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An AP Music Review: `The Eminem Show'

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"The Eminem Show" - Eminem


Although Eminem's lyrics typically get attention for their demented wit and brutal jabs, they've always had a subtext: the lifetime of dysfunction that has shaped the Detroit rapper's warped view of the world.

On his third disc, "The Eminem Show," that subtext becomes the main theme. Eminem lays bare his demons, failings and insecurities, sounding less cocky and more conflicted than ever.

The disc comes out Sunday — not Tuesday, the usual day for new releases — because of what the record label describes as "unprecedented demand" and the threat of Internet piracy.

"If I could swallow a bottle of Tylenol I would, and end it all for good, and say goodbye to Hollywood — I probably should," he rants in the gripping "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," in which an overwhelmed Eminem admits having difficulty coping with his failed marriage and the pressures of fame.

Much of the album deals with the personal and professional battles he has faced since the release of the multiplatinum "The Marshall Mathers LP" in 2000. The disc, which won three Grammys (news - web sites), came under heavy fire from women's groups, gay rights advocates and politicians for its violent imagery and slurs.

The rapper also divorced his wife, Kim; had legal battles with his estranged mother; was arrested for weapons charges after altercations; and was involved in a custody fight over his young daughter, Hailie.

His ex-wife has been one of Eminem's verbal targets since his first disc, "The Slim Shady LP." This time, he acknowledges permanent wounds, vowing on the bitter "Superman" that he'll never fall in love again. "Got no ring on my finger now, I'll never let a chick bring me down," he declares.

On the heart-wrenching "Cleanin' Out My Closet," he talks about the emotional scars inflicted by his mother: "Remember when Ronnie died and you said you wished it was me? Well, guess what, I am dead, as dead to you as can be." The song manages to do what seems impossible — make Eminem a sympathetic figure.

The best song on the disc is "Hailie's Song," half-rapped and half-sung. On it, Eminem again attacks his ex-wife, but remains grateful for his daughter, saying she is "the only woman I adore."

But the 29-year-old hasn't gone Oprah on us. This new album has plenty of the psychotic, vulgar yet clever rhymes that listeners have come to expect — enough to keep fans entertained and critics offended.

He lobs profanities at Tipper Gore and Lynne Cheney ("White America"), and disses critics, musician Moby and 'N Sync's Chris Kirkpatrick ("Without Me").

The album only drags when Eminem turns over the microphone to cohorts such as Dr. Dre on the rap battle song "Say What You Will," in which he and Eminem take on their latest nemesis, producer Jermaine Dupri. Dre more than makes up for that mediocre song, however, with his skillful production throughout the disc.

On the catchy "Without Me," Eminem fashions himself as a savior of rap and boasts that the music world seems empty in his absence. While that's debatable, there's no denying he makes it more exciting. "The Eminem Show" is one that will certainly get plenty of attention.

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