Last night, Eminem released the first single from his forthcoming sequel to the classic Marshall Mathers LP, and the result is a schizophrenic mess that offers very little indication of the quality of the rest of the album.
‘Berzerk’ is an obvious ode to the Beastie Boys, with overt references to Eminem bringing back hip-hop, whatever that might mean. Accordingly, he’s put Rick Rubin, producer of the Beasties’ License to Ill, in charge of the sound. It comes as no surprise then that the song is a rock-oriented, over-produced wall of noise, far removed from the minimalism of his defining records. For an album titled The Marshall Mathers LP 2, this seems an odd choice.
But, besides Recovery, none of Eminem’s studio albums have had lead singles that represent their overall sound. They have always been lighthearted and slightly less offensive than the rest of his repertoire. In that respect, ‘Berzerk’ roughly follows the same trend. It’s a party song that yearns for airtime on the radio. It has so little directly objectionable content that it might actually be a long-lost Beastie Boys’ B-side. Above all, it’s catchy and that’s to be expected.
Disregarding the stark change of sound (which, while inordinately messy for Eminem, is by no means terrible), what is most disappointing in this song is the lyrical content. Granted, it’s not trying to be another ‘Marshall Mathers’, ‘Criminal’, or ‘Remember Me’, but even compared to his other lead singles, his lyrics leave something to be desired. ‘The Real Slim Shady’ and ‘Without Me’ might have been funny songs, but that did not affect the quality of their rhyme schemes, flow, and imagery. What we get here, though, is ‘Just like I did with addiction, I’m about to kick it; Like a magician, critics I turn to crickets.’ There is no storytelling, no extended metaphors, no chance to react with, ‘He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?’
Moreover, Eminem doesn’t understand what’s relevant anymore. He mocks younger listeners for not knowing who MC Ren or Public Enemy are, while being so clueless about modern culture that he thinks that a Kevin Federline reference is in anyway appropriate. When he poked fun at Christina Aguilera, Carson Daly, and Fred Durst, they were relevant. When he wrote diss tracks about Ja Rule, Benzino, and Canibus, they were relevant (although not for much longer). When he thinks kids will know the show Ren and Stimpy or Britney Spears’ unfortunate ex-husband, he’s deluding himself. Maybe next he’ll write another political rant at George Bush.
In fact, there are only two pop culture references that are more relevant than an ‘N Sync reunion. The first being a line about Future, a rapper who has about as much artistic merit as ‘N Sync, the other being a subtle allusion to Kendrick Lamar’s extraordinary verse in Big Sean’s ‘Control.’ When Eminem can barely specify whom he’s addressing outside of a vague condescending tone that amounts to “you kids, get off my lawn,” he achieves nothing. From a man who was never afraid to name and shame, this is very underwhelming.
However, ‘Berzerk’ does mark a much-needed change in Eminem’s tone. His last solo album was characterized by a largely humourless screaming angst. It wasn’t the type of screaming that made songs like ‘Amityville’ such haunting forays into life in Detroit. It was unnecessary, almost juvenile yelling that added nothing to the lyrics except a strong desire to cripple the Stop button. At least on ‘Berzerk’ he sounds like he’s taking himself a little less seriously again. If MMLP2 is going to do the original justice, Eminem will have to strike a delicate balance between serious and lighthearted, offensive and personal. According to the final verse of the song, that is exactly what he’s planning to do. Let’s hope he delivers.
It might be unfair to judge a 40 year-old man’s new releases based on songs he wrote when he was in his mid- to late-20s, but it is his own fault for releasing a trilogy of nearly flawless albums at the turn of the century. When the bar is set that high and you name your album after the first great record of the new millennium, you are expected to give the fans something truly amazing. ‘Berzerk’ is not that. It’s a fun song, and I’ll undoubtedly be giving it quite a few spins over the coming days and weeks, but it’s not even a shadow of what Eminem is capable of when his music feels like it has purpose. Right now, it doesn’t.