Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2 - All 15 Tracks Analysed

13. Love Game

It is interesting to note, first of all, that Kendrick Lamar is the only rapper to appear on the album alongisde Eminem - all of the other guests on the album are singers, brought in to offer their services on a track's hook. That said, 'Love Game' isn't exactly what you would expect, given the two artists involved, and comes across as the album's most experimental offering. Like with 'Berzerk' earlier on the album, the track is a very obvious attempt to pay tribute to retro hip hop. Making use of a Wayne Fontana sample, 'Game of Love', it is unusual on first listen, perhaps even downright confusing, but it grows on you with repeat visits. Lamar's verse is decent, while Eminem produces one of his most impassioned vocal performances on the entire record. Regardless of whether or not it fully succeeds at what they were hoping to achieve, it is pleasing to hear an attempt at something which is, once again, genuinely different.

14. Headlights

If there is one topic Eminem has covered to death over the years, it is his relationship with his mother. Let's be honest, it has been covered to the point where we are all a little bit sick of it, right? So it comes as some relief when, in another demonstration of apparent maturity, he finally buries the hatchet with her here, confessing that he went into previous tracks not really caring about who he hurt, before admitting: "You're still beautiful to me, 'cause you're my mom." It also features Nate Ruess, from the band Fun, on the hook, but in reality it is one of the album's more skippable tracks.

15. Evil Twin

The album closes in much the same way that it opened, with one of its highlights, in which Eminem once again showcases his infamous Slim Shady alter-ego. In it, he demonstrates yet more of the self-awareness which stands out so strongly in the collection, this time by referencing his attacks on boybands on the original MMLP, as well as his tendency on recent albums to make out-dated pop culture references (of which there have been several on this very album.) "I'm frustrated 'cause ain't no more N*Sync, now I'm all out of whack / I'm all out of Backstreet Boys to call out and attack," he admits. Later, he openly spares both Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga from his verbal onslaught, perhaps showing that he really has matured a little more than people give him credit for. In addition, he takes issue with people who place him in the top 5 greatest rappers of all time, insisting that he is, in actual fact, in the top 4. Where specifically? Well, apparently Eminem and his 'Evil Twin', Slim Shady, occupy the two spots behind Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. Nice.

Conclusion

Despite the flaws on the album, overall it feels like a semi-triumph, not to mention something of a relief, given the comparison it automatically invites with his 2000 masterpiece. While it fails to reach the dizzy heights of the original Marshall Mathers LP, nobody *really* expected it to. MMLP2 is, however, a solid return to form, with occasional moments of genius scattered throughout, and is Eminem's best all-round effort since 'The Eminem Show' more than ten years ago. Realistically, that's all that any fan was hoping for and more than enough to be satisfied with.