Top 3 Songs From Each Eminem Album
The rumour mill is suggesting that there is a new Eminem album on the horizon. That's as good a reason as any for a trip down memory lane with everyone's favourite rapping Hulk!
Full disclosure. I know there is another Eminem album named Infinite. I just don't know if it's considered an official release or I don't have enough passion about it to use it in this post. Call it a cop out or a serious technicality. I'm also not going to get into the surprisingly good Southpaw or 8 Mile soundtracks or any of the compilation albums Em has released.
Album:
The Slim Shady LP (1999)/AKA The 3rd Best Eminem Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Role Model"
2) "Guilty Conscience" (ft. Dr. Dre)
3) "Rock Bottom"
Anyone who is a fan of Eminem in this day and age knows that he's a problematic figure to defend in terms of lyrics. In addition to the aggressive and mostly misogynistic lyrics found in Hip Hop, Em tends to really lean into the misogyny and homophobia. All I can do is hope that it's all in an effort to rile people up. The three songs I picked for this album all feature beats I would consider hard classic hip hop beats with Em riding the beat very well. However "Role Model" does feature an early instance of Marshall calling out a President for his lack of morals. "Guilty Conscience" is the most commercial song of the three even though it features the problematic assault of an elderly woman, potential date rape, and more encouragment of violence towards women... pretty big feat.
Album:
The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)/AKA THE BEST EMINEM ALBUM
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Kill You"
2) "Bitch Please II" (ft. Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg/Xzibit/Nate Dogg)
3) "Amityville" (ft. Bizarre)
I hate that I only could pick 3 songs here. I really wanted "Criminal" to be represented but what can I do but bring it up here. This is my favourite Eminem album becasue the only song I skip and don't think I've listened to all the way through is "Kim." Every other song as problematic as they may be means something to me because of the time I heard this album and how it informed my technical (not content wise) approach rapping. "Kill You" is different. I know it's crazy but it wasn't a song infused with braggadocio. There aren't notable mentions of how rich or cool Eminem was. Just a peak into a disturbed mind that still goes hard! "Bitch Please II" is the most Hip Hop I think Eminem has gotten word to the guest list on the song and the beat. "Amityville" is disturbing but I LOVE THIS BEAT and how even Bizarre rides the beat. Again I know the lyrics are messed up.
Album:
The Eminem Show (2002)/AKA The 4th Best Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Square Dance"
2) "Without Me"
3) "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (ft. Hailie Jade)
This was another album that had a bunch of songs I wanted to mention but couldn't "White America" was definitely one. I Loved the content of the song that showed that Eminem was aware of the Elvis (or if you're Bitmoji Queen, Justin Timberlake) comparisons he was receiving while meditating on how unfair it is that he wouldn't be as famous as he is if he was black. But the beat isn't my favourite. "Square Dance" is so high up for me because it had Eminem saying names that weren't popstars or Moby in a diss song. I LOVE DISS SONGS. And I'm ok with Canabis disses even if one of the disses is that he's actually Canadian. "Without Me" has a dope flow, beat and very cool word play in areas so I had to mention it. "My Dad's Gone Crazy" is another peak into that disturbed mind of Marshall's that sounds different enough to really stand out. Plus his daughter is on the song so that's cute!
Album:
Encore (2004)/AKA The 7th Best Eminem Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Never Enough" (ft. 50 Cent & Nate Dogg)
2) "Like Toy Soldiers"
3) "Evil Deeds"
My memory of this album was that it had songs where Eminem puked and belched like a proto Rick from Rick & Morty. He also was rapping with an annoying accent on some of the tracks. It just seemed like a slap in the face to a fan like me. We'd later find that Eminem was going through some stuff and was deep in drugs. So I can't muster as much rage at this album anymore. The songs I picked don't represent what i was talking about which kind of made the album that much more frustrating. "Never Enough" had a dope Nate Dogg hook and what I think is a great 50 Cent verse. "Like Toy Soldiers" is something special thanks to the sample but also features an eerie video where Proof of D12 is dying in hospital and then Proof actually died two years later. "Evil Deeds" is that one song on every Eminem album you get that gets uncomfortably biographical but gives that much needed insight into Marshall.
Album:
Relapse (2009)/AKA The 2nd Best Eminem Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Insane"
2) "Hello"
3) "My Mom"
This album is better than the sum of its parts. It's a concept album which I'm always on board for. Every song is a piece of the puzzle that makes up Eminem. See what they did with the cover? I love every song on this album except the Mariah diss, "Beautiful" and "We Made You" but they're all part of the tapistry that shows how an abusive childhood, making fun of celebrities, love for his children and drug abuse led to the phenom known as Eminem. I also think that it had some dope flows flipping syllables and working with dope word play. "Insane" is pretty much all of those things in one song about Eminem's step dad sexually abusing him. "Hello" has a similar effect technically only it's about Eminem's view on how his drug abuse affected him in terms of women. "My Mom" is Eminem's typical disdain for his mother but it makes sense in the context of this concept album and has some great syllable matching moments. Eminem also doesn't like this album much so it's probably the Hook of Em's discography.
Album:
Recovery (2010)/AKA The 5th Best Eminem Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Won't Back Down" (ft. P!nk)
2) "Cold Wind Blows"
3) "So Bad"
Everyone likes Recovery more than I do. I just see it as the polished mainstream version of Relapse. Meaning I didn't get as much insight into Eminem, therefore it wasn't something special. having said all that, an album from Eminem is always something to be happy about that so it's not like this was a horrible album. "Won't Back Down" is part of my gym mix so maybe I like it more than I should, but its the closest thing to Sick,Wicked&Nasty that I can think of and at the same time I can't rap to this beat. It's something different and cool. "Cold Wind Blows" is Eminem over a Just Blaze beat and I marked the end of that weird accent Em had for the last two albums. "So Bad" brings Eminem and Dr. Dre for the only song of the album while sticking with the same bop as "Cold Wind Blows" so I dig it.
Album:
Hell: The Sequel (2011)/Techincally an Eminem & Royce Da 5'9 Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Loud Noises" (ft. Slaughterhouse)
2) "Living Proof"
3) "Above the Law" (ft. Claret Jai)
More than JAY-Z; Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 influence my flow the most. As such I expected a lot out of this album but I guess the "Lighters" single should have let me know what I was in for. That doesn't mean this project was without its gems. "Loud Noises" starts off with Brick Tamland from Anchorman! How ill is that? More importantly it's a Slaughterhouse (Royce, Crooked I, Joel Ortiz, and Joe Budden) with Eminem and they're all rapping fast! "Living Proof" and "Above the Law" are just fine. I don't love or hate them and now I'm at 3 songs for this album!
Album:
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)/AKA The 6th Best Eminem Album
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Rap God"
2) "Brainless"
3) "Bad Guy" (ft. Sarah Jaffe)
Look you can't have a song like "Rap God" on your album and be upset about the whole affair. It is a record breaking song for words per minute or something. I also noticed his Thor references! Love when Hip Hop and Comic Books intersect... it's like this website in music form. "Brainless" is back to Eminem on classic Hip Hop beats which is always welcome. "Bad Guy" is an amazing concept. Stan's brother kidnaps Eminem and explains to him why he's going to kill Eminem. I love the Stan call back @4:09! I'm not a fan of the beat switch so this song doesn't get to be as high as it could have been for such a strong concept. At the end of the day, Em can spit and he gave the opportunity to Kendrick to go toe to toe with him on "Love Game" and I legitamtely love the Rihanna collaboration, "The Monster," on this album. Which is to say the album isn't horrible just a let down considering the company it put itself in with the name.
-YG