The Complete Guide to Eminem's 'Marshall Mathers LP 2'
UPDATE (11/1): You can now stream the full Marshall Mathers LP 2 on iTunes. Click here to listen.
With only two weeks to go until the release of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP 2, the Detroit rapper has made moves both traditional and unique in promoting and teasing his eighth LP. For his first effort since 2010's underwhelming Recovery, Em is prepping a sequel to his 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP. While we impatiently await for the album to drop November 5 (and see the results of Em's Top 40 battle against Kanye West for No. 1 video), here's your complete guide to the album.
The Buildup
Eminem first announced the album in May 2012 and dropped hints about working on it for the rest of the year. In February of this year, Em's longtime manager Paul Rosenberg told Billboard that the album would be released "after Memorial Day." MTV, XXL and Complex all named the album to their Most Anticipated Albums of 2013 list.
The rapper made a few, er, interesting moves to promote the upcoming release. In August, he joined Instagram just to flip you off. One month later, he was the featured guest during the Michigan-Notre Dame halftime show and appeared uncomfortable and awkward with hosts Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musberger (or it was just master trolling...?).
The Music
Judging from the three songs already released—"Berzerk," "Survival" and "Rap God"—Eminem is going back to his aggressive roots, forsaking ornate production in favor of Rick Rubin-produced hard drums and electric guitars. Rather than telling descriptive stories (both fantastical and autobiographical), Em packs his verses with rapid-fire flows, stuffing each song with lyrics that need to be listened to multiple times for full comprehension.
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