Eminem relapses with disappointing fifth album letdown

As one of the most eagerly anticipated rap albums of 2009, Eminem’s “comeback” is a slight letdown.

Although his fifth album is too long and redundant, he sounds far more lively in this one, compared to his last two album flops.

One of the reasons why “Relapse” somewhat succeeds is because most of the awesome beats and sounds are courtesy of producer Dr. Dre. As much as people hate to admit it, Eminem thrives on a dependent relationship with Dre, his mentor. Whenever Eminem forgets about Dre, he’s a goner.

Marshall Mathers is desperately looking for ways to change up his own rap game. In songs such as “3 A.M.,” he tries to rap in a whiny high pitch, to sound like Nelly. However, the content of his rhyme seriously lacks punch because he doesn’t even rap about the act of murdering – he says he already killed them. Certainly, he’s trying to show off how snotty and pissed off he is, but he just doesn’t hold the same rage as before.

Worse yet, he’s lost everything that made him ruthless and controversial in the first place. There’s nothing scarier than the rape rhymes in “Same Song and Dance,” in which Eminem actually sounds subdued and coolly calculated in his actions. Once, he was the epitome of sexual masochism. Now, he just wants to make Benjamins.

He’s also trying to sing more often, even though he can’t sing especially well. In some songs, such as his single “Crack a Bottle,” Eminem attacks the mic on a rhythmic staccato rampage. However, his vocals in “Hello” are very empty and lack all the bravado of Nelly.

Still, Eminem reveals some hard-hitting skeletons in his closet in this album, such as his rhymes in “Insane,” a song about his father, who Mathers claims “stuck a dick in his brain.” It’s literally a dirty incest rhyme like no one has ever heard before.

But by the time listeners reach “Déjà vu,” they will inevitably tire out. Eminem might be a sucker for epic albums with lots of songs, but this album just has too many songs, some of which might have fared better as B-sides. And his shocking yellow journalist raps just don’t have the punch and inspiration of Kanye West.

Worse yet, the album’s best moments are at the end. “Crack a Bottle” probably would have made an excellent opening track, but it was pushed back to the third-to-last track. And “Underground” features the trademark hard-hitting beats and string samples that made Eminem infectious, but it was pushed to the very end of this album. Not a great decision by Dr. Dre.

But let’s face it: Eminem just sounds out of place these days. Music audiences are looking for more mature rappers who carry more substance than showmanship. For Eminem fans, it’s a somewhat thrilling return to nearly the same old Eminem. However, since this album lacks the slamming drum beats of his trademark single, “Lose Yourself,” rap fanatics might as well overlook Eminem’s new album.