Eminem Revival review: Not the next Marshall Mathers LP, but rap god's rhymes are sharp as ever

Twenty years ago, in 1997, Eminem — a 25-year-old rapper with nothing to lose — released The Slim Shady EP. It was The Slim Shady EP that introduced us to Slim Shady — Eminem’s uncaring and unspeakably foul-mouthed alter-ego. Come 2017, Eminem tries to undo much of what he has said and done as Slim Shady. On the opening track ‘Walk on Water’  — a piano ballad with Beyoncé belting out a gospel-tinged chorus about the shortcomings of us mortals — Eminem raps about self-doubt and accepting the possibility of the end of his dominance. On the following track ‘Believe’, Eminem is as cocky as ever and shows us why he is so often considered the greatest rapper to ever grab the mic. Revival, an album over 77 minutes in length, hurls at us multiple shades of Eminem: the rap-God himself, the man Marshall Mathers, and — if you listen carefully — rare glimpses of Slim Shady.

With Revival, Eminem gives his fans more than they can handle. On ‘Believe’, Eminem reasserts his position in rap-music. On ‘Chloraseptic’, he shows distain for the mumble-rap trend. And — after his takedown of Donald Trump with the freestyle ‘The Storm’ at the BET Hip-Hop Awards — Em dishes out more leftist political punditry on ‘Untouchable’ and ‘Like Home’. Eminem backs the African-American cause and schools the rightwing about privilege and racism on ‘Untouchable’. Alicia Keys’ soaring hook on ‘Like Home’ holds the track together as Eminem launches a scathing attack on President Trump. Eminem even comes forward in support of transgenders as he raps, “This chump barely even sleeps/All he does is watch Fox News like a parrot and repeats/While he looks like a canary with a beak/Why you think he banned transgenders from the military with a tweet?” This is the same rapper who was labeled homophobic by the political left for lyrics such as, “Make fun of gay clubs, men who wear make-up”. So, who is the real Eminem?

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[caption id=“attachment_4265645” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  (Left) Eminem live on Saturday Night Live in 2000 and (Right) Eminem on stage in 2017.[/caption]

Eminem’s lyrics have had political leanings ever since 2002’s ‘White America’  where he says “f**k you” to Tipper Gore and Lynne Cheney, and calls the United States of America the “Divided States of Embarrassment”. The difference between Eminem on Revival and the one on ‘White America’ is that earlier, Eminem never chose sides. He despised the left as much as the right. There was no adoration — not for the government, the country, the institution of family, nor God — on any of his tracks. ‘Like Home’ is soaked in a cheery sense of patriotism that seems out of place on an Eminem record.

Eminem has rapped about his turbulent relationship with ex-wife Kim on every album. Revival is no different. On ‘Bad Husband’, Eminem expresses regret for the things he has said and done to Kim. The grievous and subdued hook by rock-outfit X Ambassadors gives the song a shaky feel of indelible remorse. ‘Remind Me’ — which samples ‘I Love Rock N’ Roll’ by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — is about the first time Eminem met Kim. A rap-rock track, ‘Remind Me’ stands out for its funky guitar sounds and groovy beats. Eminem dedicates the album’s second-last track, ‘Castle’, to his daughter Hailie. Eminem apologises for pushing her into the public eye right from the time she was a toddler; something she never asked for. ‘Castle’ is followed by ‘Arose’; a track about Eminem’s methadone overdose in 2007 and how he could’ve lost out on the most important moments in his life.

[caption id=“attachment_4265665” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Eminem performing ‘White America’ at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards/Image from Reddit.[/caption]

Hip-hop has gone through multiple changes over the past two decades, but Eminem has remained the same. You see this on the tracks ‘Framed’, ‘Heat’ and ‘Offended’. Eminem’s storytelling skills are intact on ‘Framed’, where he informs us about how to get away with “murdering females”. A horror-core track with a devious beat, Eminem raps about finding Ivanka Trump in the trunk of his car and feeling responsible for the “dumb little blond”. ‘Framed’, along with ‘Heat’ and ‘Offended’, is one of the best track on Revival. On ‘Offended’, Eminem reveals his desire to stiff-arm Ivanka as he’s hitting on Melania. Here, Eminem slips into his untamed and wicked side. Other tracks — like ‘The River’ featuring Ed Sheeran, ‘Need Me’ featuring Pink, and ‘Tragic Endings’ featuring Skylar Grey — try to recreate Eminem and Rihanna’s explosive hit ‘Love the Way You Lie’ with themes of an  abusive relationship and toxic behaviour. Revival would’ve been just a good an album even if these three tracks were omitted from the tracklist. Tedious hooks, dry subject matter, and Rick Rubin’s stale, recycled production drag Revival down. The track ‘In Your Head’ — which samples another classic ‘Zombies’ by The Cranberries — is salvaged only by Eminem’s words, again.

Like Eminem says on ‘Believe’, he has achieved everything there is to achieve. He has been trying to top The Marshall Mathers LP ever since 2004’s Encore. He hasn’t achieved this yet. He keeps trying with every new record to outdo his sophomore release, but he doesn’t quite get there. Eminem says that the rage he had in him back then has extinguished. Today, he’s a sober 45-year-old millionaire who’s a father, and also the highest selling rapper in history.  In the end, Revival is Eminem’s best album since 2009’s Relapse. It is not an easy album to digest as Eminem carefully demarcates his serious verses from the frivolous, twisted rants. On ‘Walk on Water’, underneath the melodious tune of the piano, you can hear the sound of pages being ripped apart. For Eminem, writing is a draining experience, and he prides himself on excelling at it with every album. Revival is an example of that. As for Eminem surpassing his earlier self, he’s still only halfway there.