Dec 8, 2017

Based on @Michael Myers' request, i am back with some unadulterated, honest thoughts on the new Eminem. feel free to tag the sxn, they need to read this.

::in b4 eminem starts rapping as the ghost of stokely carmichael::

So... in hindsight what "Walk on Water" - the whiny, limp but intriguing first single -- is really about is... permission; whether he’s asking or telling, the fact it’s the album opener should, I believe, be an indication that the rest of the album is a pivot to the kind of tracks he wants to make, hence forth. Hence releasing...... "Untouchable" as the follow up single..... a treatise/civics lesson on race that essentially forgets it’s supposed to be a catchy single half way through. What a contrast seeing it listed in the Spotify New Music section this morning. It couldn't be further from what's en vogue, currently...... at least on a music-level. Is that good? welll.....

In the Malcolm Gladwell interview, Rick Rubin mentions encouraging eminem to listen to Frank Zappa while preparing for the recording. You def hear that "Trouble Every Day"-lite perspective in "Untouchable" -- attempting to tackle social ills with a removed and sometimes caustic POV.

As Zappa says at one point: "I'm not black/But there's a whole lots a times/I wish I could say I'm not white" Kind of sums of "Untouchable" no?

Speaking of Zappa, this song desperately needed the virtuosity of something like --wait for it-- "Andy" for the guitar production during the first half. Why does modern rock s--- so much now? It sounds like washed off Kid Rock. Then again, given the death of Malcolm Young from AC/DC, I've been thinking about the decline of metal ,like, as popular music, not just a niche genre or whatever. Almost by default "Untouchable" has got one of the most hard rock pop singles at least I’ve heard, almost of default. [edit: keep in mind my contention its better to think of eminem as less a hip hop artist like he's some dude on soundcloud..... and more a rock star in the vein of Jagger, Springsteen, Dylan, a point recently underscored by Elton John in the interview he did with Em. that's the tradition hes apart of now, not this current mumble r&b iteration of rap]

Few other criticisms: the opening moments - where he is singing quietly - should arguably be the chorus. It amazes me Eminem sometimes stumbles onto musicianship by accident than reverses course, inexplicable. Black boy chorus is very jarring. Is it catchy? Will people like it? idk.

Like..... the “lions tigers and bears oh my” line is def reminiscent of the moments that first got me into Eminem. It's a one-off, a flicker. Then gone. Anyways:

The second beat is easily one of the best and most perfectly "Eminem" beats I've heard him on in a long time. Sounds like vintage em production and he flows well over it. I almost wish they discarded the crappy guitars if they weren't going to make them sound 100.... and just used this beat. Though I get the conceit Em was going for, or whatever. He doesn't quite pull it off. And the role playing as a BLM foot soldier/black person is....... troubling. Also, dunno why you guys are slamming his flow (again.... be original). thought it was fine

And in terms of the content......... it's certainly well-intentioned. In a sense eminem is playing catch up even within the universe of big name rap stars and pop megastars going political. Kanye has built his career around it. Jay and bey had their dual treatises on infidelity and blackness. But in the world of trump this feels equally necessary, doesnt it....maybe just for a diff segment of the populous. (Some of you may rightfully slap the less musical Macklemore vibes here..... but i think it’s harder and more pointed then at least the songs I’ve heard by the Seattle rapper. And eminem is capable of landing more blows anyhow.......... in part given his position as a product of midwestern, working class poverty.)

So again, like WOW, like the cover..... I'm intrigued, if not a fan of "Untouchable" (he couldve played with this song title a little more btw). I really think, if Shady Records hired a few of us, maybe a committee/focus group including myself, @Swizz etc...... there's a really great, important song buried inside here. It just needs some fine tuning.

This is NOT a Relapse-style disaster. And it's way more interesting than MMLP 2.

 

Dec 8, 2017

Track is good, but boring. I don't see why it was released as a single though? I was expecting a solo Em song to be released, but something more catchy. Agree on the flow also, wasn't as bad as everyone is saying. This is going to be a weird sounding album

 

Dec 8, 2017

Was really confused by the backlash against this song on here after I woke up and listened. I'm still not sure how much I enjoy this song or how much I will listen to it. I think it definitely has some problems, but there are lots of things in this I'll take away as a positive.

He's flowing again, for most part, the lyrics are pretty much all great, I enjoy all the production and Em seems like he actually wanted to make this track and put a lot into it.

Many of my gripes with MMLP2 seem to be fixed or are at least better on these 2 songs. I'd take this sort of content than the mostly nonsense verses in Berzerk and some of Rap God anyday. I mean the two complaints and jokes about this album was that it would just be rappity-rap with his acapella flow. Untouchable has a few bad moments flow wise but otherwise I am relieved that it proves most of my fears wrong.

Anyway, don't see why people are calling this the last straw etc. To me this is a great step in the right direction and has really helped improved my hype for the album.

 

Dec 8, 2017

fine read

@EminemSXN

 

Dec 8, 2017

kind of wild he didnt go that route here, releasing the ed sheeran song or something lol. guess he felt the moment was right for this.

to me, i want a track thats more like Stan....... but about the dimwits whose rage and low brain cells turned them into Trump supporters. call it "Space Monkey"

meanwhile ur frightened to tag a group of ppl on a message board. hasnt Em taught you anything ??

 

Dec 8, 2017

there's a handful of posters here whose relationship w eminem is REALLY creepy.

like, inverted stan, twisted into self loathing. they hate him soo much they can't stop hating him, no matter what. daddy issues

 

Dec 8, 2017

whos afraid of rashida jones
encore

 

Dec 8, 2017

so how many days until @Charlie Work pretends to discover this has been released?

 

Dec 8, 2017

A white rapper making an 80 minute record rapping from the perspective a black person, brilliant

... But seriously, this might be the best eminem single since..TES?

 

Dec 8, 2017

I agree with you Andy about the start of the song sounding better. But the hook makes since. Why?

The theme song for the tv show cops went “bad boy bad boy” eminems hook is a knock off of that.

Intro sounds waaay better. But the hook does make since.

 

Dec 8, 2017

Should prolly read tbh

 

Dec 8, 2017

shut up

just do it this needs to happen ily @Koolo

Fair enough, actually. It IS strange we've gotten WOW and Untouchable -- both two very unlikely choices for commercial singles -- released. Could be, this is the best he has lol. Or it's again....... eminem feels like he's at a place where this is what he wants to put out, especially post-Trump BET rant.... then that's what he's going to do. he's always chafed at the traditional pop single format as we know.

and like..... feels like he thought this was important to get out to people. There's few examples of a (white) star of his magnitude being this explicit, especially in a song. not boring in that sense.

 

Dec 8, 2017

I'm just trying to be cool

 

Dec 8, 2017

Ew wtf is this lol

EDIT: I can't believe this song isn't a disaster

 

Dec 8, 2017

@Papa Andy ruthless today

 

Dec 8, 2017

lol just because it's pro-black music doesnt make it influenced by TPAB


edit: idek if i'd even call it "pro-black." It's kind of just common sense

 

Dec 8, 2017

The reason the first part and second part are so different is because the first part is largely from a white cops perspective, hence the hook, "black boy" cop interpolation and rock rap beat. Its supposed to be jarring. The second part is from the perspective of a black man who is faced with the ills he touches on in the song, hence the beat and what he's talking about. I feel like this is Eminem like we've never heard ever and we need to let him be creative. This was a good read tho. Revival may be his biggest artistic leap since his hiatus.

Edit: *great read

 

Dec 8, 2017

I’m glad Eminem is gonna make the fans of his who are dumb racists consider the fact that they’re dumb racists. Musically, though...this sucks