Eminem adds sixteen more songs to “Music To Be Murdered By.”

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TOP 5

5. GUNS BLAZING

“Guns Blazing,” a song that features Eminem and Dr. Dre, sounds nothing like “Guilty Conscience” or “Forgot About Dre.”

While Dr. Dre sounds like a dude that is ready to replace his ex with the baddest chick on this planet in “Guns Blazing,” Eminem sounds like a cool, calm, and collected man that wants an amicable split with his romantic partner. As for Sly Pyper, he sounds like Jamie Legend on the song.

I would’ve put “Discombobulated” in this number 5 spot, but I decided to pay homage to Dr. Dre and Eminem’s twenty-year relationship instead.

4. ALFREDO’S THEME

As much as I like it when Eminem spits ferocious bars, I think I like it when he is a goofball on the mic even more. With that being said, “Alfredo’s Theme” reminds me of some “Real Slim Shady” s**t.

“Alfredo’s Theme” is powered by a 90s version of the theme music to The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia. Over it, Eminem f**ks lines up, he washes his hands, he hits us with all kinds of wacky flows, and he comes across as a cartoon villain. While so-called Eminem fans will probably hate the song, I think it’s the type of song that separates him from anyone that has ever grabbed a mic.

3. ZEUS

Eminem reminds us that he is a godly figure in “Zeus.”

In “Zeus,” Eminem calls out folks that think that he lost his rap battle with Machine Gun Kelly, he calls out Snoop Dogg, and he calls out ungrateful rap fans. He also pays homage to all of the innocent black lives that were lost these last couple of years and apologizes to Rihanna for saying that he sided with Chris Brown in a song from the past.

Even though Em sounds ready for war lyrically on “Zeus,” his demeanor is pretty calm in the song.

2. BOOK OF RHYMES

Eminem reminds folks that he is the big bad wolf on “Book Of Rhymes.” Throughout the song, he takes aim at his critics, his competition, and Ja Rule (Sheesh, Ja will never catch a break from this dude).

Eminem relies on cockiness in the first portion of “Book Of Rhymes;” when the song turns dark, his flows get crazier and his lyrics get more ferocious.

1. GNAT

Eminem sounds like a rap mastermind on “Gnat.”

Even though Eminem sounds calm as hell on “Gnat,” he hits us with dynamic flows, clever punchlines, and serious wordplay on the song. As for lyrically, he does a great job of mixing Coronavirus-related lyrics with competitive rap lyrics (I don’t know how he made the two topics play nice with one another in the song).

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. ALFRED – INTRO (N/A)

2. BLACK MAGIC (3/5)

3. ALFRED’S THEME (4/5)

4. TONE DEAF (3/5)

5. BOOK OF RHYMES (4/5)

6. FAVORITE BITCH (3/5)

7. GUNS BLAZING (3/5)

8. GNAT (4/5)

9. HIGHER (3/5)

10. THESE DEMONS (4/5)

11. KEY – SKIT (N/A)

12. SHE LOVES ME (3/5)

13. KILLER (4/5)

14. ZEUS (4/5)

15. THUS FAR – INTERLUDE (N/A)

16. DISCOMBOBULATED (3/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C)

I’m pretty sure that Eminem is releasing music to prove his critics wrong these days. Throughout this project, you get a version of the rapper that is vengeful, combative, and get off my lawn-ish. You also get a version of the rapper that still tackles the topic of love very strangely, that still thinks that he is one of the hottest rappers on this planet, and still despises Ja Rule.

Believe it or not, Eminem sounds pretty damn subdued on this project. Even though his lyrics, his flows, and his punchlines are all intense, there’s this calmness to him demeanor-wise that will surprise you. Perhaps Slim Shady is finally at peace with himself?

I love the beats that Eminem raps over on this project. Some boast trap vibes, some boast 90s hip-hop vibes, some boast strip-club vibes, and some even boast sensual vibes. Eminem tried to manipulate every beat on this project so much, some ended up switching half-way through just to f**k with his ego.

It’s very interesting listening to Eminem rap fifteen years after his prime. He doesn’t show the same immaturity that he used to show in his music back then; instead, he shows this level of insecurity that I think explains why he was so crude back then. (Man, Em’s first two albums hit so differently now)

What Grade Do You Give “Music To Be Murdered By (Side B)” By #Eminem?

— Ratings Game Music (@RatingsGame) December 18, 2020

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.