It’s been exactly 10 years since rapper Eminem released “The Marshall Mathers LP,” an album most would consider his best work to date. The 10 years between then and now led “Slim Shady” down a dark path, in and out of dysfunctional relationships and drug use, sending the quality of his material into a downward spiral. However, it looks like the shock rapper may have grabbed the throttle and pulled his career out of a stall just before it crashed and burned, and, in fact, may be taking his fans for the best ride yet.
His latest album, “Recovery” refers to his newfound sobriety, although it would seem the title has a duel meaning. His health isn’t the only thing that’s recovered with his forthcoming title, but he’s also reclaiming his throne at the top of hip-hop.
What makes “Recovery” special is Eminem’s new approach — leaving behind the excessive shock value, and more importantly, the annoying accents. Every single one of the 17 songs on “Recovery” sounds well thought-out, and Eminem’s delivery is the best it’s been in years.
“Recovery” is refreshing because of its honesty and its humility. Eminem admits multiple times that he let fans down with his previous releases, one time in which he says, “Hit my bottom so hard I bounced twice. Suffice this time around it’s different, them last two albums didn’t count — ’Encore’ I was on drugs, ‘Relapse’ I was flushing ‘em out. I’ve got something to prove to fans, I feel like I let ‘em down. So please accept my apology. I finally feel like I’m back to normal.”
He refers to his self-proclaimed rock bottom on multiple tracks, but the honesty extends outside of that idea. In “Talkin’ 2 Myself” he also discusses how he once considered going after Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West simply because he was jealous.
It’s Eminem’s exchanging of arrogant attacks for honesty that allows him to open up and tap unexplored material, paradoxically returning him to the top of hip-hop with this effort.
His return to impeccable delivery shouldn’t be as much of a surprise, as he stole the spotlight in various appearances he’s made on other artists’ songs such as Drake’s “Forever” and Lil’ Wayne’s “Drop the World.”
Additionally, Eminem’s incorporation of various guest artists and an array of samples make for his best refrains to date. In the past, many of his choruses were simply half-hearted singing attempts by Mathers himself, used solely to connect one verse to the next. On “Recovery,” he samples artists like Ozzy Osborne, and allows for guest appearances from the likes of Lil’ Wayne and Rihanna.
The album’s highlight comes on the song “No Love” featuring Lil’ Wayne, and samples Haddaway’s “What is Love” of “A Night at the Roxbury” fame. The track finds the two artists contemplating their place in life and hip-hop culture.
This theme is extended into the song “25 to Life,” as Eminem raps for the entire song about a damaged relationship and threatens divorce, only to reveal at the end, the relationship to which he was referring was with rap itself. The final verse of the song is Eminem’s best verse since his appearance on 50 Cent’s “Patiently Waiting.”
It’s often a bold and exaggerated claim to state than an album is an artist’s best work, but denying “Recovery” of such a status would be irresponsible. Never before has Eminem made himself so vulnerable, just as he has never before seamlessly streamed together line after line while attacking fresh issues. “Recovery” will not only win back fans that had been pushed away by his less-than-stellar releases of late, but will also bring in new ones.
Recovery is slated to be in stores on June 22.
Matt Murray is a journalism senior. E-mail features@kykernel.com.
This article couldve come out of my own mouth, only with a smaller vocabulary. “Recovery” is Marshal’s best work yet. This is his first responsible blend of everything he’s learned in his career, most notably how to bring his audience into his own psyche and truly make them feel like he’s talking to them on a personal level. More than anything else Em has ever done, I love how he’s taking responsibility for his life and his actions; no longer placing blame on his mother or neighborhood or anything else. Against his own mentality and I doubt he would ever want to be, but he may actually be becoming a role model for all of us.
Absolutely! I’ll admit his last 2 albums were pretty disappointing, but I’ve listened to Recovery and I was blown away! Eminem has reclaimed his spot as the king of rap. I will definitely be purchasing this album.
Eminem is defanitly back at his best and i love it you wrote this article exactly right! its perfect i hope Em keeps on doing what hes doing. I also love the songs about Proof. R.I.P. i cant wait to buy Recovery.
Eminem’s last album was garbage as he says but i wuldnt agree with Encore, that was an ok album 2 be nice but there is a track here and there thats iight. specificaly Mosh this was one of those rebel type songs. @ get back on topic recovery isnt jus a return 2 normal of his life, its a reclaiming of what was taken from him by lil wayne. what i dont like is that even when eminem is coming back, and while wayne is in jail, people are saying drake is the new neast in hip hop. wtf he’s good his words ill give em that but the best active rapper? lil wayne is better than him by far and eminem is better than lil wayne by far. dont care what anybody says eminem is lyrically,finacialy,and how he says his lyrics is also unbeatable. recovery has a variety of the type of songs. W.T.P. is that club/dance song which in the chorus is made out to be a white trash party lol, almost famous is one the hardest songs up here with such a hardcore celeberty dissin line 2 start off a song. “i stuck my dick in this like a rappist call me slim rothlisburger” then theres 25 to live,your never over, and love the way you lie, which are those sad songs that others can relate 2, then you got that eminem love swagg with seduction, and so bad. no these aint trey songs type love songs but c’mon he’s a white rapper what do u expect. and of course not afraid was the 1st single off the album and it made history its 1st week out. so as expected eminem has made another plaitnum possible album and shuld go plaintum its 1st week but becuz of its leak a full 2 weeks before the release i now doubt it’ll do that.
How are you gonna say the quality of his material spiraled. He sold over 600,000 copies of relapse in a week. I know sales don’t represent an artists talent always, but at the time people were jockin relapse so hard. Its an amazing album, and so is encore, he’s never had bad albums or even songs really (Except for maybe “Fack” haha) however i do agree that this album is his best shit since either the marshall mathers lp or the eminem show whichever you want to consider best. Point is, download this album illegally and realize how amazing it is, and then go cop the shit in stores. Oh and by the way, there is no best song on there, they are literally all amazing.
best album of his career? hardly. as a whole, definitely better than relapse and encore, perhaps equal to the mmlp, but doesn’t touch the eminem show–that cd was classic. still, he’s the best in the game lyrically, and stretches the wordplay and rhyme schemes in amazing ways. however, i just don’t know how much longer he can continue to contribute in a meaningful way. after all, his best material has been his catharsis (for our enjoyment) for everything wrong that was going on in his life, but after ten years and millions of records sold, and with his newfound maturity, i think it’ll be difficult to drive the genre in a way that keeps him relevant, without rehashing the concerns of his past records. granted, an artist has to evolve as he gets older, and perhaps it might be more a progression to a role like dr. dre in the production arena that finds him (and us) rewarded most. still though, for hip hop junkies, the album’s definitely worth the hour of your time listening to it.
M. Murray your article highlighted your complete lack of knowledge of the hip hop climate and of eminem for instance you said that eminem was being refreshingly honest on this Album when the f’ has he not been? Have you actually heard any of his other albums? Everyone was from the heart giving his fans a snap shot of that period of his life! Also his last album killed it as far as numbers went! Who is sellin these days? No one but Wayne and Em. Do some research befor you do an article, who else is sic of people writing a story after reading one blog? Lame 2/10.
Yeah – i downloaded the album – any true em fan would not be able to wait – makes no difference anyway – in fact it’s better for em – because everytime i download his album before the release date i vow to buy 5 copies of his album – i keep one and hand the rest out to family and friends who like his stuff. i would much rather see him get all the accolades he deserves than save my money so therefore i play my small part in making it happen by shelling out $100 rather than rob him of an album – it will make me more happy to see him go tripple platinum and yet again get top selling artist of the year and more than that top selling artist of the decade two decades running. Make sure you do the same – buy at least 2 albums – it’s not fair to rob him of his title – make him go number one – who else deserves it – if people were more discerning they would hear the story his music really tells – a tragic story of illegitimate children with no mores instilled in them who then grow up to become a generation of slim shady’s. this generation needs help – take the hand he offers – hopefully he will lead us in the right direction – at some stage explicitly – because there is someone we desperately need to meet who’s hands are stretched out and bloodied for our sake – i guess there really is a slim shady in all of us so let’s all stand up admit it and return to the great physician who agonised over our disease, our innate evil, only his suffering can bring us peace but only if we go to him to be healed ‘I hope we see the light before it’s ruined’ (Ghetto Gospel). Em produced that song – watch the video clip and look closely to see what these lyrics match up with – think about it – this is who we must see for help. Recovery album is brilliant – one of his best – the Rihanna collaboration is genius – they pulled it off perfect – yet if we want complete recovery for ourselves and our broken relationships we will have to go to the only one who can ultimately provide this recovery and solution for our lives(slim shady can really only show us our problem and our condition) I wonder when Marshal Mathers will take us to Him?
can’t wait to go buy it! I’ve been a fan ever since “My Name Is”
Kay.I downloaded tha album.Had to.couldnt wait.In my opinion if its better than Relapse and Encore , but not better than Marshal Mathers and The Eminem Show. Those two were truly tha best. I find No Love is the highlight for me. Also that Eminem was a little better Than Weezy on it as well.Next is Talkin 2 Myself. Not Afried is next, with Love the way you lie.and tha rest are all very close.dont wanna get into that.Tha only song that I wasent feelin was Cinderella Man. Dunno bout dat song.Tha album is great, has many deep songs, and in my eyes tha best way to describe it is wat he says at tha end of Talkin 2 Myself. “I’M BACK”
Probably his worst album ever. lyrics and flow are the worst, even worse than recovery. Eminem show is best.
Ok,
I must defend Relapse, actually thought that was pretty tight even with all the accents and such.
Was disappointed at Recovery until I listened to it for the 5th or 6th time that is. Then the tracks started to gain a life of their own.
I say Space Bound is one of his best songs yet. Cinderella Man is groovy as well.
Really good job overall. It’s a sure buy and Em is right, no one is better and he holds the thrown alone.
That’s it?
No more comments?
I’m the last one?
I guess there is nothing more to be said than Bravo Marshall! Bravo! Just got done listening to the album for the 2nd time today…did I mention it is really good…and if you don’t agree…listen a few more times.
It’s a mature take on life…It’s amazing how this cat can make such good music and have such good melodies and sounds in his production…
Will be buying the actual CD when it drops on Monday, just couldn’t wait…
Buy it yall’!
how can ppl say relapse wasnt all that great to me it was a great album not just cuz it was em but alsocuz it was him venting everything in his head and his song beatiful really help me out dont really know how but it did anywasy i already pre order recovery cuz i want to hear it the minute its out EMINEM GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME
Ok I have been mindfucked by the awesomeness of this album. Recovery starts CRAZY with Cold Wind Blows, which has one of the best beats on the album. Then Talkin To Myself is Em slappin some sense into himself, and only he could do it so well. On Fire wasn’t that great, but the lyrical punches really stand out. Won’t Back Down is amazing, although I think he coasted with his last verse I mean the last few lines weren’t so great. Pink KILLED the chorus. WTP wasn’t so great for me. Going Through Changes was stellar. This is where the album becomes amazing. Everything after WTP was GREAT. Not Afraid is the hit single. Seduction is a smooth track where Em steals your girlfriend. No Love is an amazing collab, the sample works amazingly. It’s better than Drop The World in my opinion. Space Bound is another side of Em which I loved (no homo). Cinderella Man is epic theme music to his asskicking of other rappers. Almost Famous is CRAZY and awesome. 25 to Life gave me chills, it was that good. So Bad didn’t have such a great hook but the verses were seductive and I love the DYNOMITE part. Love The Way You Lie is a real gem. You’re Never Over would have been perfect if someone helped him out on the chorus. The last track is amazing I love his flow it’s killer and the beat is beast great job by the producers, great job with the back up vocalists, and GREAT JOB BY EMINEM.
5/5
I don’t know. I never really dug Encore, it had some cool moments. But I loved Relapse! Beautiful and Underground are amazing!
@ A-dog9113
I totally agree with you almost word-for-word. Great summary.
Classic Album
Recovery . 21st June
From Almost Famous
Verse 2
“Now get off my dick/
Dick’s too short of a word for my dick/
Get off my antidisestablishmentarianism you prick!”
Just reading it doesn’t do it justice. The first time I heard that line, I had to rewind it and listen a few more times to make sure I was hearing it right. Sick.
Find another rapper who can put antidisesablishementarianism into a verse and pull it off like Slim did.
Not saying this album doesn’t have it’s weak moments, but you’re going to get that out of any album from any artist. As a lyricist though, Em’s an Untouchable.
I’ll be buying my 2 copies.
As far as the people defending Encore and Relapse, they weren’t as good as his previous work. They both had their share of good tracks, but they weren’t the caliber we expected from Em. The albums were incomplete, you could tell there was some dissonance and disconnect. In other words, the hunger and fire that SSLP, MMLP and Eminem Show had, were lost in those albums save a few redeeming tracks.
Recovery brings the passion back, and the experimental songs only show that artistic growth is being pursued. He could have rehashed his old stuff, but I think the change we see on Recovery is a definite move in a positive direction. Best album of his career? I don’t think so, but it’s damn solid. 9.5/10 for a hip hop album, 8/10 as an Eminem album. Hip Hop album of the year, definitely.
Welcome back Shady.
eminem is one of the best rapper in town, i like his style of rapping.~`,
Recovery is absolutely brilliant – i love how eminems albums are, collectively, an unfolding saga – u can only fully understand one in light of the others so you must listen to all from the beginning to hear the unfolding and developing story. His social commentary would be missed if only one album is heard in isolation – all his other albums give each particular album their context and therefore they must be listened to if someone is wanting to comprehensively understand what eminem is saying. There are particular themes in eminems music that carry over from album to album. Role Model is a big theme, which is very similar to Tupacs ‘Thuglife’ the tattoo on his belly and an acronym he invented that stood for ‘The hate u gave little infants f#@ks everybody’. Slim Shady of course is another big theme and again this is similar to Tupacs Machiavellian evil alter ego properly appropriated Makaveli. Here is one brief definition of the term ‘Machiavellian’ – ‘suggestive of or characterized by expediency, deceit, and cunning’. Eminem also carries this theme over his album collection hence my appropriated user name ShadyMakaveli. Tupac was right when he said that the only way for him to come back is as Makaveli. Shady is this Makaveli. Tupac’s death made way for his rebirth as Makaveli, in the form of Slim Shady who would then become the spokes person for all the broken ‘Brenda’s’ and ‘Shorty wanna be thug’s ‘. In other words all the broken, illegitimate, mentally dysfunctional and disposable children – this problem was far more pervasive and far more far-reaching than the tales that Tupac tells about his Black America – the children who, as Tupac put it, were not born BC (before crack) but, if you can forgive my convoluted analogy, were born AD (after drug addicted parents). Therefore Tupacs message had to be taken outside the confines of the broken and oppressed Black society which he describes, whose children , as he exclaimed in a speech at the Malcom X convention, were being raised by the hustlers, drug dealers and pimps and reach the ears of the rap gentiles. It was time for this ghetto gospel message to go global – it was time for it to reach White America and the rest of the world. Thus Tupac’s Brenda’s and Shorty’s became in Marshal Mather’s capable and semantically clever hands, Eric and Erica, the children of AmERICA. As Eminem rapped on fight music ‘I came to save these new generations of babies from parents who failed to raise them coz they’re lazy’. This theme of broken family’s, abused and neglected children, drug addicted parents and the slim shady persona that America’s children would not only grow to adore but become is eminems running narrative. This is eminems legacy but only because it was the legacy that was passed on in the aftermath of a generation of severely abused, damaged and neglected children who have been failed by and violated by the very ones who were entrusted to protect and guard their well-being. Mom, Dad, can you put another one of your cigarettes out on my bare flesh? Here use this side of my head – the other side is already scarred enough. Since Tupac’s death made way for his rebirth as Makaveli, in the form of Slim Shady it is only fitting that Eminem’s next album after Recovery be called ‘Rebirth’. From Relapse to Recovery to Rebirth! Recovery is a brilliant album but, since there is a Slim Shady in all of us, our true recovery can only come, not from our own effort and strength – not by dusting ourselves off by sheer will and determination, but from Christ who will deal with the disease of our hearts. Only by being born again into a living hope which Christ freely gave us on the cross when he stood in our place and took the punishment that we deserve can we know what true recovery is. It is the recovery of our relationship with God that we really need. Apart from this our relationships with each other cannot be truly restored and will end in tragedy like ‘love the way you lie’. A prophecy was made – Tupac would return or be reborn as Makaveli. This is the true meaning of the mystery and controversy that surrounded Tupac’s death. Therefore, since Tupac’s prophecy has been fulfilled and he has indeed returned as Makaveli in the form of Slim Shady, it lies on Eminem’s shoulders to honour Tupacs legacy and mission. Even more so, to honour the calling that he has been raised up to fulfill. He owes God the honour – he owes his God the honour – the one that he mentioned on his song ‘ it’s ok’ who listened and answered him when he cried out, who turned his ear and heard his prayer ‘in the midst of his insanity’. Tupac’s ‘Black Jesus’ Ghetto Gospel has been entrusted to him – the gospel for the underprivileged, damaged and down-trodden, the gospel that Jesus himself preached when he sent out invites for his banquet not to the nobility or the celebrity culture of his day who rejected him, but to the poor, crushed and damaged souls who lay in the gutter. Only by Eminem taking us yet again to be reborn, not as ShadyMakaveli but born again, as the apostle Paul says, ‘of incorruptible seed’ in the death and resurrection of Christ will he fulfill what he was raised up and prepared to do. ‘I hope we see the light before it’s ruined’ (Ghetto Gospel). This is a severely damaged and broken generation of youth and he commands the attention of them all, a huge responsibility is on his shoulders, Lord give him strength to speak the truth and the boldness and courage not to back down. Marshal thought that he did a deal with the devil but God had other ideas – how can we receive the solution to our problem before the problem has even been addressed. Eminem has brilliantly elucidated and articulated the problem right down to the bare bones failed upbringing that created slim shady and the Eric and Erica’s who follow him. But Slim Shady can only show us our condition – this is certainly our predicament and God certainly needs this part of the story to be told, one fundamental teaching of Jesus and New Testament Christianity is that we are, at heart, evil not good. Eminem has certainly given us the first fundamental doctrine of Christ that we must accept to be able to receive the truth – we cannot save ourselves – ‘there is a slim shady in all of us’ and we should all stand up and admit this. We all are featured in the video clip to ‘guilty conscience’. Yet it can’t end there. Now we need the solution, and Marshal Mather’s must take us to Him on his coming Rebirth album. Eminem must now give us a dialogue with God and not the devil. This is what he has been ultimately called to do and this is how he will shock the world again.