In “Music To Be Murdered By,” Eminem delivers a vintage rap performance.

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REVISITED

Dec 19, 2023

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STREAM

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TOP 5

HONORABLE MENTION. Those Kinda Nights

Eminem clearly hasn’t been to a club in 20 years…

My feelings are mixed about “Those Kinda Nights…” On the one hand, I’m not a fan of Eminem attempting club songs, but on the other hand, I’m a big fan of Ed Sheeran and D.A. Doman. Here’s my suggestion: Remove Eminem from this track and replace him with Tyga!

All jokes aside, “Those Kinda Nights” is a lighthearted track that’s best enjoyed without overthinking. It features a bass-heavy beat designed for dancing, a catchy hook by Ed Sheeran, and Eminem verses that teeter between creepy, corny, and slick.

5. Yah Yah (Ft. Royce Da 5’9, Black Thought, Q-Tip & Denaun)

“Yah Yah” is the definition of a sacred rap track that needs to be put behind a bulletproof glass.

In “Yah Yah,” you encounter a highly enthusiastic Royce Da 5’9, an energetic Q-Tip, a fiercely competitive Black Thought, and a downright demented Eminem. The amalgamation of these four distinct styles makes for quite the listening experience.

4. Unaccommodating

I’m surprised at how good Eminem and Young M.A. sound on this song together.

I f**king love “Unaccommodating.” The track, which features a hard-hitting beat, showcases a sly and clever verse from Young M.A. and an intense one from Eminem that skillfully combines elements of forgiveness and vengeance. Both artists rely on crazy wordplay and dynamic flows.

3. Darkness

Every once in a while, we are treated to a track by Eminem in which he comes across as troubled and controversial; “Darkness” is one of those tracks.

“Darkness” is powered by this emotionally charged beat. Over it, Eminem raps about being this depressed individual that is prepared to shoot up a party in Vegas:

“I keep pacin’ this room, valium
Then chase it with booze, one little taste it’ll do
Maybe I’ll take it and snooze, then tear up the stage in a few
(Hello darkness, my old friend)
Fuck the Colt 45, I’ma need somethin’ stronger
If I pop any caps, it better be off of vodka
Round after round after round, I’m gettin’ loaded
That’s a lot of shots, huh?”

“Darkness” is disturbing, but I think it’s a song that must be heard.

2. You Gon’ Learn (Ft. Royce Da 5’9 & White Gold)

Whenever Royce Da 5’9 and Eminem collaborate, they consistently deliver heat.

The beat that powers “You Gon’ Learn” is pretty divine. But beyond the beat, the standout feature of this track is the powerhouse verses delivered by Royce Da 5’9 and Eminem. Each rapper brings forth fiery, motivational, and intimidating lyrics coupled with impregnable flows. When the track concludes, you’ll feel like you’ve just experienced a session with two rap drill sergeants.

1. Godzilla (Ft. Juice WRLD)

See, Eminem and the jits can find common ground.

I never thought “Godzilla” would be one of the only tracks from Eminem’s catalog to get over one billion views. At the same time, it does feature an excellent hook from Juice WRLD and the kind of wacky deliveries and random-ass lyrics from Eminem that we’ve all come to love. But, really, y’all heard this song’s Fisher Price-like beat and thought you want to replay this s**t? Power to y’all, I guess.

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SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Premonition – Intro (4/5)

2. Unaccomodarting (Ft. Young M.A.) (4/5)

3. You Gon’ Learn (Ft. Royce Da 5’9) (5/5)

4. Alfred (Intro) (N/A)

5. Those Kinds Of Nights (Ft. Juice WRLD) (3.5/5)

6. In Too Deep (3/5)

7. Godzilla (Ft. Juice WRLD) (4.5/5)

8. Darkness (4/5)

9. Leaving Heaven (3.5/5)

10. Yah Yah (4/5)

11. Stepdad (Intro) (N/A)

12. Stepdad (2.5/5)

13. Marsh (3.5/5)

14. Never Love Again (2.5/5)

15. Little Engine (2/5)

16. Lock It Up (Ft. Anderson .Paak) (3.5/5)

17. Farewell (3.5/5)

18. No Regrets (Ft. Don Toliver) (4/5)

19. I Will (Ft. KXNG Crooked, Royce Da 5’9 & Joell Ortiz) (4/5)

20. Alfred (Outro) (N/A)

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OVERALL RATING

(C) (71%)

Music To Be Murdered By is a very enjoyable album to listen to. It features hardcore rap songs like “Yah Yah” and “You Gon Learn,” club bangers such as “Those Kinda Nights,” deep tracks like “Darkness,” and energetic tracks like “Godzilla.” Additionally, the album features downright bizarre tracks like “Stepdad.”

Eminem’s rapping on Music To Be Murdered By is pretty dope. Does he hit us with punchlines that are a bit corny at times? Yes, but everything else, such as his flows, wordplay, and lyrical content, is on point. Additionally, I love how Em lets his many personalities flourish on this album. Throughout, he shows little to no fear of coming across as a deranged individual that knows he has a screw loose.

Most artists featured on Music To Be Murdered By put up fantastic performances. Specifically, I thought Royce Da 5’9, Joell Ortiz, KXXG Crooked, Black Thought, and Young M.A. all had killer verses, while Anderson .Paak, Juice WRLD, and Don Tolliver gifted us solid hooks on the album.

My favorite thing about Music To Be Murdered By is how much experimenting Eminem does on the album. Never did I imagine that the Detroit rapper would be interested in rapping over a reggae beat in “Farewell” or a D.A. Doman beat in “Those Kinda Nights” (He raps over other interesting beats, too). I also love the fact that Eminem didn’t go Rambo on the music industry on this album—he took his subtle shots at Machine Gun Kelly, Lord Jamar, and Nick Cannon, but for the most part, he left everyone else alone (He went at way too many people in Kamikaze).

I truly feel like Eminem’s love for rap returned in Music To Be Murdered By. Don’t get me wrong, there are a bunch of tracks on this album that sound like some watered-down s**t, but thankfully, none feel like forced/inorganic s**t.

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