Eminem performs " at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 13, 2011.Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Rap God
By Eminem, from the forthcoming The Marshall Mathers LP 2; streaming here
There but for the grace of rap goes Eminem. On his latest single, the severe Detroit rapper follows Kanye West's Yeezus lead, offering his own self-deifying persona in a field where lofty self-confidence is just part of the game.
Lyrics are homophobic, gun-loving, genre-referring and showboat-y – again, routine rap-o-drama. Monica Lewinsky's nightmare continues with a throwback to her Oval Office infamy, and a rapid-firing Eminem generally proves his boasts about acrobatic lyrical stunts.
He sees himself as honest, but also "as rude and as indecent as all hell." Does he speak the truth there? Oh god, yes.
Brad Wheeler