Album Review: Eminem isn’t done with 2020 just yet
By: Christian Evans
Tags: Eminem, Album Review, Music To Be Murdered By, Music, Hip Hop

Marshall Mathers or “Eminem” surprised his fans this past Sunday by dropping a brand new album, “Music To Be Murdered By — Side B”, that (as expected) serves as a sort of part B to his last most recent released album “Music To Be Murdered By”, which was released earlier this year on January 17th. ‘Music To Be Murdered By — Side B” also includes all the songs from “Music To Be Murdered By”, to further reinforce the connection between both albums. Prior to the albums release, its existence was speculated and confirmed by fans when this teaser trailer dropped four days before the albums’ release. Along with the albums release a music video directed by famed video director Cole Bennett for the albums 8th track “Gnat” was released. The album features several features including another team up with Skylar Grey. Other music artists include, Ty Dolla $ign, up and coming artist MAJ and this time the album does not lack the the signature Dr. Dre/Eminem mash up as the doc is found on the listing to.

“Music To Be Murdered By — Side B”, doesn't serve as some type of alternate reflection to “Part A”, it serves as a outward continuation for which Eminem shares his lyrical genius and rapping persona with his audience. The raps are more relevant with todays times (COVID-19 and Lysol get named dropped in the album) and if you were thinking Eminem would drop an album less hardcore with Christmas right around the corner, Eminem would disappoint, as this album seems to be a middle finger to the holiday season with its non-apologetic bombastic analogies, similes and metaphors, all mostly associated in some way or another with all things death related, you would assume that Eminem forgot Christmas is just in one week.

The first song of the album which plays as track 2, “Black Magic”, features songwriter Skylar Grey (the only artist to appear on both Part A and Part B) features a melodic hook sung by Grey as Eminem fully sets in motion what the audience should expect out of this album.

“Alfred’s Theme”, which has no hook, and was self-produced by Em himself is five minutes and thirty seconds of continuous Eminem rapping, in the song Eminem raps in the first verse, "It’s Music To Murdered By again, why stop?” Overkill like a pipe bomb in your pine box [coffin]”, referencing that some people might think a second album might be too much and also referencing that the audience has already listened to the first album, which hit #1 on the Billboard 100 so if the album did so god why stop there? In “Alfred’s Theme” he raps about antiseptics to giving singer Billie Eilish nightmares to Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. If I wanted to talk about everything he raps about in the song this review would become a dissertation, the song is truly incredible.

“Tone Deaf” is another self-produced song by Em where he raps about how no matter how ill-sounding, graphic or controversial his songs might be he won’t stop until he’s cancelled, and he also raps about how he can’t be cancelled to top it off. Track #7, “Guns Blazing” features Dr. Dre and Sly Pyper and marks the first time Dre and Em are on a song together since 2009’s Relapse and Relapse: Refill. The song basically serves as a diss track to their former partners, though their exact names are not used in the song, it should be noted by the listener that Dr. Dre did have a divorce this year with his wife Nicole Young. The song “Gnat” which had its own music video drop too, has Em rapping about the COVID-19 pandemic and his former drug addiction along with some of his thoughts on the Donald Trump administration.

Moving forward “She Loves Me”, which starts after one of Em’s trademark skits, takes a departure from the fast rap-heavy laden songs that proceed it as Em raps complaining about a chick caring about his fame and wealth instead of himself as a person. In the song “Zeus” featuring White Gold, Em has a subluminal message for his fans and other popular music artist such as Drake and Future. He speaks about how throughout his successful music career he has seen many artists music careers rise and fall and gives a warning to top artist that they need to watch their backs because the same fans that they think might like them will not hesitate to “cancel” them.

The last song on the album is “Discombobulated”, which serves as a throwback to the Eminem songs of old with different voice alterations and with a more uplifting beat that was signature produced by Dr. Dre. Overall “Music To Be Murdered By-Side B” is a stellar album that (most likely) wraps up the Music To Be Murdered By saga of Eminem all within one year.

My Album Score: 4.0/5

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