Hailey mathers

After the release of Realest not too long ago and the surrounding debate over Melli Mel's comments that "Eminem ain't Top 5", I wanted to chime in my 10 cents (my 2 cents is free). So I'm sure this has been discussed recently and in the past and I know there are some who will say that there is no GOAT (Greatest of all time for those who don't know). It's an interesting conversation for sure, but I wanted to really deep dive into why it shouldn't be a debate. Now clearly, some people don't like Eminem and I will also talk about the arguments that are often made against Eminem.
What qualifies a rapper to be the GOAT?
So this is the question that often comes up. How do you define that a certain artist is the greatest of all time. There's so many possible answers and so many factors you can choose to include. Now this isn't the same as saying "X is my favorite rapper", that's an emotional and personal call that can't be quantified. I'm just going to use as many facts as I can. So what makes someone the GOAT? Well I guess we can include:
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1. Record sales: This is a no brainer. Same as in any sport, stats don't lie. It's hard to say someone is the GOAT if their sales aren't great. Popularity is not always the mark of a great artist, after all there are many many one hit wonders or there are artists that just stay in the mainstream no matter what, but not including record sales in the conversation would be a mistake. In this case, there's no argument to be made, Eminem is the best selling hip hop artist of all time.
2. Longevity: It's one thing to come in and have a hit song or a hit record but can you stay relevant over long periods of time? Can you still reach audiences and put out new material consistently throughout the years? It's one thing to play the hits and live off of one song but to be an icon, you need to be able to stay in touch with the times. While some may argue that Eminem's discography in the last decade is not as good as his first 3 albums, you can't deny that he's been a major presence in hip hop for over 20 years. Perfection is impossible, everyone makes bad songs or has a so-so album, but if we look at someone's overall discography (including features and singles), then that is a sign of an artist that stays relevant with the times.
3. Battle tested: Being that beef is a big part of hip hop culture, having battles on wax with other artists is a big part of being a great MC. Being that the beginnings of hip hop was 2 people trading bars on street corners, this is an important part of the GOAT criteria. Eminem has buried many bodies: Everlast, Cannibus, Ja Rule, Benzino and more recently MGK. I can't think of a battle Em didn't win either outright or where he took a major L. This is a subjective thing clearly, but who won a battle is not as important as being willing and able to be willing to step up and release some great diss tracks.
4. Impact on the culture: The best inspire the next generation, put an impact on the culture and change it. It could also be seen as introducing artists to the mainstream and being able to popularize different styles, rhyming patterns, various flows. There are a ton of younger MCs who say that Eminem was a major influence on them and inspired their rapping style. Em hasn't been as successful in introducing new artists, but he did try to hype up D12, Obie Trice and Slaughterhouse. Getting on a track with Em can also help a lesser known artist get more popular, so that cosign while not a 100% effective, it's still not anything to sneeze at. He did sign 50 Cent but I think 50 was destined for greatness no matter where he signed, Eminem still deserves some credit for giving him the initial push.
5. Audience reach: The best can transcend the genre and reach audiences outside of the fans of the genre. This isn't even a debate, Eminem is an internationally recognized artist.
6. Classic songs and albums: This is similar to the first criteria but I'm making it a separate one because it's one thing to produce a hit record, it's another thing to produce a classic. A classic to me is an album or a song that doesn't get old, that people seek out and want to hear even after it's been out for a long time. Slim Shady LP, MMLP, Eminem Show, Recovery and Kamikaze are all (to me) classic Eminem albums. I like Encore as well but I know that's a hit or miss for a lot of fans. Kamikaze may not be on your list, but to me it's the best version of Eminem that incorporates both his Slim Shady anger with the wisdom and experience he has gained after 20+ years. Songs I mean I could list so many but let's take Stan for example. Not only is Stan still a classic and an amazing song, it actually made it's way into the vernacular. Stan is now used as a term for a very passionate (sometimes bordering on obsessive) fan. The term is not just limited to Eminem's fanbase either. Lose Yourself won a damn Oscar, he'd be an EGOT is he ever produces a Broadway musical.
7. Producing ability: I decide to include this for the sakes of having versatility. The ability to make your own beats, produce your songs is a feather in the cap of the GOAT. It's not the most important thing, but I think it speaks to being a complete artist. No one works alone, but not being dependent on others is a good thing. Em is not Dre level of producer, but it's not about being the best producer, just having that ability to do so for yourself and others.
8. Originality: The last but arguably most important factor. What do you bring to the genre? Was there anyone who could do what you did before you and is there anyone who can do it better than you after? I remember when Em came on the scene in 99, a big part of his appeal was how different he was. He had those violent lyrics, he was funny and he could rap. As the years have progressed, he's tamed out but he's gotten better as an artist IMO. His ability to just switch flows, find different pockets to rhyme, tattoo himself to a beat and the sheer amount of doubles and even triples in his bar is insane. You can listen to the same song 10 times and catch something new every time. Eminem didn't invent horrorcore but he did something different. Instead of presenting himself as a gangster or a killer, he would often poke fun at himself and his anger was directed towards life, towards the people who really made him mad (such as Kim and his mom). Eminem also was very raw and honest. The Way I Am, Cleaning Out My Closet, Mockingbird, Walk On Water, Hailey's Song, Kim and Marshall Mathers are some of the examples that come to mind when thinking of songs where Marshall is just being an open book and we get a look into who he really is.

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So now let's talk about the arguments that have been raised as to why Em doesn't deserve the crown

1. He's white: that's been the biggest argument against Eminem since day one. It's been claimed by many that Eminem only got to where he is because he is white and therefore was able to reach a white audience that doesn't usually listen to hip hop. I'm going to play devil's advocate and I'll say that it's partially true but it's also a false equivalency. Yes, being white definitely gave Eminem a boost in his early career, but there's been white artists before and none of them have gotten near Eminem's status. Being white at a time when white rappers were thought to be corny (thanks Vanilla Ice), Eminem was an oddity at first. However, being white can't explain his continued success, like Em said in Without Me " Though I'm not the first king of controversy;I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley; To do Black music so selfishly; And use it to get myself wealthy (hey); There's a concept that works; Twenty million other white rappers emerge ". This critic mainly seems to come from the older generation, the artists from the 70's and early 80's and I get why. Racism and discrimination against black people is still a problem, and that was doubly so during the Civil rights era. I can't imagine growing up in the Jim Crow south, or in the projects of New York during that time. There's also a history of white people basically taking what black artists have created and then using it to get famous without ever acknowledging where they got their style from. Now for someone like that to see a white dude drop in the scene and suddenly blow up in such a way that no black artist ever did, it's got to be frustrating, so I get it. But Eminem has shown again and again how much hip hop means to him. He'll openly state that he was influenced by Rakim, LL Cool J, Dre and many others. He's never shied away from his race or tried to pretend to be black. Yes he's white, yes it gave him a boost when he first started, but, excuse the pun, the cream rises to the top. As a white kid in the 90's, I always felt like listening to hip hop and liking it was frowned upon. The first rap song I ever heard was 2 Live Crew's F- Martinez and I remember bumping to Dre, Biggie, Run DMC, 2 Pac, Snoop Dogg, Wu Tang, Too $hort, NWA, Cypress Hill and many others in my teenage years, before the SSLP dropped. Eminem helped make rap bigger. He made it feel OK for people like me to like hip hop and be interested in the culture openly. More ears means more money, so while I can understand the frustration, it's a moot point. Eminem is white, and Eminem is the GOAT.
2. Dre's cosign made Eminem famous: I'll go back to point 4 of the reasons why Em is the GOAT. If all it took was a cosign from a famous artist, then every rapper Eminem ever promoted should be mega stars as well right? Well we know that hasn't happened. Apart from 50, I can't think of someone who was able to get over to that degree with a mainstream audience. It's not that the people who signed to Shady but didn't have massive success weren't good, it's just that it's not enough to simply be given the seal of approval from a legend. I'll also point out that in 99, Dre wasn't that hot. It took 10 months for the first studio release from Aftermath (the compilation album Dr. Dre presents the Aftermath) to go Platinum and that's where it still sits to this day. Compare that to The Chronic which went 3x Platinum and his first album after signing Eminem went 6x platinum. Dre was a respected pioneer and I'm not trying to diminish his contribution to both hip-hop and Em's career, but if you ask the man himself (see the documentary series The Defiant Ones), this has been a mutually beneficial relationship. The cosign from Dr. Dre made Eminem more credibility with hip-hop fans and Eminem helped Dr. Dre land back on the radar of the mainstream audience. Their partnership continues to this day and would Beats by Dre haven't been a thing if Eminem didn't help pump Dre back up? This to me falls in line with the argument that being white is why he blew up. Having help to reach the top is not a bad thing, and developing a great relationship both personally and professionally is a great thing. Would Eminem have reached the heights he's reached as fast as he did without Dre? Debatable. But again, after nearly 25 years, it's disingenuous to say that Dre made Eminem what he is today.
3. He's not played in the club or in the cathe hood: That's an argument I don't really get. Club music is not exactly the music I think of when I think classics. I mean sure a good beat is fun to dance to, but I think the best music is one that you can listen to anywhere. I've been in clubs where some of Eminem's tracks have played and I saw people flock to the dance floor as soon as it hit. It depends on the DJ, the club, the audience, it's too subjective of a metric to use. To me Eminem's music is best listened to with headphones on, that's where his penmanship shines through and isn't that what music should be? Enjoyable and something you can listen to just by itself without the need to do anything. The car thing, whose car? I listen to Eminem in my car, but why is that a factor? It's not the 80's anymore where you needed a hard bass line so that when you turned the car stereo all the way up, the vehicle would almost shake. We have music on demand everywhere we go, we can listen to thousands of songs without ever touching a button. Not everyone has the same taste in music, so to use such an argument is BS.
4. He fell off a cliff after Eminem Show: Yes, it's true that Eminem hasn't had the same level of success since Eminem Show. His first 3 albums went 5x, 11x and 12x platinum. Eminem's lowest selling album of all time is Revival, and it still went Platinum. Eminem changed. He got sober, he got older and he evolved. The shock value wore off after a while, but IMO, he only got better. While Kamikaze hasn't reached the levels of the Big 3 (and honestly in this day and age, is that even possible?) but to me it showed a great mix of the angry Slim Shady and the more mature and technically skilled Marshall and it's my favorite. He still has great songs that came after Eminem show, he's done a lot of features with younger artists and honestly, he's been through so much in his life and he's done it all, he could have retired after Encore and still be viewed as one of the greatest. The fact that's he's still here and still delivering bangers in 2023 is nothing short of extraordinary. Music is subjective, some fans will gravitate more towards his older music and that happens. Just as artists change, we change too. Our tastes change and nostalgia is a hell of a drug. I have no proof of this, but I think Revival was most likely meant to be his swan song. If you listen to Walk On Water, it almost feels like he's saying goodbye. In a way, the backlash to the album was the best thing that ever happened to Em, he needed some fuel to add to the fire.

I hope this post wasn't too long for y'all and that my points were clear and not too repetitive. One reason I didn't include and this is just my personal opinion, I think part of the reason some are hesitant to crown Eminem the GOAT is because he's too popular. People love an underdog, so when you've been that successful for that long and you've earned the passionate fanbase Eminem has developed, it makes it easy for some to go into contrarianism. While there are always going to be arguments for and against any MC in the conversation of who the Top 5/10/20 and so forth are, if we are only looking at facts and taking emotions and personal taste out of the equation, then Eminem is the king, the GOAT, the legend, whatever you want to call him. It's been 24 years since the Slim Shady LP, but no matter what, in 25 years people will still be remembering Eminem and playing his music. He's reached a level very few artists ever reach and we should appreciate the fact that we still are getting fantastic music from him, because he won't be around forever.

+ means joining, - means leaving
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OCPAA
- Ella R (to DSAPA)
- Sierra S ( to DSAPA)
+ Avery O (from Project 21)
+ Brooklyn O (from CIA Dance)
+ Megan B (from Adage)
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The Space
+ Allison S (from Li's Ballet School)
+ Aubrey C (from Fusion Studios)
+ Ayiah (from Pave)
+ Bella K (from Club Dance)
+ Caroline P (from Premiere Dance)
+ Claire Avonne K (from Avanti)
+ Francesca J (from Pacific Dance)
+ Holland F (from Variant Movement)
+ Kennedy G (from Pave)
+ Kinsley O (YYC)
+ Lucas V (from DSAPA)
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Danceplex
+ Abigail R (from Plumb PAC)
+ Bella D (from DC Scottsdale)
+ Dejana K (from DC2)
+ Hailey N (from The Rock)
+ Isabella H (from Phoenix Dance Studio)
+ Lilah M (from Plumb PAC)
+ Madyson K (from Bricks)
+ Sabina V (from Artistic Motion)
+ Sophia G (from Bricks)
+ Sophia S (from Artistic Motion)
+ Tenley A (from Centerstage Dance Studio)
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CSPAS
+ Kate B (from Artistic Dance Project)
+ Rayn G (from Artistic Dance Project)
+ Tessa O (from Artistic Dance Project)
+ Violet T (from Aspire Dance Academy)
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The Crew (* all Crew members are listed on their instagram @ the crewdancers)
+ Kelsey S (from Utah Dance Institute)
+ Kinley C (from Beyond Belief)
+ Pressley H
+ Starr B (from Mather)
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Club Dance
- Bella K (To The Space)
+ Abbey S (from Platform Dance)
+ Aubree S (from Gotta Dance)
+ Emma S (from Platform Dance)
+ Kaydence L (from Dance Deluxe)
+ Kinley H (from Gotta Dance)
+ Madisyn A (from DC2)
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Mather Dance Company
- Starr B (to The Crew)
+ Gavin M (from Evolve Dance Company)
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New Era Athletic
+ Alyson M (from Stars)
+ Ashley O (from Stars)
+ Cielo A (from Stars)
+ Cyncear E (from Five Flags)
+ Erica D (from Stars)
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The Collective PHX
+ Bradley K (from Dance Vision)
+ Breckyn K (from Dance Vision)
+ Karson K (from Gotta Dance)
+ Kenley O (from Gotta Dance)
+ Kennedy B (from Centestage Dance Studio)
+ Zoie L (from Desert West)
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Project 21 (auditions not done*)
- Avery O (to OCPAA)
- Charlotte W (to RockStar Academy of Dance)
- Selena H (graduating)
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Some other switches
Addison P: Steps N Motion Expressenz
Brady F: Stars ABT School (he was there this year but he was still kinda with Stars)
Morgan S: Studio 19 Evolve Dance Complex
Roxie B: C&C Outlet Dance Complex

"Scalpel" "Here" "Sponge" "Here" "Wait he's convulsing!" "Ah" "He's convulsing!" "Oh my" "We're gonna have to shock him!" "Oh my God!" "We're gonna have to shock him!" "Oh my God!"
These are the results of a thousand electric volts A neck with bolts "Nurse we're losing him, check the pulse!" A kid who refused to respect adults Wore spectacles with taped frames and a freckled nose A corny lookin' white boy, scrawny and always ornery 'Cause I was always sick of brawny bullies pickin' on me And I might snap, one day just like that I decided to strike back and flatten every tire on the bike rack My first day in junior high, this kid said "Just you and I, three o'clock sharp this afternoon you die" I looked at my watch it was one twenty "I already gave you my lunch money what more do you want from me?" He said, "Don't try to run from me, you'll just make it worse" My palms were sweaty, and I started to shake at first Something told me, "Try to fake a stomach ache, it works" I screamed, "Ow! My appendix feel like they could burst! Teacher, teacher, quick I need a naked nurse!" "What's the matter?" "I don't know, my leg, it hurts!" "Leg?! I thought you said it was your tummy?" "Oh, I mean it is, but I also got a bum knee!" "Mr. Mathers, the fun and games are over And just for that stunt, you're gonna get some extra homework" "But don't you want to give me after school detention?" "Nah, that bully wants to beat your ass and I'm a let him"
Brain damage, ever since the day I was born Drugs, what they used to say I was on They say I never knew which way I was goin' But everywhere I go they keep playin' my song
Brain damage, ever since the day I was born Drugs, what they used to say I was on They say I never knew which way I was goin' But everywhere I go they keep playin' my song Brain damage
Way before my baby daughter Hailey I was harassed daily by this fat kid named D'Angelo Bailey An eighth grader who acted obnoxious, 'cause his father boxes So everyday he'd shove me in the lockers One day he came in the bathroom while I was pissin' And had me in the position to beat me into submission He banged my head against the urinal 'til he broke my nose Soaked my clothes in blood, grabbed me and choked my throat I tried to plead and tell him, "We shouldn't beef" But he just wouldn't leave, he kept chokin' me and I couldn't breathe He looked at me and said, "You gonna die honky!" The principal walked in and started helping him stomp me I made them think they beat me to death Holdin' my breath for like five minutes before they finally left Then I got up and ran to the janitor's storage booth Kicked the door hinge loose and ripped out the four inch screws Grabbed some sharp objects, brooms, and foreign tools "This is for every time you took my orange juice Or stole my seat in the lunchroom and drank my chocolate milk Every time you tipped my tray and it dropped and spilt I'm gettin' you back bully! Now once and for good I cocked the broomstick back and swung hard as I could And beat him over the head with it 'til I broke the wood Knocked him down, stood on his chest with one foot Made it home later that same day Started reading the comics, and suddenly everything became gray I couldn't even see what I was trying to read I went deaf, and my left ear started to bleed My mother started screamin', "What are you on, drugs?? Look at you, you're gettin' blood all over my rug!" (Stop!) She beat me over the head with the remote control Opened a hole and my whole brain fell out of my skull I picked it up and screamed, "Look bitch, what have you done?" "Oh my God, I'm sorry son" "Shut up you cunt!" I said, "Fuck it!" took it and stuck it back up in my head Then I sewed it shut and put a couple of screws in my neck
Brain damage, ever since the day I was born Drugs, what they used to say I was on They say I never knew which way I was goin' But everywhere I go they keep playin' my song
Brain damage, ever since the day I was born Drugs, what they used to say I was on They say I never knew which way I was goin' But everywhere I go they keep playin' my song Brain damage
It's brain damage, I got brain damage It's brain damage, It's probably brain damage
-Eminem

Hey guys. I'm trying to get a friend (who doesn't listen to rap) into Eminem so I decided to write him an email and list a few of my favourite songs for him to check out. Well, the email quickly turned into a 10,000 word essay on why Eminem is my favourite rapper, including an in depth analysis of his rapping technique and song recommendations from all his albums. With that being said, I must point out that I'm not versed in music theory and probably have no idea what I'm talking about. This is the rambling of someone who has been listening to Eminem since he was 9 (I'm 22 now) and just appreciates the fuck out of his music. If I'm wrong about anything, I would love some constructive criticism.
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Album: Encore (2004)
Song: Mockingbird
Lyric Video
RapGenius

Although I love Eminem to death, this is probably hands down his worst album. It’s still a lot better than the shit pushed by some other mainstream rappers at the time, but it is not Eminem’s best work at all. It was written and recorded at the beginning of his prescription drug abuse and Eminem himself has said multiple times that he is not pleased with this album: Those last two albums didn’t count, Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushing them out. Unless you consider yourself a huge Eminem fan, there are not too many songs on this album that you would enjoy listening to. Mockingbird is one of the singles on the album, and is probably his least offensive song ever. In it he talks about his daughters and how his rap career has affected his relationship with them. The whole song is him talking in first to his oldest daughter Hailey, with a few lines directed towards his adopted daughter Alaina. It’s a really beautifully put together song that brings you into Eminem’s softer side.

We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
but things have got so bad between us, I don't see us ever being
together ever again, like we used to be when we was teenagers

Other notable songs:
Like Toy Soldiers - another hit single off the album, a serious song in which Eminem explains the pressures put on him in his position and talks about some of the beef he has with other rappers
Mosh - Another single off the album, a direct shot at the government and George W Bush, you’ll like this song guaranteed. He straight out says fuck Bush in it
Just Lose It - Another hit off the album, kind of a funny, stupid song. Not really a fan of it
Ass Like That - another single off the album, a funny song with an equally funny music video. I think this is where the “accent” that he uses in the next album comes from
Spend Some Time - a serious love/hate song, his verse in it is very well constructed

Album: Relapse (2009)
Song: Deja Vu
Lyric Video
RapGenius

If you’ve noticed the date between this album and the last, you’ll notice that Eminem has taken a 5-year break from music. During this time he lost his best friend Proof and became a drug addict, taking Valium, Vicodin and other assortments of sleeping pills and painkillers. This album is a completely different departure from his other albums, and is considered one of his worst albums, although I think it has a lot of great content and soul put into it. He doesn’t mention the character of Slim Shady once on the album. Half of the album is about his pill addictions and depression, and the other half is a made up fantasy in where he is a serial killer and kills/eats people. Obviously this is all fantasy, and it’s clear that Eminem has created this fantasy to escape from the pain of losing his best friend and not being on top in his career. He talks with this weird accent on a lot of the songs, which I have no explanation for.
I think Deja Vu is the perfect song to illustrate the mindset he was in when he was popping pills and it essentially explains what he’s been doing during his little break from music.

So I take a Vicodin, splash it hits my stomach then, ahhhh
couple of weeks go by it ain't even like I'm gettin' high
now I need it just not to feel sick, yeah I'm gettin' by
wouldn't even be taking this shit if DeShaun didn't die
Oh yeah, there's an excuse, you lose Proof so you use
there's new rules, it's cool if it's helpin' you to get through

Other notable songs:
3 A.M. - the single off the album, probably the best example of the “serial killer” side of the album
Stay Wide Awake - another serial killer song, very well put together song (but could do without the accent)
Beautiful - a “beautiful” serious song about believing in yourself and keeping your head up
Forever - features a few good rappers and some of their best verses of that year, a song about being the best. You’ve probably heard this song on the radio before
My Darling - a bonus song, talks about the toll fame has taken on him and how the rap game has taken his soul

Album: Recovery (2010)
Song: 25 To Life
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This album marks Eminem’s return to rap. He was completely sober when creating this album and it really shows. The accent is gone, the metaphors and beautifully constructed songs are back. He talks about a mixture of things on this album: he has a few songs talking about Proof and his loss (although he approaches the subject now from a more mature and centered place), a few heartbreak songs, a few songs about his career and how he’s back, and a few songs to showcase his talent, which I believe he never lost.
25 To Life is a great song where Eminem uses personification to compare and contrast his involvement in the rap game to a relationship with a woman. It’s a very well written song and he showcases a ton of emotion on it.

Chew me up and spit me out, I fell for this so many times it's ridiculous
and still I stick with this, I'm sick of this
but in my sickness and addiction, you're addictive as they get
evil as they come, vindictive as they make 'em
My friends keep asking me why I can't just walk away from
I'm addicted to the pain, the stress, the drama, I'm drawn to shit
I guess I'm a mess, cursed and blessed

Other Notable Songs:
Eminem is back on this album, it has A LOT of good songs compared to his last two albums and the whole album is probably worth listening to fully at least once
Spacebound - a sad heartbreak song and single off the album, the music video features the pornstar Sasha Grey
No Love - features Lil Wayne, another single off the album, his verse is well put together
Cold Wind Blows - one of my personal favourites off the album, Eminem just goes all out and shows you that he’s back, the first song on the album
Won’t Back Down - A lot of good metaphors and well constructed lines but does get annoying to listen to after a while in my opinion
Talkin’ 2 Myself - a serious song about the loss of his friend

Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
Song: Bad Guy
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This is his most recent album. With this album, Eminem is trying to recreate the effect he had on people with his 1999 album The Marshall Mathers LP. This album is not a sequel, but he brings up a lot of old jokes, ideas and lines from MMLP and his other albums. He also analyzes certain things that have happened throughout his career, and emphasizes the fact that after 15 years, he’s still number one in the rap game. Although it’s not on par with the quality of the first Marshall Mathers LP, his rhyming skills have definitely improved and it shows if you fully analyze the album.
The song Bad Guy is a continuation of the song Stan from the Marshall Mathers LP, but it is told from the perspective of Stan’s little brother, Matthew. Matthew talks about how he has had to deal with life after his brother killed himself. During the song Matthew kidnaps Eminem from his home in an attempt to bury him alive and get revenge for his brother. The last verse, which sends tingles down my spine every time I listen to it, is Eminem analyzing himself in both first and third person. He talks about his whole career, how he feels about things that he has said and done (mentions his homophobic insults a lot) and how he regrets them etc etc. Some of the verse has his deep “devil” voice layered quietly behind his own voice, really adding to the atmosphere and mood of the song.
Other notable songs:
Rap God - the first single and my personal favourite song off the album, he really goes all out with technical ability and shows why you should still consider him the best rapper alive. Features a part where he raps at a faster pace than he ever has before in his whole career
Survival - another hit off the album, a great pump up song.
Legacy - A sad song, talks about his childhood, how he got bullied and how rap helped him through it.
Love Game - a really weird sounding song feature Kendrick Lamar, but his technical ability is really good in this song. I recommend analyzing the lyrics and standing at awe at how he rhymes everything
Headlights - a song he wrote apologizing to his mother for all the shit he’s talked about her in his past albums
Beautiful Pain - a really beautiful song on dealing with a broken heart and overcoming it
So that’s Eminem. I highly recommend reading and analyzing the lyrics for the main songs that I mentioned, and perhaps checking out some of the other notable songs. If you like what I listed here, I highly recommend you checking out all his other work, including the band D12 and Bad Meets Evil.
Enjoy!

Hey guys. I'm trying to get a friend (who doesn't listen to rap) into Eminem so I decided to write him an email and list a few of my favourite songs for him to check out. Well, the email quickly turned into a 10,000 word essay on why Eminem is my favourite rapper, including an in depth analysis of his rapping technique and song recommendations from all his albums. With that being said, I must point out that I'm not versed in music theory and probably have no idea what I'm talking about. This is the rambling of someone who has been listening to Eminem since he was 9 (I'm 22 now) and just appreciates the fuck out of his music. If I'm wrong about anything, I would love some constructive criticism.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Okay now I’m going to choose one song from each of his albums that I recommend you listen to and really go through line by line. I’ll include the lyric video so you can listen and read along as well as the RapGenius link so you can see what each line means. It’s incredibly fun going through these and finding hidden meanings or metaphors in songs. The song I pick will not necessarily be the best song on the album, but a song that I think encapsulates the tone of the album and some that are just my personal favourites. I will also include some brief history about the album as well as some other notable songs that you should check out with their respective links.

Album: Infinite (1996)
Song: Infinite
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This was his first released album, but it was overlooked by a lot of critics and rap fans. People said his style sounded too similar to Nas and a few other rappers that were extremely popular at the time This album to me is Eminem purely showing off his skill as an MC, there’s not really much story telling or backstory in it. Apart from this song, there’s not many catchy songs on this album and it’s quite short anyways.
This is probably the best song on the album. To really understand this song, you must go on RapGenius and read through it, because every line has a cool meaning behind it that you won’t necessarily understand by just listening to the song. Take a quick look at the beginning of the first verse and see how many words are italicized:

Ayo, my pen and paper cause a chain reaction
to get your brain relaxing, the zany acting maniac in action
A brainiac in fact son, you mainly lack attraction
you look insanely whack with just a fraction of my track run
My rhyming skills got you climbing hills
I travel through your mind into your spine like siren drills
I'm sliming grills of roaches, with spray that disinfects 'em
twisting necks of rappers 'til their spinal column disconnects
Put this in decks and check the monologue, turn your system up
twist them up, and indulge in the marijuana smog

There’s 85 words total in that verse and over 50 of them rhyme together. Look at it with all non-rhyming words taken out for comparison:

chain reaction
brain relaxing, zany acting maniac in action
brainiac in fact son, mainly lack attraction
insanely whack just a fraction of my track run
rhyming skills climbing hills
mind spine siren drills
sliming grills disinfects 'em
Twisting necks disconnects
this in decks check monologue, system up
Twist them up, marijuana smog

I’m not going to get into some of the intricate rhyming patterns he utilizes here or how technical he is. Plus, he rhymes burial of Jesus with venereal diseases, when have you ever heard those words rhymed together before?

There's never been a greater since the burial of Jesus
Fuck around and catch all the venereal diseases

Album: The Slim Shady LP (1996)
Song: As the World Turns
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This album introduced Slim Shady and is the album that really put Eminem on hip-hop’s radar. The album is full of funny fake stories and clever rhyming patterns but doesn’t contain too many serious songs. This album doesn’t have any unified theme other than general violence and craziness.
As the World Turns is not a single but I chose it because i encapsulates a lot of what Slim Shady is. The song is split up into two verse. In the first verse, Eminem raps about some high school shenanigans and him generally misbehaving as a child. In the second verse he talks about trying rape a girl at a Laundromat. Eminem mainly uses this song to show off his rhyming ability. Let’s analyze a few lines from the song really quickly to show you what I mean.

Class clown freshman, dressed like Les Nessman
fuck the next lesson, I'll pass the test guessin'
and all the other kids said "Eminem is a thizz head
he'll never last, the only class he'll ever pass is phys-ed

Now let’s split up the rhyming patterns:
Pattern A:

freshmen
Nessman
lesson
guessin'

Pattern B:

dressed
Les
next
test

Pattern C:

kids thizz phys-

Pattern D:

said
head
-ed

Pattern E:

never
ever

Pattern F:

last
class
pass

The patterns weave into each other too, especially if you were to count rhyming words that are next to each other (Les Nessman, next lesson, test guessing’) as a separate pattern.
Other notable songs:
My Name is - the single off the album, a really catchy joke song which I believe was placed purposely at the beginning of the album to introduce the character of Slim Shady to the world
Just Don’t Give A Fuck - another single off the album, lots of technical skill shown in this song, quite funny
Bad Meets Evil - he goes hard in this one, lets you compare and contrast his style with Royce Da 5'9s
Guilty Conscious - another hit off the album that stirred up a lot of controversy for Eminem and Dr. Dre
Role Model - Eminem defending himself from the public’s accusations that he’s a bad influence on kids
Brain Damage - Eminem recalls some memories from his childhood of him getting bullied, all fictional. He actually got sued by the bully that he mentioned in this song for mentioning his full name. (Way before my baby daughter Hailey, I was harassed daily by this fat kid named D’Angelo Bailey)

Album: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Song: The Way I Am
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This album is universally known as one of his best, if not best, albums. It’s basically an autobiography about his life, as well as his rise to fame and a “fuck you” to the critics who bashed his last album. The Slim Shady LP received a lot of complaints for being too violent, mysogionist and generally a bad influence on kids. Eminem responds with an album that contains more than triple the amount of controversy than his last and he adds some gay bashing in too for good measure. Since he essentially “blew up” (became famous in a very short period of time) with the release of his last album, he has a whole new saga of issues to deal with now in his daily (public) life, which he talks about on this record. He also talks about his past a lot, and the album includes the very violent and emotion-filled song Kim, in which he can be heard kidnapping and murdering his ex wife. Despite the album containing his birth name, we still get a lot of insight into the character of Slim Shady and how that part of his mind operates. This album for me is the album in which Eminem has finally “found himself” in the rap genre, carving out this little niche for himself and letting the world know who he wants to be known as.
The song I picked off the album, The Way I Am, is probably my favourite Eminem song ever. The raw anger that you can hear in his voice as he spits these complex rhyming patterns really lets you see a unmasked and vulnerable side of himself. His vocals coupled over the beautifully eerie piano melody and catchy “radio ready” chorus just makes this the finest song that Eminem has ever constructed, considering that it was also the first beat that he produced himself. This song definitely needs to be read verse by verse on Rap Genius and actually analyzed to really understand the genius behind this track.
Other notable songs: This whole album is worth listening to with the exception of one or two songs
Kill You - one of the most controversial songs off the record, made up of lyrics designed to provoke the general public and throw a big “fuck you” at all his critics. The only song he mentions raping his mother (which he didn’t really do)
Stan - a fictional story of a crazed Eminem fan who despite all his efforts, cannot get a response to his letters to Eminem and ends up killing himself, his girlfriend and their unborn child. The song is divided into four verse, the first three being Stan’s letter’s to Eminem and then Eminem’s response. A sequel was made called Bad Guy on his newest album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (13 years later, mind you) which is written from the point of view of Stan’s little brother, Matthew. I’ll include that song later.
The Real Slim Shady - the hit single off the album, summarizes the identity of Slim Shady and what he stands for
Kim - Eminem raps about killing his ex wife in a first person narrative, complete with impersonations of her done by him. Probably his angriest and most emotion filled song, worth listening to for the sheer fact that you can hear his voice cracks and quiver with real emotions as he metaphorically kills his wife
Criminal - Em talks about the media’s portrayal of him as a criminal even though most of his music’s violent subject matter is fictional or greatly exaggerated.

Album: The Eminem Show (2002)
Song: ‘Till I Collapse
Lyric Video
RapGenius

This album is my personal favourite, mainly due to the fact that it was the album that I was constantly playing and analyzing as a kid. It’s not as good as his previous album, but it’s still right up there at the top. This album showcases a more serious side to Eminem and has a lighter (well, less violent) tone to it. He raps about more serious topics like the government (during the Bush administration), his childhood, his perception of women, his perception of race in rap music, and other topics. Slim Shady is rarely mentioned on this album as to keep the tone lighter, but he has a lot more disses and beef tracks.
‘Till I Collapse is not a single off the album, but it is one of my favourites. It is the perfect song to get pumped up with, utilizing the famous “stomp-stomp-clap” beat that Queen made famous. Couple this with the motivational instrumentals will leave you with the desire to do 100 pushups and then punch a wall. It’s that motivating. He shows that he still has got this amazing rhyming and rocks a lot of intricate rhyming patterns in this song.
The song starts with a little motivational speech by Eminem urging you never to give up even when you want to fall flat on your face and collapse and then transitions into some amazing rhymes. Take a look at these two lines from the first verse:

The criminal cop-killing hip hop villain
A minimal swap to cop millions of Pac listeners

Almost every word is part of a rhyming pattern, further amplifying the “fuck yeah” pumped up feeling that you get from the song. Here’s another example

But I'll never be served, my spot is forever reserved
if I ever leave Earth, that would be the death of me first
cause in my heart of hearts I know nothing could ever be worse
that's why I'm clever when I put together every verse

Fucking beautiful.
Other notable songs: Again, this whole album is worth a listen. There’s not a bad song on it.
White America - Eminem talks about how his race has played a large part in his success and generally the success/failure of other people, as well as how parents blame him or idols like him for their child problems. His also voices his huge distaste for the american government, plainly yelling “fuck you” to specific government officials at the end of the song.
Cleanin’ Out My Closet - Eminem talks about his childhood as well as badmouths the fuck out of his mother. He has recently made a song saying he regrets everything he said on this song and says his mother “did the best she could”, but it’s still worth it to listen to the anger in his voice and how he used to think about her
Without Me - the number one hit single on the album, a joke song talking about a wide variety of topics. You’ve probably heard this song on the radio at one point in your life
Sing For The Moment - a really serious look into how his music supposedly influences people and how kids look up to him. The background beat and chorus are taken from the song “Dream On” by Aerosmith. A truly beautiful song.
Superman - another hit single off the album, he showcases his misogynist view on woman
Hailie’s Song - a rare example of Eminem attempting to sing, a serious song about his love for his daughter with a catchy rap verse thrown in on the end. A really heart touching song.
[To be continued in Part V]

I have always wanted to hear what it's like to be the daughter of a crass, angry, violent, talented, seemingly pretty brilliant man who has touched so many and offended so many others. Hailey seems like she would be old enough to give coherent answers at this point (at least as coherent as Snoop Lion). Up vote if you agree. Maybe Eminem's publicists will side with us :p