Usually, I start off these reviews with a career retrospective of the artist but I'm gonna be upfront and get this review outta of the way since I don't waste any more times on this, It's the holiday season! This album is bad, very bad. I never thought Eminem was drop something as bad or worse than Encore but here we are. What is sad about this I had some hope for this project, "Walk On Water" had Eminem rapping over a minimal beat with a piano in the background and Beyonce on the hook. He's rapping about the criticism that he is washed up and has self-doubt and maybe he is. It was very beautiful and great single and smart idea to start off the album. I was wondering and had a little hope that this would be his own version of Jay-Z's 4:44, Like Eminem, would be the old man in the rocking chair and thinking about all the wrong's in his past, kill his ego away, and give advice to the youth.
But oh boy I was wrong. With the tracklist, the pop features, one rap feature from an unknown artist (sucks 2 Chainz was taking off the album but he should be grateful), and the production on some fronts was different but majority sound badly mixed and have some of the laziest samples use from some really great tracks. Believe" and "Chloraseptic" I appreciated the beats have a trap-influenced on them but he sounds awkward and raps very off beat on these tracks. Phersher is barely a feature on "Chloraseptic" and it's only the hook and appears randomly in and out to drop a random ad lib or a line, You would think Eminem would've showcased this guy talent and have a verse but I digress. "Untouchable" is basically a more polite version of Joyner Lucas "I'm Not Racist". The concept and message sounded like a nice idea from rapping of two different perspectives but fails in execution and Jesus Christ the hook is horrific.
"River" with Ed Sheeran gives me some bad vibes from the Recovery Era and me honestly I can't stand pop Eminem, Ed sounds nice but the track is another generic love ballad rap cliche track and he's rapping about abortion.which seems very left field. Also that line "Just shit on my last chick and she has my ex-lacks", Gross. "Remind Me" samples and ruins Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n' Roll" and sounds like a bootleg shit version of "Berzerk", That "your booty is heavy duty like diarrhea"gives me a nasty image in my head and once again the mixing is terrible. "Like Home" is a cliche anti-Donald Trump track, like at this point we get it Trump is a big meanie and is bad, Personally I rather have his BET Freestyle on the track with a beat over it than this shit.
"Bad Husband" is another song about his ex-wife Kim, which at this point it's 2017 and he is still rapping about Kim. It's nice that he apologizes but it feels likes it's too late to apologize and he should've done a few albums ago. "Tragic Endings" is the worst mixed track here and reminds me of a leftover song from Recovery and it's filler. "Framed" has that old-school horrorcore vibe from Eminem's old work, the track sounds very nice and a couple of funny bars here and there but what ruins it for me is the hook where he sounds like a kid going "because I was frameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed". "Nowhere Fast" vocal layering is terrible, he sounds like a robot on this track and it's also forgettable, good job though for Kehlani to be featured on this album, hope you got paid well.
"Heat" is the worst track on here, it sounds like a Yelawolf leftover. The country/rap sound is very dated and also this track as some of the worst lyrics on this entire album. "I gotta meet her like a taxi", "you got buns, I got Aspergers", "let's get turnt like a shish kabab, twist it ma like an air conditioning knob", I can keep going but I don't wanna be here all day. "Offended" had potential to be something decent, the concept sounded good on paper but failed in delivery. It's 'edgy" but more cringe edgy and with the whole childish hook ruins the whole vibe. "Need Me" is mostly a Pink song with one verse from Eminem, to me, it sounded like it should've been a bonus track on a Pink album. "In Your Head" is another example of another lazy sample, mixed horribly, and just a couple of drums to make it a beat and give it an extra kick to it.
"Castle" is easily the best track on here and at this point, I'm happy I get to hear a great track with a good concept, storytelling, cohesive ideas and it sticks well together. It's a dedication to his daughter talking about his life before her birth and during her childhood years. Third verse Eminem is rapping about the guilt that she had to live through his lowest of his lows and she had to be exposed to his fame and things going on in his private life. I love his delivery and flow on here, no corny lines, it's a heart-wrenching track that hits you right in the feels. "Arose" first half is an introspective closer where Eminem gives us details about the overdose he had back in '07. His mind wraps from thoughts to his daughter, his brother, and also his mom and thinks of all the milestones they will accomplish that he will miss if he dies also starts having visions of seeing his friend Proof. Despite a couple of lines here and there that were eye-rolling a bit, I think it's a heartfelt track and it's the perfect ending to the project. The beat does switch back to "Castle" and rewrites history and switches up a few lines and the albums end with a toilet flushing, which pretty sums up this album, shit.
Final thoughts are this is easily Eminem's worst album, worse than Encore. It sucks and saddens me that on this nineteen track album, I enjoyed three tracks. I had some hopes for this, sure I make jokes about Eminem current status but I still remember the times I enjoyed his early work as a kid and a few of his newer music as an adult. Also hurts his legacy and it should be questioned where he's got worse than good albums in his discography. I didn't wanna go into this hating on this cause the younger me had hoped maybe he call pull through but sadly he didn't. Eminem can do better than this but sadly at this point I don't think he has nothing to prove and maybe he doesn't care anymore, If more tracks were like the first and last two tracks I would've loved this album but with the bad production, lazy sampling, and horrible lyrics not only it's contender for worst but also disappointing projects of the year. I can go on and on but I don't wanna be here all day and ruined my holiday spirit. Thank you guys for reading, Robert Garcia Out. One Love.
Favorite Tracks: Walk On Water, Castle, Arose
Least Favorite Tracks: Rest of the album
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