At this point in his career, it’s hard to pick the best song in Eminem’s discography. He has so many. From “The Real Slim Shady” to “Guilty Conscience” to “Stan” to “The Way I Am” to “Lose Yourself” to “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” to “When I’m Gone” to “Beautiful” to “Not Afraid,” the Detroit rapper’s got enough great songs to put out a three-disc “Greatest Hits” collection. And they all represent something different. They’re funny. Silly. Deep. Inspiring. Gross. Dark. Scary. Hilarious. So, seriously: How do you pick just one song and call it his best?
But when it comes to most important, the list gets noticeably shorter. While songs like “The Real Slim Shady,” “Guilty Conscience,” and even “The Way I Am” helped introduce us to Em and his I-just-don’t-give-a-f*ck style of rapping, they didn’t change our attitudes about things going on in the world. Neither did other songs that touched on his persistent problems with drug addiction, his hatred for his mother and his ex-wife Kim, and his struggles to find respect as a white MC. They all entertained the hell out of us, but again, they didn’t exactly change life as we know it.
Fortunately, Eminem continues to surprise us. If you haven’t heard it by now, his latest album, Recovery, leaked to the Internet last week. Filled with aggressive punchlines and a more clear-minded approach to rapping on Em’s part, the disc is everything the world hoped 2009’s Relapse would be. After finally ditching the annoying accents he adopted on that album, Em proves he can still command a microphone and outspit just about anyone on the face of the planet. But he also shows that he’s matured as an MC and does something that he’s never done before—made a song that transcends Eminem fans (and any other rap fans, for that matter) and touches on a topic that everyone out there, even those who once hated him, will be able to appreciate.
The song is called “Love The Way You Lie” and it features Rihanna. On the song, Rihanna starts by singing, “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, well, that’s alright because I like the way it hurts/Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, well, that’s alright because I love the way you lie.” From there, Em raps three verses which provide the details of a troubled relationship. There’s arguing, domestic violence, apologies and (eventually) a resolution that those within these types of romantic relationships are probably all too familiar with. Despite the subject matter, Em doesn’t pull any punches (no pun intended, obviously) and does a nice job of driving home the point that domestic violence is a vicious cycle.
The reason it works, though—and the reason I’d say “Love The Way You Lie” is Em’s most important track to date—is that he sends a clear message about domestic violence without making it so blatant that you’re forced to hit the “Next Track” button. It’s as if Em and Rih-Rih have tricked us into thinking about domestic violence in our society. There’s no intro or outro with Em addressing the subject matter. There’s no bridge where Rihanna breaks down in tears and sings her heart out. They just let the song speak for itself.
That Em practically made a living off rapping about domestic violence in the past (“KIM,” anyone?) only makes it that much stronger. It gives a lot of those older tracks purpose, almost as if they’ve set Em up to make a statement on domestic violence today without it seeming corny or over-the-top. It’s as if he’s saying, “Here’s all the twisted thoughts that go through the mind of someone that batters a female—are you sure this is what you want? And are you sure that you’re ready to go through this over…and over…and over again if it is?”
By adding Rihanna—who struggled through domestic violence with her former boyfriend Chris Brown—the song becomes more believable, too. It’s the type of track that will do more than just become a hit on the radio. It’ll give girls (and guys) in troubled relationships something to think about. It’ll get played at schools and shelters and on the radio and generate discussion. It’ll make a difference.
“Love The Way You Lie” may not be Em’s best song of all-time. It not may feature him taking shots at pop stars, raging against the machine or giving the middle finger to the rest of the world. It may not dazzle you with wordplay or make you want to stand in front of the mirror and rap every word. But when it comes to his legacy, it very well may go down as the most socially important track of Eminem’s career. Of course, only time will tell. But for now: I love what “Love The Way You Lie” says about how far Em has come.
Source:drjays
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