Eminem, Relapse

From the mediocre singles Eminem chose to come back with, I was a bit sceptical of what Relapse would entail. To my surprise and contrary to popular belief "Relapse" was a great album. Some of the songs were hit and miss, meaning when the songs worked they were amazing but when they didn't they were awful. Some notable tracks that are very easily some of Eminems best work yet are Beatiful, Deja Vu, The two bonus songs etc. There were moments in the album where I didn't understand what Eminem was trying to do, i.e Must Be The Ganga, Stay Wide Awake, Same Song & Dance were all very mundane and absurd. Alot of the album was absurd, but good absurd like Insane which was true Slim Shady at his best. Insane had me laughing from start to finish but wondering why I was laughing at something so horrible. Eminem was true to his word and went back to the SSLP/MMLP days that everyone was saying they wanted back after he dropped Encore which made people feel like Em had gone soft. I think Relapse could have done with some more serious songs and less stupid for the sake of being stupid songs to get it to the classic level Ems comeback album should have been at but all in all Relapse was worthy of my money and time.

The album basically screams "Hate It Or Love It". Some will absolutely hate this album because of the accent, the subject matter but others will love it. Whatever, you can't be pleasing everyone. Only thing I can big critism I can really give about the album is on one of the songs, "Bagpipes From Baghad". Everything about it was bad, the too loud beat which overtook is vocals, the insanely corny accent, they Mariah bashing (wasnt that relationship like 10 years ago?). I wondered why he put that on the actual album but made somethings as genius as "My Darling" or "Careful What You Wish For" as bonus tracks. Puzzling.

Eminem Relapse album is amazing. my family and i were amazed at this talented man came back into our lives. if your a fan buy it now, you won't be dissappointed. the first song gets a bit winny but as the album is dedicated to proof i think he has produced the most amazing album for 2009.

Eminem, Relapse has very good music..back to back sensible rhymes!

euhm, my english is a lilte bad so i cant give a good describtion, im from holland. all i have to say that eminem is back ike on the slim shady lp and marshall mathers lp. plus de lyrics, its so creative en this brings eminem back on on top. but also, i think this is his best album, because the beats and lyrics, its kinda perfection this.

Eminem's Relapse album is lyrically awesome, back to the standard of SSLP & MMLP. Its as good as it could possibly be due to the high expectations and his prior genius albums. However after a few listens you cant help but be absolutely astounded at the once again, genius lyrics, flow and beats

Eminem - Relapse Review (Aftermath, 2009)

Ladies and Gentlemen, can Eminem get your attention please? He's back. After a five year hiatus, the self-proclaimed Slim Shady has returned to capture your brain with new insane lyrical content and an obvious obsession with drugs. I'm warning all Parents right now to seriously be concerned about this album. I don't think Eminem's issues are appropriate for most children or even teens, but hey its the year 2009 and from what his past albums have shown he's here to get people talking again, whether good or bad.

The first thing that stands out right away about Relapse is the overwhelming presence of Dr. Dre who produces 95% of the album. I'm personally not one to get tired of the great D.R.E. His beats are banging once again, sounding familiar to past Dr. Dre Productions ("My Mom", "Old Times Sake") and some sounding very fresh ("Insane", "Must Be The Ganja"), but either way, what do you expect? Music producers always have their own distinctive sound, and that's why Dre excels, his sound is just one you always wanna bob your head to.

On the lyrical side of things; Eminem is rapping about what's happened to him since we last saw him in Encore. Honestly, I hadn't seen a photo of Eminem for about two years. The album is called "Relapse" for a reason. In 2008 sources revealed information to TMZ about Eminem weighing over 200 lbs. If you like any of those four things then you'll love this album. Then again most Rap albums of the current generation are filled with the same basic content. The difference with Eminem is that he has made two classic albums (The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP) which makes Eminem's story and rap stand out from many other Mainstream Rappers, and you can't deny he always seems to be smarter and wittier. Relapse undeniably ups the ante in every aspect of what makes Eminem Slim Shady. In the song "Insane" Em reveals he was raped by his step-dad, and in "Same Song & Dance" he talks about popping pills alongside fellow Hollywood drug-addicts Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. Relapse is definitely Em's most exaggerated and outrageous album to date, which ultimately makes it the most entertaining.

That's what makes Relapse special, the content reminds the listener of Em's dark past, which is much more interesting then the everyday club track. The fact is that Mr. Mathers' present situation could be just as dark as his past. This album milks the whole "Drug Theme" dry. If your a current or past drug user, Relapse will definitely be your theme song. If you don't do drugs than maybe you won't dig it as much. "Relapse 2" was also confirmed during a press release by Em's label on March 5, 2009. If it can match the craziness of "Relapse 1" then 2009 should be one insane year for Shady/Aftermath.

4.5 out of 5*

Best Tracks:

"3am"

"My Mom"

"Insane"

"We Made You"

"Stay Wide Awake"

"Old Times Sake (Ft. Dr. Dre)"

"Deja Vu"

Bonus Video:

"3 am"

'Relapse' is s suprising return to form for Slim Shady, after all the negativity generated from the somewhat mediocre singles, He is back on blistering form for almost the entire album. The album starts with an entertaining intro that sets the tone for the album, and helps make sense of the disturbing nature of the following hour and 10 minutes plus. Its not all good though, as the accent eminem chooses to rap in, although not as annoying and/or noticable as you would think, does detract from some songs (Stay Wide Awake would of been ridiculous had it been attacked in a more angry, standard eminem flow), and it is present in some form on almost every track. Overall a very good album, with some excellent lyricism and beats, just not a "classic". Eminem Show has got this one beat, and it doesnt even come close to the MMLP.