Enjoy.
Sunday, May 24th, 2009

I meant to write this one up a few weeks ago when it leaked because I’m not sure too many people outside the blog-world knew about it and it’s really worth listening to. It’s almost a moot point now that Eminem’s album is out today, but you should listen to “Beautiful” now.
Like right now. Like, scroll down and hit play, and then scroll back up and start reading again. Em suffered from a few weird singles: “Crack A Bottle” was supposed to be a club anthem but was a little goofy (that said, the Discotech remix hits quite correct); “We Made You” was hilarious in video form, but not exactly something I would put on repeat; “3Am”? Not really worth talking about – if you want a track that’s actually creepy, check out Bishop Lamont’s Toe Tag (attached at the bottom).
Oh right, we’re supposed to talk about Eminem’s “Beautiful.” If you haven’t already started playing it, do it now. The rock sample draws the easy comparison to the delectable “Sing for the Moment” production, and he (like in ”Moment”) drops the goofy white-boy accent. More importantly, this song is raw. As raw as “Moment,” or “Lose Yourself”? Probably not, but this is a step in the right direction for New Em. There are a number of reasons it doesn’t quite touch “Sing for the Moment”/”Lose Yourself” – he’s been out of the game for a while and he’s dealing with different struggles. He’s fighting the idea of being washed up, now, trying to convince everyone that he’s still relevant, and my guess is that struggle isn’t quite on the same level as proving yourself the first time around. He’s dealt with a lot of his demons by now and I think the angst is different. This, though? This is good anyway.
There are some parts that delve into the old part of Eminem I didn’t like anyways (the whole line about the clown and comedian is just goofy), but it’s worth a listen. Certainly more than any other single of his so far.
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Bishop Lamont – Toe Tag [mp3 link]
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