While I love all kinds of music including some rap, I must say Relapse didn’t grab me as Eminem’s best, but maybe that’s because I am approaching 50. I struggled through the constant and hard-core profanity and the undertone of aggravation and hostility in many of Eminem's lyrics, and was jolted by a few inappropriate uses of God and Jesus, however, I did manage to find a few of songs that I liked; “Crack a Bottle”, “Stay Wide Awake”, and “Underground”. There was one song that I loved, "Beautiful", which has amazing vocals and lyrics that exhibit depth!
I give Relapse 3 1/2 stars because I prefer some of the softer lyrics of his old songs like; “The Real Slim Shady”, “Lose Yourself”, “Guilty Conscience”, “Cleanin’ out My Closet”, and my favorite, “Mockingbird”. That being said, I give "Beautiful" five stars, which alone makes this album worth the purchase!
On a final note, rap music is an interesting cultural phenomenon and has its share of controversy and critics, but it continues to grow in popularity. In fact both of my daughters have grown up with rap music and love Eminem, each holding their own perception of "rappers" and their significance.
In the words of my teenage daughter, Angelica, “Rap music has been considered a disgrace by some people, mainly adults. But not all rap music is appalling and not all rappers rap about drugs and murder — some tell a story like Eminem. If you look far beyond the surface and past the fowl language, you will find Eminem’s story about his mistakes and how they have affected others. He raps about his childhood, his addiction, and his daughter, all of which have altered him a great deal. Eminem is more than a rapper; he’s an author of his very own life story expressing it through song."
Article comments
1 - Yaboy
Hell yeah! Hip Hop heads check this out: www.e-sod.tk & www.myspace.com/esod
enjoy!