Detroit rapper Eminem is considered a legend by most of his fans in the hip-hop genre. His first few albums sent shockwaves through the rap game and showed the talent that he possesses. However, recently Eminem has released a mixed bag of music, from “Kamikaze” to even “Revival.” Despite this, Eminem still remains one of the most interesting artists in the genre.
Now he’s surprise released “Music to Be Murdered By,” his 12th studio album, inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock compilation album of the same name released in 1958.
The album starts with “Premonition” which is talking about his career as a whole. Eminem sounds very comfortable with his versatile flow and aggressive delivery. However, the vocals by Nikki Grier were not needed at all on this track. She only had one verse and it’s hard to gauge her talent with a limited role.
“Premonition” serves as a decent intro track and it leads nicely into “Unaccommodating” which marks the first collaboration with Young M.A. The production is decent with a dark trap beat while Young M.A, discusses how she handles pressure from her critics. She delivers an impressive first verse. Her smooth flow and gritty delivery mesh really well with the production. Eminem also delivers a decent verse with his fast flow. It’s a good song with some impressive flows from the two artists.
“Godzilla” is an interesting song where Eminem and Juice WRLD make comparisons to the kaiju creature. Eminem’s performance really stands out with his fast flow and witty lyricism. Juice WRLD provides a melodic hook with Eminem providing the ad-libs. While Juice WRLD’s hook sounds very good, he disappointingly does not have a verse on this song.
“Darkness” is the main single where Eminem raps from the viewpoint of Stephen Paddock, who committed the biggest mass shooting in U.S history. During the beginning, Eminem discusses how he deals with anxiety and depression. The production is very dark with small hints of “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. Eminem’s storytelling is amazing especially towards the end where he describes how the criminal ends his life. “Darkness” is one of the best songs on this album and It shows how Eminem can still write about controversial topics and make them into a great song.
“Yah Yah” picks up the pace with an old school hip-hop beat. This time around Royce da 5’9, Black Thought and Q-tip Join Eminem to deliver an impressive lyrical performance. Royce starts with a short verse where he talks about inspirational figures MLK and JFK. Black Thought comes in to compare himself to popular figures like Pernell Whitaker and Slick Rick. Eminem delivers a solid last verse, however it does not match the intensity that Royce and Black Thought provide on this song.
“Stepdad” explains Eminem’s issues with stepdad and how he would abuse him and his mother. Unlike “Darkness,” this song is poorly put together with the chorus sounding like Eminem did not put in any effort. While there are some decent storytelling moments here the poor lyricism overshadows it.
Overall “Music to Be Murdered by” is a decent album. On some songs, Eminem really showcases why he’s still one of the best rappers to grace the mic. However, on other songs, it shows that he is definitely out of touch with the current rap genre. 3/5
Photo Courtesy of Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records and Shady Records.
