Tuesday, October 09, 2012

The Genius of Eminem As An Artist (Continued)

Eminem was the best selling artist of the 2000's. Let that sink in for a moment. Between 2000-2010, he sold more records than Usher, more than Mariah Carey, more than Coldplay -- more than anyone. He's won 13 Grammys: 13 out of the 14 he was nominated for. He's the only rapper to achieve two diamond certified records. After a hiatus from music, and -- by his own admission -- a so-so comeback on Relapse, he managed a true recovery with the album Recovery. He's been known to shock, but just as the world was yawning, he shocked us again with the video for the single "Space Bound." Many rappers have ascended into the sky, like fireworks, exploded, and impressed us ( if briefly) with their glory. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, etc. were great for an albulm or two; they sparkled for a year or two. Eminem has been great for more than a decade. He's no firework; he's not even a shooting comet. He hangs perpetually in the sky like a star -- a real star. Every now and then you think his star is dimming. Then, you realize the dimness was the affect of momentary cloud cover. You can't hide a star for long. I'm reminded of some words written about him over a decade ago: "he dazzles with sick brilliance." And dazzles. And dazzles. And dazzles. Like a real star.

Excerpt From Wikipedia:

In the book How to RapGuerilla Black notes that Eminem studied other MCs to create his rapping technique: "Eminem listened to everything and that's what made him one of the greats".[142] In the same book, Eminem is praised for various aspects of his rapping technique by numerous other MCs; these techniques include his varied and humorous subject matter,[143] connecting with his audience,[144] carrying a concept over a series of albums,[145] complex rhyme schemes,[146] his ability to bend words so that they rhyme,[147] his use of multisyllabic rhymes,[140] fitting many rhymes in each bar,[148] complex rhythms,[149] clear enunciation,[150] use of melody,[151] and syncopation.[152] He is also known to write the majority of his lyrics down on paper, as documented in his book The Way I Am, as well as taking a few days or a week to craft lyrics,[153] being a "workaholic",[154] and "stacking" vocals.[155]

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