Godzilla

Is Godzilla a “classic”?

I love the theme of becoming a monster when drunk or under the influence. However, it feels like this theme was somewhat abandoned after the first verse moving into the 2nd and 3rd. Later on, he is calling himself a monster for his lyrical abilities and how no one is safe from being ripped into lyrically if they step to him. This kind of content is not surprising as Em has been heavily influenced by battle-rapping.

I would have liked to see a bit more cohesiveness either by changing the chorus to match the battle-rap style verses or by changing the verses to be more centered on the change that occurs by perhaps focusing on the before and after. Perhaps Juice WRLD’s verse would have given this song the cohesiveness I was looking for. Overall I think the song is a great lyrical flex, but won’t be a classic of his due to its lack of cohesive thematic content.

Eminem doesn't breathe guys this guy is an immortal

“Shady’s back! Back again!” Last Friday, we got the release of a surprise Eminem album entitled Music to be Murdered By. The cover and theme draw on the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Dare I say, this is one of the best releases we’ve gotten from Eminem in years. There is crisp and interesting production that coincides well with Em’s brash, quick flow. Lyrically Em is back to form with potent wordplay and double entendres.

One of the best songs on the release is the track “Godzilla,” which featured the late JuiceWRLD. The track is a great example of the album overall. The production is hard-hitting yet light, allowing Em to float on top of the best with ease. He uses classic, fast-Eminem flow, rapping at lightning speed with skill and dexterity that only Em can deliver. You will likely have to look up the lyrics to see what he’s actually saying due to the speed at which he’s rapping.

Content-wise, it’s a classic “flex” song. Em is bragging about his lyrical skill and proclaiming himself to be a “monster” at what he does. Juice WRLD chimes in with a great, catchy, melodic hook that really brings you in and reminds you why he will be so missed.

There are also moments where Em explores the “monsters” within himself. He says, “I’m beginning to feel like I’m mentally ill.” It’s a small glimpse into the mind of a man who has made a career of being controversial and a shock-master. All in all, it’s a great track and a welcome return from one of the best to ever do it.

With his latest release, Eminem is determined to remind everyone what he’s capable of. A solid collection of his signature style of quick, rapid-fire lyrics over a selection of impressive beats, “Music to be Murdered By” is wrapped up neatly in a themed homage to Alfred Hitchcock; this is a refreshing return to form for the lyrical speedster. What really elevates the album, however, are the wonderfully eclectic features. Current artists like Anderson Pak and Ed Sheeran bring an intriguing balance of talent and style to an already impressive offering.

The stand out performance comes in the form of “Godzilla,” an energetic title that comes into play a little over one third into the album. It features a surprising collaboration with the late Juice Wrld, a talented singer, rapper, and songwriter who sadly passed away last December unexpectedly. His contribution on “Godzilla” comes in the form of a smooth, catchy chorus that successfully breaks up the machine-gun style with which Eminem delivers his verses. It is unfortunate that Juice Wrld only had a chance to write and record the chorus, as we are left without a featured verse as well, but it could be argued that “less is more” here and the song achieves a satisfying balance by switching back and forth between Eminem’s fast verses (especially the final verse, which unfurls into a predictable yet no less enjoyable blur of tight rhymes) and Juice’s smooth, perfectly enunciated chorus. Whether you consider this a rewarding blend of old and new styles or you can’t help but think it unfinished with the glaring omission of a Juice Wrld verse, there is no denying this is a labor of love from all parties involved. Juice Wrld has listed Eminem as one of his greatest musical inspirations, so hearing them together on a track is a rewarding moment. So long as Eminem continues to attract up-and-coming talent like this and give them a platform to show off their skills on the mic, he will remain not only relevant but an icon of the rap and hip-hop community.

In Godzilla, Eminem's fierce verses outshine a waterlogged chorus...until they don't.

Eminem's flow is intact, but what does he have left to rap about? His old motivations — being broke, being doubted, a crazy baby mama, a crazy actual mom — have long been run into the ground. He's come back. Fallen down. Dried out. Come back again. His best moment of the last decade wasn't even on a recorded song. youtube.com/watch

In a standout moment of the first verse of Godzilla, Eminem has a sly slant rhyme with "hydroxy cut" and "Courvoisier". It's the kind of rubbery wordplay that exemplifies his peaks, and highlights a verse full of energetic — if somewhat generic — hip-hop chest thumping. Not necessarily a terrible thing, but the scene he paints is more bark than bite.

Percussive and playful, the first two verses could have been lifted by a stronger hook, but instead feel truncated by the lazy, soggy chorus by Juice WRLD (RIP). There are the sonics: Juice WRLD sounds bored, entitled and soupy. And then there's the meta: The song is called Godzilla, but the word "Monster" is featured much more predominantly throughout. Didn't Eminem already have a megasmash with a song literally called "The Monster" in 2013? Why are we doing this again? Is this the sound of a lizard eating its own tail?

In the third verse Eminem offers a changeup flow, but his subject matter is rote before devolving into a masturbatory, vaguely defiant, world salad.

Conclusion: while either of Eminem's first two verses would have been a strong feat. on someone else's song, this track never coalesces into a cohesive piece. Godzilla the creature is the king of monsters, destroyer of cities. Godzilla the song huffs and puffs, but ultimately runs out of breath before doing any real damage.