Marshall Mathers (a.k.a Eminem) returned to the scene in 2020 with his album Music to be Murdered By, and to say it was a surprise to everyone is an understatement. Surprise albums aren’t exactly a new phenomenon as other artists have done this before, even Shady himself, with his previous being that of Kamikaze which we all remember was a vastly different follow up to his politically charged record Revival. Music to be Murdered By is not only surprising in its release, but even more so in its content, with Eminem packing in a plethora of different topics.
To call it anything, Music to be Murdered By is dark. There’s even a track titled Darkness.
To call it anything, Music to be Murdered By is dark. There’s even a track titled Darkness. Go figure. In a literal sense the album’s title would have the listener thinking this idea is an obvious one. However some of these songs aren’t what they appear and may very well have fans and new listeners alike contemplating what it is that Eminem is actually trying to get across. The subject matter is all over the place and ranges from buzz topics like racism, gun violence, child abuse, regret, and even some slight religious undertones (though not in the way one might initially think).
The track list is substantial in length, possibly long enough to be considered two albums, consisting of 20 songs running about an hour total. The album marks the return of collaborations of previous artists such as Ed Sheeran, Skylar Grey, and Royce Da 5’9” who makes it onto a total of 3 separate songs, just to name a few. This new venture also sees Eminem through to landing another milestone in rapping the fastest verse in the genre’s known history with Godzilla. Also featuring recording artist Juice WRLD, Eminem’s third verse on the track amounted to about 10.65 syllables per second with a total of 224 words in a matter of 31 seconds.
Other songs that stand out are Unaccommodating, Darkness, Leaving Heaven, and Stepdad. Unaccommodating is sure to ruffle some feathers, as there are references in comparison to the Manchester bombing and even a mention of Arianna Grande as her concert is where the event took place. Though Eminem was known in his early days as somewhat of a provocateur and many of the lyrics are cleverly written and delivered, to some, this song may come off as insensitive in the current political climate. Listen at your own risk, but miss at your own peril, as the song in its entirety is more of an ode to the idea that Eminem is immune to his critics and will continue to speak as he chooses. This is certainly something that he’s known for and it does not seem like that will be changing anytime soon.
Darkness is no less than a mind bender. Eminem raps from the point of view of Stephen Paddock, the now infamous Las Vegas shooter who unloaded at concert goers in 2017 from his hotel window. The track is dark, riveting, psychologically intuitive, and though creative, it is unquestionably a stance on gun control and also quite possibly carries a double meaning. Leaving Heaven is Skylar Grey’s feature, and is a powerfully sad message in that Eminem appears to opt for burning in hell if given the chance to fight back at those who’ve wronged him in life. There is also an attempt to rationalize his understanding of racism, as in the track he refers to being beaten up in his youth for being judged by his “pigment”. This certainly comes to no surprise for fans that know the artist as Eminem has talked about this sort of upbringing in the past. Growing up as a white male in a predominately black Detroit may not have given him his best experience in his adolescence. Then of course there is Stepdad, which whether a fictional telling or not, is the reality of many who’ve suffered an abusive childhood at the hands of their new parent. Stepdad is everything you’d expect from an older Eminem song, equipped with grit, violence and shock value.
If one thing is certain, this album will make the listener think. Marshall Mathers is not a tourist in the land of controversy and his new music will not be an exception. It’s not completely clear, but Eminem seems to be returning to his older form in providing content that is in part a harsh reflection of his reality, and in turn an unsettling reflection of his world view. Ironically enough, and however much it may bother some people in the current state of the world, this is what made him famous in the first place. The album is available for purchase and on stream, so give it a listen and see what can be taken away from it.
