Yet with the release of Eminem’s latest offering SHADYXV—also marking 15 years of his record company Shady Records—it’s become clear that while the rapper’s lyrical abilities and technical prowess have only grown stronger, he’s become a worse artist. One worthy of criticism.



Writers have noted this gradual decline for years. Last year’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 (while successful commercially to the tune of 792,000 copies sold in its first week) received polarizing reviews, some of which argued that Eminem had run out of things to talk about. That charge may be partly correct: Eminem’s earlier habit of mercilessly lampooning turn-of-the-millennium pop culture was refreshing at the time. The shtick has since turned stale, but even so, the continued rehashing of old topics in of itself is not what aged him. The Detroit native has always balanced the satirical serial-killer persona with insightful cultural criticism. Eminem is who he is, sometimes to a fault. He rapped about rape at age 26 the same way he does now at 42—most recently on the track “Vegas,” which was then blasted by lyrical target Iggy Azelea.

The misogynistic content on his albums has been a polarizing issue throughout Eminem’s entire career. One side points to the idea of artistic license, noting how his outlandish demeanor brought him much of his early success. But there’s something to be said for how societal progress should shape artistic endeavors. Molly Lambert of Grantland postulates that Eminem’s sheer obliviousness to the world around him comes across “as if he’s been frozen in amber for the last decade while the world has changed around him.” And she’s right: While he’s claimed in his interviews that he does not in fact have any explicit anti-gay or misogynistic agenda, his lyrics, however satirical or non-serious, can feel at odds with the evolving sensibilities of his audience. Still, while his lack of social awareness is up for debate, it’s never been a deal-breaker for a lot of fans, since controversy is such a core part of the Eminem ethos.

But on ShadyXV, longtime listeners may notice a seemingly subtler sign of how the rapper has changed for the worse: by trading in his once-harmonic and methodical rapping approach for a hectic and increasingly complex one.

The new album’s track listing, which contains both new songs and old classics, makes explicit the big difference between the Eminem of the past and present. Take the previously unreleased demo version of what would become his magnum opus “Lose Yourself.” The lyrics lack the impact of the finished version, but the track offers a rare 2014 look at Eminem in his prime. It’s a throwback to a time when his rapping cadence wasn’t rooted in double time, but when he flowed on a beat slowly and cautiously, doling out melodic barbs with his trademark charisma.