Eminem - The Eminem Show
Aftermath
June 4th, 2002.
Eminem's grip on the industry stood at a choke hold in the early 2000's - his hands dealt the cards. Becoming the poster child for things that frightened modern day society; drugs, risque behaviour, racy ramblings, outright influence and intimidating presence, Eminem found himself on the end of backlash from all angles.
Things change but memories remain the same. Once upon a time this album ranked among my favourites. From time to time, when the question was brought upon myself, it reigned supreme for quite a while. It had a replay factor that I couldn't find anywhere else; an anger that resonated on another level, aligning with my views. It was one of the first albums that I can recall putting into a Walkman, pressing play, and getting lost in. The days when a witty bar would hit home and remain in the brain are long gone. Gone are the days when the shock factor wouldn't diminish in an instant. The lust to hear something crazy and picturing outrage in your minds eye diminishes to a slow beat over time. Things fizzle out on their own accord.
The formative years of a journey; a relationship with ones self. Buried in the psyche. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Every piece being crucial to the end puzzle. You find that you grow out of things; tastes change and you move on. That's life. Things that truly meant something to you remain ingrained in one way or another. This album played a major role in my development as a fan of music. It helped me identify what exactly it was that I was looking for. How should an album be structured and what pieces fit where. It became an outlet for inner festerings. Booking concerts in my head became a go to past time - Eminem found himself headlining on many occasions, this particular album making many insertions into the setlist.
It isn't something that I turn to anymore but denying its importance on the path traveled would be a major dishonor. The Eminem Show sits comfortably at the top of the pop rap paradigm.
