By Ardain Isma Jr
Special to CSMS Magazine
In 1999, after the deaths of hip hop most loving and dominated rap stars, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, a white rapper from Detroit named Marshall Mathers better known as Eminem burst on to the scene with his best selling debut album slim shady lp. The album gave him much critical acclaim and placed him as the true successor to Tupac Shakur, the king of hip-hop. This was a title anyone in hiphop would be happy to bear.
Fast forward ten years, five albums, a nasty drug habit with prescription pills, Eminem, in a stunning reversal, is back at the fore front of his profession—just when everyone has least expected it. Recovery is the title of this new album and it is a follow up to his 2009’s Relapse album, which was also a good comeback effort and sold over 3 million copies in America last year, making it the best selling rap album last year. But there is something about Recovery that makes it feel like Slim Shady’s true comeback album.
As you may know after his 2004 album Encore, Em took a 5 year hiatus off from the public world. Lying to media outlets saying he was taking a break when in truth he was suffering from a crazy drug addiction to prescription medication. It got so bad that Em had gone into a state of total reclusion. The addiction also made him gain a lot of weight, gaining up to over 234 pounds. But one day, Slim Shady saw the light and said he had to get help. He sought out the help from celebrity friend Elton John, who sponsored him into rehab.
Now in 2010 Eminem is clean and sober and ready to drop his second album since the release of Relapse in 2009. On this new record, Recovery finds the rapper talking about his pain and issues plaguing his life, morphing them into music and letting them loose to be free at last.
The albums first single “Not Afraid” debuted at number 1 in Billboard charts hot 100 in America and around the world as well. His second single with Rihana entitled “I love the way you Lie “is also growing fast on the billboard charts. In fact, it’s already in the top 5. In the album’s first week, it sold more than 764,000 copies making it gold and close to platinum in one week, giving Eminem the Highest debut for any artist in 2010—big feet for any artist of any caliber.
With all the accolades Mr. Mathers is receiving lately, it is apparent he knows where his place in music is. And that’s the top, and there he will stay.
Also, see: https://csmsmagazine.org/kid-cuid-the-man-in-the-moon/
I agree with you, Stacy. This piece is definitely a good one. Keep it up, Junior!!!!
It is a very nice piece about this particular artist. Although I am not into music, but I like to read about young artists. Any way I like it Junior. Write more that will make me read more.