Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When Eminem first announced the title of his upcoming album in August by way of a clever advertisement, I had qualms and was concerned that he had made a mistake. How could he make a sequel to his most highly acclaimed work, especially after releasing "Recovery", an entire album that chronicled a maturing Eminem and showcased the destruction of a drug addiction that fueled a majority of "The Marshall Mathers LP"'s content? He even dyed his hair blonde again. Was this going to be a truthful return to a magnum opus, or was it a middle-aged man's last attempt to stay relevant in an evolving genre that now prides itself more on fashion than it does lyrics? I pondered this briefly and felt that he had made a mistake. As the singles were slowly released, I was pleased but not appeased. I found them enjoyable but did not see how they were in line with the content from "The Marshall Mathers LP". Then, on October 14, 2013, "Rap God" was released and it derailed all of my lingering preconceived notions. The track evinces a wild-throwback to the original "Mathers". Not only does it feature tantalizing wordplay, a ridiculously fast verse, and a versatile repertoire of lyrics, it is littered with homophobic and misogynistic lyrics, features that were heavily prevalent on the original. I don't mean to condone these lyrics, however, they were rather satisfying in the sense that they truly alluded to just how far Eminem went back. They're art and not mean to be taken literally. Additionally, there are references to the original album strewn all over the song; the opening introduction features the same words as "Remember Me", he repeats the Columbine line (uncensored this time) from "I'm Back" and the rest of the song features other blasts to the past. I was feeling much more confident for the direction of the album after the release of "Rap God" All of my feelings were cemented further when I heard the rest of the album. This is his best one in years. I can't even begin to describe how blown away I was by it, and it sounds even better with each listen. For one, he isn't just a talented lyricist anymore like he was back in 2000. In addition to still being the best lyricist in contemporary hip-hop, he's also become quite the king of metaphors. Though this crown may have rested on Lil Wayne's head for a (well-earned) period of time, it's easily been shifted to Eminem's. The amount of double entendres ("How could I not blow, all I do is drop F-bombs?" and "If I can't 'batter' the women, how the f--- am I supposed to bake them a cake, then?" are just a few), metaphors, similes, rhyme scheme and sheer wordplay propels him to tip-top form, as he shouts on the album's magnificent closer, "Evil Twin". My concerns as to whether or not this would be a throwback were swiftly alleviated the instant I realized what was going on in the seven minute opener, "Bad Guy"; Stan's younger brother, Matthew, has returned and is hellbent on slaughtering Eminem for causing the death of Stan. One of the best tracks I've ever heard, and the lyricism here is pretty startling at times. If this wasn't enough, the skit that follows this, "Parking Lot", picks up immediately where the bank-robbery skit in "Criminal" left off--Eminem shoots and kills the teller, and darts into the parking lot, attempting to evade the oncoming onslaught of police. The rest of the album is laden with throwbacks and references each copacetic in its own right. Even frequent longtime collaborator Luis Resto is back at work, and while his absence was duly noted, his return is generously welcomed. The track "So Far" incorporates interpolations of both "I'm Back" and "The Real Slim Shady" directly into the verses. Another track has him pondering his longevity in the game when his rivals seem to have vanished ("I'm all out of wack/I'm out of Backstreet Boys to call out and attack") while a track on the deluxe edition has him tossing out ICP member Violent J's name. Yet another track has Eminem spewing, "I'm still a criminal/ten year old degenerate grabbin' on my genitals/the last Mathers went diamond, I'm predicting this one'll go emerald!" Meanwhile, at least two tracks (one featuring label mate Kendrick Lamar) are entirely dedicated to the grotesque brand of misogyny that made him the archenemy of feminist groups worldwide. The deluxe edition even closes with Ken Kaniff! However, and perhaps most interesting, is the fact that despite the album's retrospective outlook, it still manages to remain undeniably fresh and new. None of the tracks sound recycled or unoriginal, even ones that seem to be direct continuations of songs from the first LP. In addition, he continues to touch upon familiar subject matter (his father's departure, his wrestling with fame, his addiction, etc.) in a new light, still retaining the content that makes his sales soar while opting for original sounds and delivery. He's a 41 year old man who still has a story to tell and can still do so remarkably well, with an effervescent style that still lurks when other mainstream artists have gravitated towards braggadocios displays of wealth and inept characterizations of their sexual escapades. We still want to listen, we're still interested and we still stay put. Overall, this was a phenomenal album. You don't even need to be a die-hard Eminem fan to appreciate it. If you just compare this to recent offerings from the likes of 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, Drake and even J.Cole, this blows them all out of the water. The beats are better, the content better, the lyrics better and the feel of the album better. For those of us, like myself, who have been fans of his for over a decade or more, this will be even more enjoyable as his material will resonate with us more soundly. For instance, the moving track "Headlights" features a powerful apology to his mother, who he's been insulting since "My Name Is" all the way down to "My Mom" from "Relapse". We've journeyed with him and listened to the tale of his mother for enough time that this track will be particularly hard hitting. I urge you to buy this album. It's the best release of the past few years, and though I may be a bit biased since I am a huge fan of his, I'm also not oblivious--if he made an awful album, I'd be the first to call him out as I did when "Encore" was released, even though its sub par lyrical content was still better than that of most other artists. Thankfully he didn't make an awful album and "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" is an extremely worthy successor to a predecessor that introduced millions to Slim Shady. Speaking of Slim Shady, the closing song, "Evil Twin" is a devilishly devised track in which Eminem and Shady trade jabs at one another, and the rest of the track consists of raw, pure, unadulterated Slim Shady at his finest. The critics have agreed with my assessment, lauding the album with rave reviews, while only a select few are criticizing it for its homophobia and misogyny, to which Elton John aptly responded, "If they aren't intelligent enough to see his intelligence, that's their problem." I'll close with a minute comment; I'm not sure why he didn't include the deluxe tracks on the standard version. They're all good enough to have made it, and I would've swapped one of them out for a track like "Stronger Than I Was" which I wasn't too fond of. Nevertheless, enjoy!