Another day, another milestone hit by Eminem. This time, we're looking at the seven-year anniversary of The Marshall Mathers LP 2, one of the most divisive albums of his career. For one, it found Em moving further away from the foundation he built alongside Dr. Dre, instead working with the legendary Rick Rubin, who brought a rock-inspired sensibility to the project. While Rubin's production remains a point of contention for some of Em's fanbase, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 wasn't entirely a departure, with songs like the conclusive "Evil Twin" serving as a bloody reminder of Slim Shady's villainy.
A near-six minute clinic of nonstop bars -- essentially a darker companion track of the legendary "Rap God" -- "Evil Twin" provides Slim with a slow-burning and menacing instrumental from Sid Roams. Matching the beat's pace, Em delivers a methodical flow with space for the myriad punchlines to land. Calling back to some of his vintage lyrical content, Em effortlessly weaves between rhyme schemes as he puts his cleverness on display. "Hogger of beats, hoarder of rhymes, borderline genius who's bored of his lines," he spits, as verse one winds to a close. "And that sort of defines where I'm at and the way I feel now / Feel like I might just strike first, then ignore the replies."
On the morning of The Marshall Mathers LP 2's seven-year anniversary, be sure to revisit one of Em's hardest tracks this past decade. Is that an assessment you can get behind?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
I believe people can change but only for the worse
I coulda changed the world if it wasn't for this verse—so satanic
K-Mart chains panic cause they can't even spin back the curse words
Cause they're worse when they're reversed, motherfucker!