Eminem – Relapse

Posted by Joe Toeben on Oct 4, 2010 in Album Reviews |

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Eminem - Relapse

by: Joe Toeben

“As bad as it sounds, Eminem was better doped up.”

Everyone remembers the first time they heard Eminem. Whether it was from his 2002 album The Eminem Show or from his first and critically acclaimed album from 2000 The Marshall Mathers LP, it was a moment to stick in your mind. As one of the first white rappers to hit the scene, Eminem hit it turning heads and offending people tenfold. I think part of the reason people thought he was so impressive was because he was indeed white, instead of rap’s norm of black. Now he’s back after a 5 year hiatus, problems with addiction and many will realize it’s just not the same Em that we all remember from “Stan”, “Kill You”, “The Way I Am” and “White America.”

The album coming off of five years in the making was pretty highly anticipated. The release date had been pushed back several times and most of the public was thinking it was never going to happen. Finally released, Relapse just doesn’t have the kick or genius that Eminem’s previous efforts had. The opening skit was actually original. “Dr. West” plays Eminem’s therapist, doctor or drug counselor that basically tells Eminem that it is okay to use drugs or alcohol when he gets out of treatment. This turns when his voice goes demonic and Em realizes he is the devil or some evil figure. One of the first singles off the album “3 A.M.” is nothing to dance about. This song along with a majority of the album is just as generic as it could be. It is a shame that nothing on the album is original. “My Mom” explains and tries to justify Eminem’s behavior towards drugs. Lyrics like “my mom loves Valium and lots of drugs” are more of a copout than a good lyric.

“Insane” is by far the most vile song on the album and one of the most grotesque songs Eminem has ever created and is to be skipped over. Bagpipes are the most far out and random thing you ever thought you would hear when listing to Eminem or hip hop right? Correct but “Bagpipes for Baghdad” brings that not much wanted concept to the table. Ever wished you could hear Em pretend he was a Jamaican reggae singer? Well you can, sort of. “Same Song & Dance” sounds somewhat like he is imitating the Jamaican dialect. Another one of the singles “We Made You” also keeps with that concept in my opinion. It doesn’t sound like Eminem’s normal voice but then again he switches things up so often you can’t really tell what’s what. “We Made You” is sang only half by Em where as the rest is sang by Charmagne Tripp and Richard Hoult. It makes fun of such celebrities as Sarah Palin, Jessica Simpson, Amy Winehouse and Ellen DeGeneres.

“Must of been the ganja, it’s the marijuana that’s creeping up on me while I’m so high” is obviously the quality of the lyrics that were 5 years in the making. Oh did you hear there is Relapse 2 on the way for the second half of the year? After listening to most of this album I honestly don’t think anyone is going to care. Yeah “Must Be The Ganja” is catchy as hell but is it’s not really what you want to hear when listening to Eminem’s attempted comeback. Coming off a battle with addiction to sleeping pills, it is clear that Eminem isn’t taking his sobriety seriously but rather making jokes about it.

“Déjà Vu” is one of the highlights off the album. The lyrics are great, the beats are tight and the clapping makes it all the better. It is one of the only things from Relapse that bring back hope and possibility of better material for the future. Of course coming off his past albums not many are going to like this album just because it isn’t The Marshall Mathers LP, it’s not near as decent as The Eminem Show, and it doesn’t have any of the top notch quality music that made him as famous as he was in the early 2000’s. “Beautiful” is a ballad that shows the side of Em that no one can openly see. It proves he can be sensitive, caring and actually has a soul. The intro is great, the lyrics are some of the best he’s ever written and he shows that he has matured over the years.

“Crack a Bottle” is another play on his new sobriety. Featuring his close friend and producer Dr. Dre along with 50 Cent, this song features abysmal lyrics as if taken directly from b-sides of Encore. Three songs left on the album bring me to “Underground.” Eminem takes his stab at explaining where he has been the past years since his previous effort, Encore. “Underground” is actually an interesting 6 minutes. The chorus is played suspenseful as though it could be a theme song for a scary movie. “My Darling” is the closer to a mediocre album for Eminem. It’s his “battle” with the demon, Dr. West. Dr. West claims he can bring back Shady’s career if he takes a drink and uses some drugs but he proves to fail when Eminem fails at killing him with a gunshot.

Those big Em fans out there that were looking for some amazing comeback material will be saddened at their listens to Relapse. There is no “Stan” on this album. There is nothing close to the genius of half the material on The Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show. While there are a few good songs on here, there is three times the crap to fill in the blanks. When Eminem started his career he was turning heads being a successful white rapper. Now he is just dragging out his career and embarrassing himself. Relapse is nowhere near the quality that it should be after all the years and work put into it. Relapse 2 is either going to be terrible much like this album or it will be a good push in the right direction for Slim Shady.

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