to Stan. If you are to listen to a single song from the album, go and listen to "Bad Guy." In my opinion it is the best song on the album. It tells the story of Matthew, Stan's younger brother who you might remember from the lyrics "but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew/that's my little brother man, he's only six years old." Matthew, in Stan's mind, was an even bigger fan Stan was: "He wants to be just like you man, he likes you more than I do." I'll let you listen to what Matthew has to say (and do), because it is classic and I don't want to give anything away.
"Parking Lot (Skit)" takes you back to the song "Criminal" on MMLP1. Eminem's get away car drives away without him after he robs a bank and kills the teller. Eminem is angry and has to run away on foot. The following song, "Rhyme or Reason" is a classic cut with amazing rhymes, wordplay and hook where he says "there's no rhyme or no reason for nothing." A prevalent theme throughout the song (and the album as a whole) is the absence of Eminem's dad. The song begins with "What's your name? Marshall/Who's your Daddy? I don't have one." It's a funny song, yet sad at the same time.
"So Much Better," is a classic, misogynistic, Slim Shady track with an extremely catchy hook:
"My life will be so much better if you dropped dead (dead)
I was laying in bed last night thinking
And this thought just popped in my head and I thought
Wouldn't shit just be a lot easier if you dropped dead (dead)
I would feel so (so) much (much) better
The song starts with Eminem rapping about a girl cheating on him with Dr. Dre, Drake and Lupe Fiasco. He later raps, "I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one, she's all 99 of them, I need a machine gun." The song is filled with great punchlines. This album is so great, it's hard to pick out favorites, but this is one of them for me. It also seems like a slightly less aggressive sequel to "Kill You."
"Survival" has been out since August and I don't feel like reviewing it. I'd say it's a pretty good song with a Recovery vibe rather than a Marshall Mathers LP vibe. It has a definitely rock/rap feel to it. It is one of the biggest missteps on the album, which is a good thing because it's a pretty good song.
"Legacy" starts with a pop intro, but quickly turns dark and introspective with the rhymes, "What kind of twisted experiment am I involved in/Cause I don't belong in this world/That’s why I'm scoffing at authority, defying often/Flying off at the handle with my mom, no dad." Overall, the song is thought provoking and introspective and basically tells the story of who Eminem is, why he raps, and basically describes his "legacy."
"Asshole" features a solid hook by Skylar Grey. Shots are thrown, including a shot at Asher Roth and a hilarious shot at ICP (seriously go check that one out!). Eminem admits that he's an asshole, but points out that we're the ones who repeat what he says and pay attention. He then goes off, sending shots, dropping hilarious punch lines and basically dropping a classic Slim Shady cut.
Everyone has heard "Berzerk" by now. I'm not going to say much about it. It is a solid single, in Beastie Boys style, over a rock, Rick Rubin beat. It is a solid party anthem.
Everyone has also heard "Rap God," but it is still one of the standout tracks on the album, featuring amazing flows, speed, lyricism and punch lines. It's a great single.
"Brainless," is one of the funniest tracks on the album with the opening lines "I walk around like a space cadet, place your bets/Who's likely to become a serial killer? Case of tourettes." It almost seems like a sequel to "Brain Damage" on The Slim Shady LP, telling about his history with bullies. I love this song. A lot of the songs on this album explain the distinct roles of Eminem and Slim Shady and why he creates the music he does. This is one of those songs. If you don't understand where Slim Shady comes from or why he's needed, then just listen to this song.
"Stronger Than I was," is a pop ballad, almost completely sung by Eminem himself, like "Hailie's Song" from The Eminem Show. On this song, Eminem discusses his struggles with women and how he has grown and become stronger despite them. It's actually a really good song, despite Eminem only rapping a single verse. The content of the song seems to imply that the song is about Kim (at least in my mind, others may disagree). This song shows how much Eminem has matured over the years and stands out the way "Hailie's Song" did.
"The Monster" is the fourth single from this album. The positives: good lyricism and wordplay. The negatives: weak, cheesy hook sung by Rihanna, and a wack beat. I would also say that the content of the song is weak. It's basically just a song featuring Eminem complaining about the downside of being extremely famous. Nothing groundbreaking. This is probably the biggest misstep in the entire album. The entire album rides the line between hip hop and pop, but this song clearly crosses the line to pop, even more than "Stronger Than I Was." It doesn't catch the MMLP vibe, and holds the album back from reaching the levels of classics like The Eminem Show and the original Marshall Mathers LP.
"So Far" is perhaps the funniest song on the album. Eminem comes in singing in a hilarious hill billy-esque voice saying "I own a mansion but live in a house, a king size bed but I sleep on the couch." The entire song paints the picture of a bad-ass-red-neck Eminem. He talks about being classless, being hounded by fans, meeting famous people, not understanding technology, and not fitting in with society. The lyrics, "What come on man I'm crappin' and you're askin' for my goddamn autograph on a napkin," are reminiscent of lyrics from "The Way I Am," but rather than an angry, "me against the world" Eminem, the song maintains a funny red neck persona of a man who doesn't know how to grow up. Though he continues to complain about the negatives of being famous, he does it with a sense of humor and mixes it up by talking about some of the positives.
Kendrick Lamar's feature on "Love Game" is classic, almost stealing the show until Eminem destroys the last verse. Kendrick also provides a very good hook. Eminem and Kendrick go back and forth, verse to verse, misogynistic, woman bashing verses. It's a step from the normal for Kendrick, but handles it really well. The song almost has a 1950's era feel, despite being a hip hop song, thanks to a clever sample. Eminem lists off a dizzying list of names that his fiance has cheated on him with in the first verse, and Eminem's last verse on the song is one of the best verses on the album.
"Headlights" completely switches gears. The song is a heart wrenching apology to Eminem's mom. Eminem finds a happy balance between explaining his side of the story and offering a heart felt apology for what he's said about his mother over the years. "I went in head first never thinking about who what I said hurt." This song is the clearest evidence that Eminem has grown up, though, as other songs show, he may have troubles maturing at a normal rate. Eminem raps about the pain he feels knowing his children don't know their grandmother, and wanting to mend bridges. Nate Ruess's hook is drenching with Auto-tune, but fits the song. Eminem probably wouldn't have been able to pull off the soft, heart felt singing that Nate provides. This song really helps you get to know the new Eminem more than any song on the album.
"Evil Twin" switches to an absolute classic song, with Marshall switching between his Eminem and Slim Shady characters. He starts out saying "I'm trying to figure out the difference, but I think the lines are starting to get blurred," and from there it's on. This is the fiercest song on the entire album, completely cutting lose and taking shots. This song is war! "I believe people can change, but only for the worse, I could have changed the world if it wasn't for this verse." The song continuously blurs the line between Eminem and Slim Shady until you're not sure which one is which and Marshall says "because we are the same." This is one of the best songs on the album, and that's saying something! A great way to end the album.
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