Hello, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Piz-Za. It’s really nice to meet you.
So I’ve fully listened to Relapse — the latest LP from Slim Shady — and this is my favorite track. It’s got a little bit of that old-school wordplay, a catchy chorus, and some straight-up Eminem flow. Ch-check it…
Artist: Eminem
Song: “Hello”
Album: “Relapse” (2009)
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As a whole, I find Relapse to be seriously enjoyable. But it’s hard to listen to this album and not compare it to his older stuff. It does fall a little short. There’s a lot of similar beats, similar lyrics — same old song and dance (which is ironically also the name of one of the songs). Not that it’s not good; it is. It’s just not “best-rap-artist-in-the-world” good, which is where some of his older stuff certainly sits.
But for me, I think the real judge for this album will be what comes next. Perhaps this is the progression that he needs to take back the top. He’ll get there. Hell, even if he doesn’t, he’s still probably the best rapper in the world. Yeah, Weezy, suck on that statement.
When it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter what he raps about. He could be talking about jello or an online casino he just got paid at, he knows how to put his words together and he has some of the best producers around. Coupled with the artists he chooses to collaborate and he usually manages to hit one out of the park. Even if you don’t necessarily like him, he does deserve respect for his combination of artistic and business savvy.
