It might be a chord hook, it might be an anecdote, it might just be something you wouldn't dream of hearing; all this and a great deal more factors make a great song. We have been counting down the top songwriters of the last 25 years and have so far brought you features of Matt Bellamy, Pharrell Williams and Alex Turner. This week, we continue with no. 7- Eminem.
The highest selling artist of the Noughties easily deserves a mention for his countless memorable lines. From the comic and sadistic to the sombre and reflective, Eminem is a rapper who captures the masses' attention with vivid insight to his personal and troubled life. He was born in 1972 to parents who were but teens at the time. His relationship with them has been well covered so we'll let the music do the talking but it's important to note how this background manifested itself in his music. From living in a trailer-park with his daughter to problems with his ex-Kim and drugs, he has never stood easy. The truth of the matter is however, as blunt as this may seems, that Eminem produces his best material in the hardest of times.
Marshall's first album was released in 1996 entitled Infinite. This was an underground record and sold roughly a thousand records. His sound was finessed before long however with the help of Dr Dre and in 1999, he emerged anew under a new guise with The Slim Shady LP. Hip Hop had been on the rise throughout the '90s, particularly in America. Over here and in the UK, Britpop was over and as rock faded into the background, Eminem was ready to capitalise and he did so with the impact of "My Name Is," a song that was original in sound for any genre, with a fun video that would characterise much of his work:
References to celebrity culture became commonplace in the "Slim Shady" songs he would release (including "The Real Slim Shady," "Without Me," and "We Made You" among others) but some of the best value to be found in Eminem is in the concepts and ideas he has for songs. "Guilty Conscience" with Dr Dre was about a person being coerced by both the Devil (Eminem) and an angel (in Dr Dre) over decisions to be made. "Stan" was the popular hit of 2000, about an obsessive fan and "Like Toy Soldiers" was a song which addressed the death toll in rap. As dark as he can be comical, Eminem will never be content with releasing a middle-of-the-road indie sounding record. His emotion flares high in everything he does. "The Way I Am" for example sets out his disillusionment with the record company over replecating the success of "My Name Is" and references tragedies like the Columbine Shooting of '99 which shows he knows a good thing or two about society.
Advertisement
With Dre as a a reoccuring figure behind the decks, many might assume Eminem's place as a songwriter extends only as far as it is needed but throughout his career, amdist other writers that help with the music and sound, you will find his name as the constant element. He can sample ("Sing For The Moment," "Berzerk," etc.) but he can also work his pen to some original feats such as "Not Afraid," "Love the Way You Lie" and of course, the Slim Shady collection. His lyrics are of course what bring him to this list however and before leaving off this installation of top songwriters, it is worth asking the question on whether he still "has" it? Relapse was after all, "meh" in his own words ("Not Afraid") and while Recovery was certainly an improvement, it was hardly The Marshall Mathers LP 2. No, that's coming this November and expectations will be high for the sequel to his most successful album. The lead single "Berzerk" (produced by Rick Rubin) was released recently and may be an indication that the now-40-year old rapper still has something to prove!
No. 6 coming next week: a bit of a downer with the artsiness at points but otherwise one of Britain's greats...
