Eminem finally ended his musical break on May 19th with the release of his new album Relapse. The highly anticipated project has been in the works for the last few years, and the music industry has been buzzing in preparation for the release.
The multi platinum selling rapper has a lot to talk about on the new record. Since 2005 Eminem has been removed from the hip hop industry. Throughout this time, he became addicted to various sleeping pills. In August he found himself in a dire situation and thus checked himself into rehab for dependency to sleep medication. Relapse came after 3 years of struggle with drug addiction and the death of Em’s best friend, Deshaun “Proof” Holton, who was killed in April of 2006 by gunshot wounds in a bar scuffle.
Relapse’s cover essentially sums up the state of mind that Eminem was in during the project. It displays Eminem’s face made up of a range of colorful pills. Clearly
pills, drugs, and alcohol will be a central theme to his lyrics. The terms Nyquil, Ambien, and Valium are used more commonly than the f word throughout Relapse.
After listening through the Relapse, it is clear to see that it is a step away from Eminem’s previous 2004 album, Encore. The album takes a much more serious note than his last record. Relapse is primarily an ode to Eminem’s recent drug problems, and emotional trouble regarding Proofs death.
Although it isn’t an album to “bump in the club”, Relapse is definitely an important album. It will be looked back on as a classic piece of hip hop music. The serious mood of the music and lyrics presents an album that is much more meaningful than most artists present today.
Relapse takes vulgarity and graphic nature to the next level. In fact, Relapse is perhaps more violent and thematically perverse than Em’s Marshall Mathers L.P. One song in particular, “Insane” evokes disturbing images of a scorned child hood. Despite that graphic nature of the album, the lyrics are an outlet to Eminem, and they are truly presented the way that Eminem wanted it to be heard.
Relapse brings back the real slim shady; as vulgar, violent, volatile, and vile as ever: highly recommended to those who can stomach him.
5 out of 5