When you think of white rappers, Vanilla Ice probably comes to mind. But if I mention RESPECTED white rappers, enter stage left, Eminem. Sure you might argue in favor of the Beastie Boys, but they verge on alternative and dance, not hardcore rappers. We all know that the east versus west rap wars have ended, unfortunately culminating in the supposed death of two of the greatest rappers of all time. But, Eminem takes the color barrier by storm and buries it. Eminem, with his sophomore album, puts forth one of the best albums of the year, and one of the greatest albums I've heard in quite some time. A predominantly solo album featuring only rap guru Dr. Dre and a couple no-name artists. In fact, word has it that Dre recruited Eminem along with Eve of Destruction as his prodigies for Dre's record label: Aftermath Records.
Eminem's style is based prodominently on his lyricism. He participated in the 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, where he won second place in the freestyle competition. After listening to his album, I really want to know who finished in first place. One of the most amazing rap talents is the ability to tell a story, while rapping to a beat. Eminem cleans house - an A+ effort - I haven't been so captivated by a rapper's lyrics since Onyx's 'Shut Em Down'. Dre does some production, and the overall production is pretty good. Any not-so-great beat is compensated by Eminem's lyrics. Some of lyrics may sound demented and sadistic, but take a listen to "I'm Shady". On this track, Eminem sets things straight and tells you straight up what truths actually lie in his lyrics.
"As The World Turns" has got the best story and beats on the whole album. The chorus will get stuck in your head, but it's the story to which you're gonna want to listen. "Cum On Everybody" is, in the words of Eminem, "...his dance song..." and it doesn't disappoint. It's got a great upbeat feel with a super catchy hook. His first single, "My Name Is" has got some great lines, but the chorus does tend to get annoying. Unfortunately Eminem had to change some of the song's best lyrics. The reason: the beat he samples from is from a song entitled "I Got The" by Labi Siffre. Siffre, who is homosexual, would not grant sample clearance to Eminem unless he changed those lyrics, so Eminem agreed. "97' Bonnie & Clyde" is a demented story portraying Eminem's love for his daughter. It samples from Grover Washington's "Just The Two Of Us", which gives it a Fresh Prince feel.
Eminem is definitely going to make a big splash in the rap industry. He's got amazing lyrical skills. There were so many great songs on this album that I didn't get a chance to mention including "My Fault", "Brain Damage", "Guilty Conscience".... This is just a great album. If you weren't a Vanilla Ice fan and you enjoy rap, then I suggest that you definitely pick this album up. If you enjoy artists who can tell a story, then this album is a must. If you like rap, then this album is a must get.
"Some people only see that I'm white, ignoring skill,
cause I stand out like a green hat with an orange bill.
But I don't get pissed,
yall don't even see through the mist." - Eminem from "Role Model"