Didn't he already kill Slim Shady? Wasn't that was what the end of Encore or something later in that era was about? I'm probably misremembering because it's been ages, but I was a huge fan of Eminem in the 00s. I listened to everything up to and including Encore many many many times. My favorite was the Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP. I liked the much rougher tone of the earlier LP, but nothing can really top the Marshall Mathers LP. The Eminem Show is close behind. I fell off really listening to him around Encore and lost interest completely after Relapse, although I liked Rap God and some other singles from later albums, I haven't listened to the albums in full.
Eminem used to think thirty six was too old to be doing music
How times have changed
He even said in Soldier (and maybe other songs?) it was at 30. I always thought that he was being too hard on himself and 30 was a little early. And it ended up being too early because imo Rap God is some of his best work, and he was in his 40s then.
I also question that it's really age and not just him being out of touch. Hayao Miyazaki is in his 90s and won an Oscar, Akira Toriyama was still putting out content that, in my opinion, ranks among some of his best in his late 50s and early 60s. I'm not much of a music person but I'm sure there are examples there as well.
He's really lost his contrarianism. He could have stayed fresh and relevant if he didn't have to get involved with all of the other mega rich Pedowood faggots in California and adopt all their views and politics. He could have stayed in touch with his original audience, disaffected white youth, if he didn't tell them they were dead to him in 2016, if he started calling out early culture war stuff that was low hanging fruit. There are plenty of comedians and commentators who have remained fresh and edgy for decades, like Ricky Gervais, and Eminem could have fallen into that category of satirical social commenter. With his rap and musical talent, he could have been making fun and relevant music for years.
And as awful as it sounds to say, I think taking substances completely out of the picture does a number on artists, too. Same think with Stephen King. That isn't to say that I think they should destroy their lives with addiction to create more art or something, I just think there should be some middle ground. It's been over a decade, would it really kill them to smoke some weed once in awhile? That's part of a longer rant I have about AA culture and the concept of addiction in America though, where it's this all or nothing thing where if you accidentally get
Anyway, I finally listened to Houdini and it's not good. I won't mind hearing it on the radio once in awhile, but it's just a lamer remix of some of his older stuff with memberberries sprinkled in. I guess Slim Shady was the hero the whole time.
