Revisiting MMLP2...

MattP215

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I've been bumpin' this album a lot lately...was kinda "meh" about it at first for a couple different reasons (lackluster beats, pop singers on seemingly every other hook, etc.)...but listening to it again, I've realized that, while it definitely isn't perfect (not that any Em album is), lyrically, it's one of his better efforts since he's been "back" (in other words, since '09).

Now, I'm not saying that EVERY song is lyrically dope ("Berzerk" :huhldup:, "Stronger Than I Was" :snoop:), but on the songs where he was spittin', he definitely went in. "Rap God", "Evil Twin", "Brainless", "Legacy", "Rhyme Or Reason", "Bad Guy". "Headlights" was dope. I know people hate "Survival", but it's not a bad track...it's not one of his best, and sounds more like something that should've been on "Recovery", but it's passable. You can say what you want about "The Monster", it's corny or whatever (hell, I said the same thing at first), but Em low-key spazzed on that shyt...that third verse. :ohlawd: Even "a$$hole"...the beat is a bit, ummm, odd, to say the least...but I fukks with it, especially the first verse.

And I know it's a bonus track, but yo, "Groundhog Day" :whew: he went the fukk off on that shyt. Really wish he would've put that on the damn album. "Baby" was dope as fukk too. If he would've replaced a few songs that actually made the album with these, we'd be looking at a nice overall album.

Shyt, even listen to this verse on that song with Busta Rhymes ("Calm Down")...you can't say he didn't bring it lyrically on there. Multi's all over the place. That whole opening sequence, or whatever you wanna call it ("Apparently there's a light contagiousness to this tirade...) was crazy. I know the song's not on MMLP, but I'm just using it as an example since it's one of his more recent verses.

I think everyone can agree that "Relapse" had the best beats of any of his recent albums...probably any of his albums EVER. Listening to "MMLP", even on some of the better songs ("Rap God", "Evil Twin", "Legacy"), I always find myself thinking "At this point in his career, why can't this dude pick better beats??". None of it's WACK, necessarily, but even compared to some shyt on, let's say, "The Eminem Show" (which was mostly self-produced), these beats were kinda "ehh". Nothing was really DOPE AS fukk, IMO. With the absence of a few of the less-than-stellar songs, and better beats, MMLP2 would've been a much better overall project.

Let me put it like this...I'd rather Em rap the way he did on MMLP2 than screaming and dropping wack punchlines constantly like he did on "Recovery".

Thoughts? I know it's random, since the album came out a year ago, but for some reason I've been thinking about this shyt lately as I've been listening to it again.
 
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Kenyan West

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Contrary to popular belief, MMLP2 is a very good album. I dont have a problem with any of the beats like you, however. I feel that they are in the same vein as beats that would be on MMLP and they fit. Nothing flashy or bombastic about em -- Em sounds the best on these type of beats. For example, look at Rhyme Or Reason. ROR is seriously one of the best songs he's ever done. Berserk is one of the best first single's he's ever put out. Stronger than I was I seriously fukk with. It reminds me of Hailey's Song from Eminem Show. "If I stumbleeee I wont crumbleeee I get back up in ARMMMMM" shyt is infectious, b. Same thing with So Much Better and So Far. Singing such deliciously evil (or silly) lyrics is what eminem is about.

I will say this though. Groundhogs Day and Wicked Ways had me grab my bucket hat like Jay and put it over my face like wooooooooooooooooo. :ohlawd: My only gripes : GroundHogs Day, Wicked Ways and hell, even Beautiful Pain should have been on the album and not as bonus tracks. I think Headlights is pretty lame because of that damn hook. Dina Rae should have been on track 13. Eminem's third verse on Love Game and Love Game as a whole, naw. Buut everything else, pretty good album from Eminem. But then again, I feel Eminem hasn't ever put out a wack album. Well... That second half of Encore was pretty much subpar.
 
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Kenyan West

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I barely made it through one excruciating listen. It was shockingly bad.


Relapse is great.

I agree that Relapse is great. What surprises me is that alot of people, even Eminem himself, are starting to come around towards Relapse. When Relapse first dropped, it got shytted on heavily. But now, people are starting to realize the album for what it is -- a highlight in Em's discography.
 
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