Eminem
The Eminem Show

THE REVIEW

Eminem doesn't quit, in fact he doubles down: and so, two years after "The Marshall Mathers LP", he comes out with this "The Eminem Show". Just to make things clear from the start, all the ingredients from the previous work are here: from the clever mix of antics to absolutely serious moments, from collaborations with famous artists (Nate Dogg, Obie Trice, even Aerosmith...) to the unmistakable touch of the ever-present producer Dr. Dre. But, what matters most, there's still him, Marshall Mathers, "with a new list full of insults" as he himself admits in "Without Me". So then, given the overall sense of déjà vu, why all this success? The answer for me is easy, and it lies in the quality of the ingredients that make up the work, which the public has not yet tired of tasting.

It starts off strong with "White America", in which Eminem raises the bar: this time the target is not just another one of his many show-biz colleagues, but the entire American society, George W. Bush being a prime example. "Business" and "Square Dance" are fast and cheerful songs, but they don't leave any particular marks, while more interesting and introspective is "Cleaning Out My Closet", where Eminem talks about the troubled relationship with his mother Debbie, delivering some truly touching moments. Skipping past the nice but not unforgettable "Soldier" and "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", we arrive at "Drips" and "Without Me": here Slim gives free rein to his jester's soul, comically describing the serious consequences of a sexual relationship gone wrong (in the former) and trying to explain how empty the music scene would be without him (in the latter), without sparing volleys of insults to Moby, Limp Bizkit, and more! But the real masterpiece of this album is "Sing For The Moment", a remake of "Dream On" by Aerosmith: listen to the lyrics and let yourself be carried by the rhythm, then tell me what you think...
Cute but nothing more is "Hailie's Song", dedicated to his daughter, where for the first time Eminem actually sings (it’s not that bad). Other gems are "When The Music Stops" and "Till I Collapse". In the first one, Eminem, together with his D12, shows us what it truly means to rap, with a base that rocks and scathing lyrics; in the second, the atmosphere is very dark, helped by Nate Dogg’s voice in the chorus. Finally, there are "Say What You Say" (duet with Dr. Dre) and "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (where Marshall gets a few more things off his chest, right Vanilla Ice?).

Ultimately a great album with at least three or four tracks above average: Eminem is still the best in his field and he proves it once again, finding new targets and new rhymes to hit them. It's just a pity for that sense of familiarity that occasionally (though rarely) starts to emerge...