Eminem released a recond surprise album titled ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ following his first surprise album release ‘Kamikaze’ in 2018. Despite many rumours surfacing about a possible new album by Eminem, neither the rapper nor his camp confirmed any rumours. The Rap God has been busy, and this is evident by the mammoth tracklist released with this new 2020 album.
‘Music to Be Murdered By’ is Eminem’s eleventh studio album, released on January 17, 2020.
Album Cover
Much like Eminem’s weird imagination, the album cover to his new album is bizarre, to say the least. The immediate feature we notice is the portrait of Eminem dressed in a full suit with an odd object in his hand, a worn-out shovel. We guess it is not so odd, because Eminem has been using this metaphorical shovel to bury his rivals since the day he first held a mic. Now, he is just a professional about this matter that he could wear a full suit and not have dirty on his clothes while doing it.
The album title text resembles classic horror movie styles, and the more interesting part is the gruesome drops of blood crawling down the album cover. We know Eminem has some murderous intentions with this album.
Another interesting fact is that the album cover mentions ‘Slim Shady’ instead of Eminem. Makes us wonder if this album is a reincarnation of Slim Shady. Well, you all asked for him!
What Has Eminem Said About the Album
One week after the album release, Slim Shady took to his social media to explain the ideology behind the album;
This album was not made for the squeamish. If you are easily offended or unnerved at the screams of bloody murder, this may not be the collection for you. Certain selections have been designed to shock the conscience, which may cause positive action. Unfortunately, darkness has truly fallen upon us.
So you see, murder in this isntance isn’t always literal, nor pleasant. These bars are only meant for the sharpest knives in the drawer. For the victims of this album, may you rest peacefully. For the rest of you, please listen more closely next time.
Goodnight!
With deepest sympathy,
Slim Shady
Tracklist of ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ by Eminem
The massive 20-track album comes as a double album, and rightly so. The two-part album, each consisting of 10 tracks, have their own introductory songs.
- Premonition (Intro)
- Unaccommodating (Ft. Young M.A)
- You Gon’ Learn (Ft. Royce da 5’9” & White Gold)
- Alfred (Interlude)
- Those Kinda Nights (Ft. Ed Sheeran)
- In Too Deep
- Godzilla (Ft. Juice WRLD)
- Darkness
- Leaving Heaven (Ft. Skylar Grey)
- Yah Yah (Ft. Black Thought, dEnAun, Q-Tip & Royce da 5’9”)
- Stepdad (Intro)
- Stepdad
- Marsh
- Never Love Again
- Little Engine
- Lock It Up (Ft. Anderson .Paak)
- Farewell
- No Regrets (Ft. Don Toliver)
- I Will (Ft. Joell Ortiz, KXNG Crooked & Royce da 5’9”)
- Alfred (Outro)
There are several notable features artists on the album such as Royce da 5’9″, Anderson .Paak, Skylar Grey, Ed Sheeran, Young M.A, and the late rapper Juice WRLD. However, the album is missing a rumoured collaboration with 50 Cent.
Buy ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ Album on Apple Music and Amazon
Album Review
Eminem’s ‘Kamikaze’ album focused on addressing his critics. This album addresses a wide range of topics from mass shootings to Eminem’s legacy to depression to his feuds and media.
Songs such as “Unaccommodating” and “Darkness” take on the topics of mass shootings that have pillaged the United States. The music video for the latter song sends out a powerful message on the need for gun control in the States. Eminem recalls the shootings at Ariana Grande’s concert and the Las Vegas shooting in 2017 to jog our memory.
Songs like “In Too Deep” and “Farewell” give us glimpses into Eminem’s romance life, which is an exaggerated term, to begin with. He rages on the ex-girlfriends and possibly his ex-wife Kim, who has turned his life into a living hell.
Eminem’s song “Stepdad” is a brutal address to his stepfather whom he claims was one of the major impacts on Em’s adverse mental health. The physical and verbal violence that his stepfather put Eminem and his mother through, have scarred Eminem for life.
“Farewell” is yet another important track on ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ album by Eminem. In it, Eminem confesses about his drug-abusing habits that almost killed him many years back. Since then, Eminem has been clean and on a yearly basis, we see Eminem’s alcohol and drug-free token. Eminem details about the multiple drugs that he used to drown his pain in, but in the end realized that ‘sanity’ and ‘life’ are worth above it all.
In collaboration with the late rapper Juice WRLD, Eminem released their first-ever work together titled “Godzilla.” In this song, Eminem is breaking his own ‘supersonic speed’ verse on “Rap God.” Eminem spits bars at 7.6 words per second in “Godzilla,” which is an improvement from 6.46 words per second in “Rap God.” Eminem does ripe with age like fine wine!
Let us hear what you think about this album by Eminem by dropping a comment below. What are your favourite songs and lyrics on the album?
Update: 27/01/2020
‘Music to Be Murdered By’ debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 albums chart, making Eminem the first artist in history to have 10 consecutive #1 charting albums.