Rap today has become staler than its founding fathers could have ever imagined. Eminem’s latest release, Encore, attempts to kick some life into the industry but at times comes off as a re-hash of topics he’s already rapped about extensively.
Eminem legitimizes all of the accolades he’s achieved with about half of the new songs, sampling interesting tunes and crafting some of the best beats to be heard in rap today. The way that he incorporates Martika’s “Toy Soldiers” into the hook for “Like Toy Soldiers” is both eerily good and emotionally moving at the same time. In a move that most would never expect, Eminem pleads for an end to his long-standing rivalry with Ja Rule. “This ain’t what I’m in hip-hop for, it’s not why I got in it/That was never my object for someone to get killed/Why would I want to destroy something I helped build?” This new, more mature Eminem is all over Encore and really makes the CD feel like a stronger outing for the young rapper.
Often accused of being homophobic himself, Eminem decides to throw some heat on the fire by mocking the situation. On “Rain Man,” he sarcastically denies the very homosexual thoughts that he raps about only a few lines earlier in the song. This type of biting cynicism is what lends some substance to Eminem’s lyrics.
Eminem’s patented tongue-in-cheek approach to life is all over Encore, especially in the CD’s first single “Just Lose It.” Keeping with tradition, he makes fun of every single facet of pop culture in one track. Interestingly, he also mocks himself to some extent on the song. Not only does he continually insinuate that he’s a pedophile, but he also parodies his own award-winning “Lose Yourself” in the song’s breakdown.
With that in mind, there are a few aspects that bring down the overall excellence of the album. If it weren’t for Eminem’s last three releases, this would easily be the best rap CD to hit the streets in years. What detracts so much from Encore‘s quality on the whole is the subject matter of Eminem’s lyrics. As they stand, a few of the tracks of Encore feel like odd twists on previously exploited issues.
For starters, Eminem can’t seem to get over his ex-wife and apparent arch-nemesis, Kim. On “Puke,” an ode to his relationship with Kim, he raps, “You don’t know how sick you make me/every time I think of you I puke.” The beats behind the song are still the same excellent quality people have come to expect from the duo of Dr. Dre and Eminem, but this song plays out almost identically to every single track he’s ever written about Kim. It was amusing the first few times, but it’s high time that Eminem moves on and gets over his ex.
The next typical Eminem song showcased on Encore is “Mockingbird,” a softer song dedicated to his daughter Halie. While it’s cool to hear someone sample a children’s song, the subject matter is basically ripped straight from The Eminem Show‘s “Halie’s Song.” If listeners haven’t heard Eminem blabbering about loving his daughter and hating anyone who tries to come between them by now, they probably haven’t been paying any attention to him.
Other tracks remind listeners that Eminem apparently had a rough upbringing and a horrible mother, as if they haven’t already been informed of it countless times. Although it’s more of the same discussion of his past, he does apologizes for some of the choices he’s made in the past. He regretfully acknowledges making racist comments on an underground tape in “Yellow Brick Road” and for the first time ever actually says that he’s sorry.
Jumbled in with his adult ideas is the same immature humor that fans have come to expect from Eminem. While pre-pubescent boys may find farting and burping on a song to be a genius comedic move, this tired shtick takes away a bit from the worth of Encore. No other rapper would use these corny sound effects in his/her song, for painfully obvious reasons.
If anyone had a hard time believing that Eminem was an established member of the rap community before now, it’s currently impossible to deny him his rightful place. He’s grown up an amazing amount since The Eminem Show and this more mature Eminem shines through all over the album. Eminem has often said that he would like to be ranked up with respected rappers like Jay-Z and Tupac when he is finished, and as long as he stays on his current track, things are shaping up to work out exactly how he’d like.
