Marshall Mathers established himself abruptly in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP, and a year later cemented his place with The Marshall Mathers LP. Unfortunately, in the last few years the rapper hasn't been delivering. Since the curtains closed on The Eminem Show in 2002, Mathers hasn't done anything particularly worthy of critical praise. Sure, there have been a handful of decent singles. But his last two LP's, Encore and Relapse were sloppy at best.
Eminem addresses the issue on his latest, the aptly titled Recovery. "This time around, it's different. Those last two albums didn't count. Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushing 'em out. I've come to make it up to you now, no more fucking around. I got something to prove to fans, 'cause I feel like I let 'em down. So please accept my apology. I finally feel like I'm back to normal. I feel like me again." This risky statement comes on the album's second track, and thankfully—and finally—the rest of the album actually delivers.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't quite the manic, depraved Marshall Mathers we remember from early on in the last decade. This is a Marshall Mathers who is more mature. What's back is his ability to deliver lines that resonate with listeners, and deliver them with style. His pop sensibility has returned, and it's been adapted for the next generation. Tracks like "Won't Back Down" and "Love the Way You Lie," featuring Pink and Rhianna on the respective choruses, will surely bring Eminem back to the top commercially. His sobriety has given him a fresh outlook, and the bits of introspection strewn across the record are bound to surprise—and appease—critics who lost faith in recent years. For the moment, Eminem's back. Let's see if it lasts.
Here's a video of Rhianna and Eminem performing "Love The Way You Lie." The quality isn't particularly amazing, but it's just a preview of the album which will be released on Monday.
