Eminem's upcoming album: a standing ovation for King Mathers?

This article purposely combines both highly speculated titles for Eminem’s upcoming album. An album that Marshall Mathers recently announced on NYC radio Hot’97.
After a few years break , Slim Shady’s return seems to be imminent, which constitutes an event in itself.
After the rumors of his early retirement that go back to 2005, despite a strong denial from the artist himself, many listeners, fans and maybe even close friends kept asking themselves if Eminem had decided to work more in the field of producing or if he simply buried his evil character for good.
But maybe Eminem’s return will not be musically written in the same terms as expected. Maybe Eminem intends to come up with a brand new style. If he doesn’t, he might resurrect Slim Shady from his grave, who knows?
At the time I am writing those lines, those are only empty suppositions. All we can do is wait and see.
Eminem is truly a phenomenon in rap history. His detractors pretend that he used his skin color to reach the top more easily.
Matter of fact: among all white rapping artists (pardon me, I really hate talking about an artist’s skin color, but this element is necessary, if I want to prove my point), Eminem is the only one with a worldwide mainstream appeal in the world of hip hop.
Actually, Eminem is one of the most talked about contemporary rap artists.
Many people tried to imitate his style, but all of them failed before they achieved anything consistent.
So, why did Eminem, also known to the public as Marshall Mathers, have such an impact in hip hop?
The first reason is undeniably Eminem’s brilliance. The more I got in depth in studying his music through the years, the more his intelligence in handling compound syllables, his subtle sense of humor, his ability to use his own weaknesses to his greatest advantage, his honesty in describing true life situations he went through, impressed me.
Some people always objected that Eminem owes everything to Dr Dre. If it is true that brilliance isn’t everything in the merciless world of the music industry, Eminem’s early work is the full expression of a musical genius.
A song like Biterphobia is a subtle musical composition, lyrically and instrumentally as well. It was released in 1994. One could barely object that the young Marshall Mathers had the means to pay a ghostwriter at time he was struggling to survive, which means the young man was a true (undiscovered) lyrical genius. Other songs from the Slim Shady EP do carry the same brilliance in the writing; one has to admit that the early Eminem excels in storytelling.
Second handedly, and whether his detractors like it or not, Eminem is credible as a white man in a black man’s world.
As he stated it in a former interview that goes back to 1999, Marshall Mathers used to live across the black side of 8 Mile, because his mom couldn‘t afford to pay the rent on the white side.
Totally immersed into hip hop culture since his uncle Ronnie introduced him into Ice T’s Breaking CD, Eminem also grew up into the harsh world of 8 Mile where had to fight for his dream to come true, despite the racial tension that was prevailing in the early 90’s.
Also and despite climate of hatred and suspicion between black and white communities, Marshall Mathers built some true friendships with his black fellows. D 12 isn’t a group that was born by professional interest like it often happens in the music industry , but it resulted from brothers (RIP Proof is the main founder of the group) who shared the same passion for the vibe.
Third, one should also recall that Eminem does not conform with the usual artistic stereotype.
His down to earth attitude, his self hatred, his honesty in exposing ugly facts and situations, his modest origins, his approachability in terms of sharing his life story details soon made a very likable person of Eminem in hip hop fans’ eyes.
Eminem soon became the example of somebody people could relate to. His acclaim is totally justified in that way, because he managed to break the distance between artist and listener, creating an unprecedented closeness and complicity with the fan.
Maybe Eminem is also the prototype of a walking contradiction: his generosity in exposing quantity of details from his life story soon became the boomerang that would hit him hard in terms of the liberty he was longing for. Stalkers of all kind would soon make his private life a living nightmare.
Since he was catapult to the top to now, Eminem has offered his listeners a prolific work with very various artistic collaborations.
His second album, the Marshall Mathers LP, probably tops any other of his albums, because it is a subtle combination of poetry, creativity, social commentary, shock value, an invaluable sense of humor-at least in my eyes. Moreover, Marshall Mathers is an artist who managed to create specific atmosphere thanks to his subtle mastery of the English language.
A song like Stan has the depth of Rimbaud’s poem Le Dormeur Du Val. Like the French poet, Eminem draws a picture that is getting more dramatic and darker as times goes by.
Further on, the 8 Mile Road song, for instance, is built on similar [i] sounds that imply a constant struggle. A similar structure can also be found in Yellow Brick Road, a subtle syllabic word construction that will remain an attentive ear of the monotonous sound of a train on the rails.
Very few songs surpass Drug Ballad, a beautiful instrumental and word combination that allows the listener to enter into the forbidden world of a drug addict, making him feel the sensation of drowning into the alcohol. The instrumentals truly make you feel the infernal spiral in which the addict is caught with no way to escape.
Encore is probably the worst of his albums. Despite a few well written songs like Mosh, it indicated some artistic fatigue and some of its themes need to be renewed. The commercial dimension of some songs in Encore really disappointed me.
By stating this a while, I raised some controversy. But I really don’t care.
I’m not here to praise Eminem in any case. As a music journalist, I am here to offer an honest and objective perception of the artist from a professional point of view. I owe my readers the truth.
Eminem’s force also lies in the fact that he manages to use the darkest life situations he went through in order to transform them into artistic creativity.
Since 2005, Eminem has been through very painful events. His best friend Proof’s death is probably one of the worst sorrows a human being can go through. I trust Eminem’s will to honor his friend s memory will allow him to dig out of his heart the most beautiful and creative lyrical treasures.
Then the world will be truly be his for the taking because the crowd of listeners will be touched and crown its king of the mic for a standing ovation.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

20 thoughts on “Eminem's upcoming album: a standing ovation for King Mathers?”

  1. i hope “king mathers” is NOT going to be the title for his next CD. it kinda sounds a little like “kim mathers”

  2. honestly, i don’t care about the title, as long as he comes up with something original and consistent…

  3. nigga eminem will sell 5000000000000000000000000000 cd so hell ya fuck 50 dr dre and akon

  4. “you critics wanna critisize but couldn’t visualize individual’s lives through a criminal’s eyes”- eminem. don’t stop. keep going. your my idol. really man.

  5. EminEM is the best of the best of the best you ppl!!!He is a mestermind of rap.I cant even describe his greatness!!!!!!!!I hope he comes with that new album soon now,I really do!EmineM,KEEP BEING ON THE TOP MAAN

  6. Oh,And again,EMINEM IS THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE3333333333333SSSSSSSSSS7777,EMINEM FOREVER EMINEM FOREVER EMINEM FOREVER EMINEM FOREVER EMINEM FOREVER.MARSHALL MATHERS III SLIM SHADY WHATEVER BUT EMINEM IS THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEST

  7. marshallbrucemathers_3@hotmail.com
    I really hope that he has a great birthday today. Maybe his family will do something special for him again. His aunt made him a cake or something which he said she does. Today is the day I think about every day, 10/17!!!! Yay! He’s 35 but he can still rap and he is still rapping.
    The article was heart-felt and it made me tear up a little but it could have fooled me that he wasn’t writing it to give praise. So what Encore wasn’t the best ever? When I listen to a CD in my car I can tell if it’s good or not because I’ll keep switching songs because I don’t want to hear something… so yeah.
    Eminem is a great lyricist of our time and most likely won’t be topped any time soon… and if he is… well then it would just natrually have to be from an artist from the Shady family.
    ~Alicia aka Ms. Shady
    (not MRS I don’t want to marry him)

  8. hi…!! eminem you are a very special person for me!! i love your music and i wish you a happy happy happy birthday today…. i love u!!!
    holaaa!! eminem eres una persona muy especial para mi!! amo tu musika y te deseo un feliz feliz feliz cumpleaños hoy….te amo!! gracias por tu musika…gracias por ser kien eres gracias por tanto talento y gracias por alegrar mi dia kada vez k escucho de ti….
    feliz cumpleaños!!

  9. I am in love with Eminem, and everyone who knows me knows everything about Eminem because I talk about him constantly. I actually stayed home from school to listen to Eminem ALL DAY TODAY. It’s all I ever do anyway… but listening to him is something that soothes me and makes me feel… I’m not sure how to put it but the feeling is awesome.
    ? You EM!
    [I hope King Marshall isn’t the title of his next CD… sounds a little… boastful and fruity…]

  10. To set the record straight, Marshall Mathers LP was Eminem’s 3rd cd. He released another cd called Infinite before the Slim Shady LP. It was very unsuccessful because record executives at his label (not with Dr. Dre, not sure exactly which company) wanted him to make songs that appealed to radio stations for air time. They were very mild and were not accepted warmly. It even had a song that was similar to Nas’s ‘I Know I Can’ which talked about being able to accomplish anything if you set your mind to it.
    Favorite Eminem Line:
    “Windows tinted in my ride when I drive in it/ so when I rob a bank, run out and just dive in it/ so I’ll be disguised in it/ and if anyone identifies the guy in it I hide for five minutes/ come back shoot the eye witness/ fire at the private eye hired to pry in my business” – Criminal (Marshall Mathers LP)

  11. who do you think you’re talking to lol
    When I’m talking about a second CD , i mean a second Cd with mainstream appeal…I am a huge Eminem fan, who has reviewed the Infinite album and the Infinite song…although Infinite was very valuable, it didn’t get that “mainstream appeal”…

  12. I really hope eminem comes back ive got all his albums he is the best. He is just the best rapper in rap and hip-hop history

  13. see all the who left the messages are damn F@#$^&ers i love u eminem u know i am a fan of u than stan ilove u so much teaser (the name i have kept u )

  14. well that was very well written i red all of it.
    you are completely right, i was also dissapointed with his album “Encore” ..to me it semt to be more imature then the other ones. and i hope for a realy realy deep album with lyrics that we realy feel and can relate to.
    and no, that title on the album would be very improper.

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