Favorite Song Debate

My song, as posted above, is "No Love" by Eminem and Lil Wayne, which features a hook of an old pop song by the same title, Lil Wayne's verse, and Eminem's verse, all done over a pulsing beat. In this round, I will individually analyze all aspects of the song, especially the lyrics of the performers. The Artists: Rappers Lil Wayne and Eminem are two rappers of great talent who have a tendency to make awful work. Lil Wayne, experiencing problems with medical ailments and drug abuse, and who often struggles in the lyrics department, often churns out very formulaic, basic songs. Eminem similarly went through a period of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as experiencing domestic issues, and had a 5-6 year period where he released terrible albums and songs, like Encore. This single was his great comeback. Both of these artists, who have displayed great mediocrity, came together and created one if the greatest songs of all time, which makes it all the more sweeter. The Hook: Before we analyze the verses, the hook should be noted. The original being about a breakup, Wayne and Eminem contextualize the catchy tune and lyrics of "No Love/ Baby don't hurt me/ Don't hurt me? No more" to be about the cruel music industry and their own personal struggles. This is how a hook should be used. The words inflect a certain pain, but also a relief and a belief that the struggle can end given effort, which intones the words with an almost belligerent edge, a feeling pulled off perfectly by the singer. The beat shares this emotion, making great use of synth that immediately pumps up the listener while also revealing the tone of the song. During the verses, the beat builds up perfectly to the climaxes of the lyrics, and uses drums to form excellent transition for the ideas. A good beat shouldn't stand on its own, but facilitate and build the performer, and this one completes that objective and then some. The Lyrics: Now it is time to analyze the most vital part of any song, the lyrics. Let's begin with Lil Wayne's verse. "Throw dirt on me/ and grow a wildflower/ but it's f*** the world/ get a child out her" This is a great opener. Throwing dirt on someone is to spuriously insult them, but here Wayne is saying that if you diss him, it will not only be ineffectual, but will in fact help his growth as an artist, using the metaphor of a wildflower, which is good because it is something that grows out of dirt, but also implies a certain uncontrollability that a simple flower wouldn't. The second line, while rather crude, explains that to get something good out of the world and existence, it takes force and effort, where complacency is useless. "Yeah my life a b****/ But you know nothing 'bout her/ Been to Hell and back/ I can show you vouchers. " The first line aptly demonstrates the sentiment "you don't know me, so stop judging me". Lil Wayne is stridently explaining that his life is harder than people know, and they need to inform themselves before shunting him or his character aside. The second line supports this by giving a metaphorical idea of what he's been through. It's intentionally made uncertain what these "vouchers" are, and they could be anything from arrest and reahp papers to physical marks such as scars. *Note: I won't have nearly enough characters to cover all lyrics, so I will skip to the best/most important ones. * "Married to the Game/ But she broke her vows/ That's why my bars are full of broken bottles/ And my nightstands are full of open Bibles/" By being "married" to, i this context, the rap game, Wayne suggests a certain inseparability; he can't leave or escape, and although he was promised great reward and fulfillment from the industry, instead it has trampled all of those guarantees. The next line uses wonderful imagery of a broken bar downstairs, and a nightstand of holy books. Wayne uses this to draw a picture of evil and redemption, that because of the broken promises, it has ruined his public image and possibly his life, but he still craves and seeks redemption. His use of holiness corresponds to him having gone to "hell" earlier in the song. "Money outweighing problems on the triple beam/ I'm sticking to the script/ You n***** skipping scenes" Artists like to complain about how all their great wealth has hurt them. Wayne similarly says that money vastly changes your life for the worst, almost ineivitably. However, Wayne also criticizes this obnoxious practice by saying "yeah, money can suck, but it still beats being broke". At this point, Wayne speeds and up as the beat builds, and he begins to rap about the regular: drugs, money, gangs, women, etc. .. While this part is a great pump up bit, Wayne is really doing this as a sort of appeasement to his degraders, as if to dictate that if people see him as evil, then he will give them it. Being in such great contrast to the first part, this section is meant to show that Wayne is deeper then people see, and although he may say so questionable things, it's the culture and the industry that has formed him to. Wayne ends the verse on a high note: "No love lost/ no love found", which basically establishes that Wayne hasn't lost any love for his haters;after all, there was none to begin with. Eminem's Verse: I'm running low on characters, so this will have to be more amended. Eminem's verse offers the greatest feeling of ascension and excitement that I am yet to hear, rapid-firing words and the beat expands to a stunning climax which essentially forces the listener to stand up. "I'm alive again/ More alive than I have been in my whole entire life" Eminem is back and feels great, and he wants you to know this. For a longtime Eminem fan, this is great to hear. "I ain't never giving in/ Caution to the wind/ Complete freedom/ Look at these rappers/ How I treat 'em/ So why the f*** would I join them when I can beat 'em. " Besides a fantastic multi-syllabic rhyming scheme, Eminem is resiting the people and the forces that have dragged him down for years, and finally, having persevered through it, feels free and powerful. He attacks other rappers, who haven't escaped or even suffered yet try to attack him, by saying that because of his survival and determination, he is now far superior now just as a rapper, but as a person. "Cold hearted from the day I bogarted the game/ My soul self-started a Roc fellow/ When I'm not even at my harshest/ you can still get roasted cause marsh is not mellow. " Wordplay. Need I say more? "Keep giving them hell/ Where was you when I fell and need help up? / You get no love" Taking at shot at even his fans and supports, Eminem is chastising them for abandoning him and just quitting his music rather than offering help when he fell into his drug and family mire. Following suit from Wayne's verse, and connecting to the hook, Eminem is concluding his statement, which is that the music industry, popular culture, and even some of his fans do not deserve his appreciation or the right to criticize him. Conclusion: A strong beat, a great use of a great song in the hook, and meaningful, clever lyrics, coming from two incredibly skilled but inhibited artists, "No Love" is my favorite song, and one of the best of all times. Good luck to my opponent.