As fans (and critics) continue to dissect Eminem’s ninth studio album, Revival, the man behind the 19-track effort also has his own analytical thoughts on his most recent work. In a new interview with NPR, the “Rap God” mastermind opened up about the concepts behind some of the album’s songs and ruminated on his future in the music business. Mostly, he explains why he’s upset with America, and how the album art and title ties into that mindset.
“The title just kind of made sense with everything that the album was about, and as the songs started coming together, it started making more and more sense to call it that,” he explains. “The cover is me with my head down, because as much as I love our country, we got shit that we gotta work on. We got shit that we gotta get better at. It’s kinda like, I love our country; I’m upset with it right now.”
“It’s something that’s been building for a while,” he adds. “Watching the Trump thing has been … frustrating.”
Em’s made his dissatisfaction with Trump clear with shots in “Election Day” and Big Sean’s “No Favors” before eviscerating him in a scathing freestyle at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards in October. It’s a topic he unapologetically revisits throughout the album, making it clear the 45-year-old has been paying attention.
“Just watching how this unfolds and watching what happened with Obama and watching all the steps we took forward … it feels like we’ve taken just as many steps backwards as we had forward and we’re right back to where the fuck we were,” he says. “In the very beginning, I kind of felt like, ‘You know what, why not? He seems like a smart businessman. Maybe he can help with the deficit or whatever.'”
“And then I start hearing him talk,” he continues. “And the more he talks, the more his true colors are showing. I was watching the thing live when he was saying, ‘When Mexico sends their people, they don’t send their best, they’re sending rapists and murderers.’ And looking at it like, ‘Yo … is he? He can’t say that.'”
While Revival is filled with political rhetoric, it dives into his personal life as well. The song “Castle” focuses on a 2007 drug overdose that almost killed him and how it affected his children. Toward the end of the song, he spits a line about being “fed up” with the music business.
“I’m at a funny place, you know?” he says. “Hip Hop has been around for a long time but I don’t know if it’s really been around long enough to see how long someone could actually go for. You’ve still got guys like me and JAY-Z. Redman still has it, to me. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, but I’m still passionate about music, and Hip Hop.”
We liked you better when you were on drugs Em
Hey everybody i would like it if you were dead get off his nuts
I’m a huge Eminem fan, I hope this isn’t his last project. I wish we had some of these flows over more Dr. Dre beats like on Relapse (minus the accents). I’m grateful for the music, it might not be the same as it used to be but at least he’s still releasing stuff that still shits on today’s rap like anyone named Lil’ something or Migos! It might not be the same but at least he’s still doing it. If you don’t like it then move on to another artist…
This is my sentiments 150%. I hope that Em can get one more run out of Dr Dre. Hell Id even take the accents just to get those beats once more… and the only Lil I want to see featured is Wayne. Give us a track with Royce, Obie Trice, 50 cent… Kendrick… Redman… please Em- 1 more true rap album. There is supposedly like 400+ detox beats that just got scrapped so
Obama may have taken 1 step forward for black people, but took 3 steps back for America. If people really did some research they would see trumps making good moves for America. Best song on the album was framed which sounds like it’s off relapse.
Don’t just leave an ignorant comment without explaining yourself intelligently. That’s what Trump does.
Ok well i will elaborate then he allowrd illegals access to vote which is fucking disgusting that someome whos not a legal citizen can influence our politics you would be imprisoned in mexico for that sorta shit for one thing then DACA was awesome like our schools arent already under funded and understaffed but lets bring in as many illegao children who dont speak our native language nor have their parents or any ancestors paid TAXES to pay for that schooling 3rd thing it was AMAZING watching our defict TRIPLE under obamas 8 years and our GDP plummet due to all these humanist efforts with no returns and healthcare.gov was amazing too and taxing people who refuse to attain healthcare even if they hadnt been to hospital in 5+years also it was awesomr watching what was it $800,000,000 being night dropped in iran under the cover of darkness cant even IMAGINE what that money went towards oh and not to mention disrespecting and devaluing every christian catholic group in the unite states which is our largest religious demograpgic in the name of ALAH and OH didnt $7 TRILLION just suddenly go missing and he and his staff just shrugged their shoulders to it? Oh yeo of course and dear god we better not even mention benghazi or libya he will be remembered as one of the worst presidents to come for a long time
I said “intelligently”. None of what you said are facts AT ALL, more of a pointed rant. And what is America’s “native” language exactly? If you aren’t indigenous to the actual natives of this land you should probably shut that shit up. Having seen some of your past posts, none of what you said is surprising.
Lmao thats the problem with dumb fuckers like you blind as shit to facts how is this shit not true when the #’s behind it are and pretty much everything i stated made it to the news and to the public see thats why people like you live outa your mommies basement making under $30K a year now keep doing what your good at nothin
And FYI the america i was speaking of is the united states and its been a country since 1776 and it was founded on english dumb fuck i dont give a fuck about dead native american languages from over 200+ years ago nor do their own tribes go ask them for yourself considering not even 5% living native americans can even speak or write their native tribal languages fluently god damn you little social justice warriors are some of the dumbest fuckers on the planet dont matter if its fact or not as long as you agree with it doesnt make it fact dumb fucker sometimes the truth sucks sorta like your broke ass life
What step did he take for black people??
Americas more upset with eminem than he is them pussy
Everybody talks about how Em need Dre back. Yeah I’d take that but he really needs the Bass Brothers back. If you look at most of Em’s best songs they were produced by the Bass Brothers not Dre. And the problem with Revival isn’t just that it’s pop trash but some of the tracks are absolutely horrible. Walk on Water, Untouchable, Remind Me, Nowhere Fast, Need Me, and In Your Head are some of the worst tracks I have ever heard in my life. That’s 6 of 19 tracks (more like 17 with two skits). Not sure why Em can’t lockdown either a Bass Brothers/Dre joint OR just get ONE dope hip hop producer on the deck. Premo, Yeezy, RZA, or newer cats like Mike Will, Zaytoven, Metro Boomin, Mike Dean… anyone besides Rubin, Alex Da Kid, and fucking himself.
Em himself produced Believe which is dope and he had Fredwreck on Framed. Dont know if you know Fredwreck but he is a DOPE prosucer as the best beat on the album shows. Agree about alex da kid and Rick Rubin though, even tho he did good on Arose.
I’m looking forward to Bad Meets Evil 2…..fuck this pop shit. Royce better get him on PRyme to make up for this record, too.
AWESOME FUCKING ALBUM!
so a guy who makes his living speaking his mind with controversial songs is mad at the man who made it to be president for speaking his mind in the same way, oh the irony , ps the new album is garbage on a lyrical level as well as the topics
em isnt president..if he was he would need to tone down the bullshit. president of our country doesnt need eminem it needs a bernie sanders
Bernie Sanders is communist idiot without an original idea in his head. His policies have been a disaster everywhere that they’ve been implemented/imposed on the planet. He has described Venezuela as a place where the American dream is more apt to be realized.
Yes Eminem has become the cum-bucket for the elite establishment. No lets just skip the whole socialist Sanders agenda, I have no interest in having to resort to eating pets and zoo animals like the starving people in Venezuela.
if he died, wouldn’t even bump his music outta respect. talk about overrated… how much replay value is this new garbage and songs about killing your wife and mother.
he talked about killing his wife like 15 YEARRRRRS ago..em has way different types including eminem show. this 1..ur just an em hater is all
excuse eminem has alot of song other than the one you talked about that has reply value. This new album is shit don’t get it twisted his other stuff is still good,
So Eminem had the forum to discuss why he has such disdain for the President in an interview. This was an opportunity to express the reasons why he is upset, without having to try to make words rhyme. Unfortunately Eminem squanders this opportunity by sounding like an idiot who has no idea what they are standing against. “Watching the Trump thing”… and as for mexico sending drugs, rapists and murderers illegally into the US, there have been multiple instances where illegal immigrants commit these acts and are deported over and over again, some having been deported over 20 times, yet they are still able to come back over and over again. RIP Kate Steinle
STFU .. there are more pus*y white murderers and rapists born here than there are murdering immigrants dumbass .. go dance your polkas white bitc*h
Um, most violent criminals in this country are black, idiot.
Wrong. If there weren’t inefficient, illegal, and unjust police practices happening all over the country as the DOJ has pointed, those numbers you love to hide behind would paint a different picture.
I was talking about illegal immigrants… but thank you for voicing you racist anti-white opinion. And Mr. Sauce if what you say is true, why is it such a small percentage of the U.S. population that makes up the majority of violent crimes commited?
Refer to DOJ reports regarding illegal and unethical police practices to find your answer. If you haven’t been keeping up, do your best to get caught up.
FBI crime statistics? I couldn’t find any info on the DOJ debunking the FBI’s crime statistics….where do i get this info? buzzfeed?
Bruh, go to the DOJ website. You will find more than enough reading material on investigations into PD’s across the nation.
Don’t forget those j-o,b numbers brothers, african american u;ne’m.p,lo-y,m.e’n_t has hit a 17 year low under the America First policies of the Don, & hispanic u_n.e,m.p,l.o,y’m’e;n.t is the lowest it has ever been on record. As promised during his campaign, he is working to fix the INNER CITIES (where the majority of the African American population reside), which many candidates didn’t even bother to mention. Oh and overall u;n/e.m,p’l;o[y_m,e.nt has hit a 14 year low, how bout dem’ apples? Viva El Trump!
He should be mad for spending the last 10 years trying to make kids and pop fans happy over and over again. He should have just been happy with the one hit with RIRI and went back to the roots. Instead he tries to do it over and over again, then he lost all his original fans well the ones that are smart. He is just left with pop fans that are always looking for the next new thing. Politics wise I don’t know how anybody ever took Trump serious, or why they insisted on running Clinton instead of Sanders. Best thing to happen to corporate DEMS and REPUBS is Trump because after him they will be glad for another Obama or Bush.
Que the baby crying noise
Poor washed up wannabe pop star millionaire. Your fans ant Hip-Hop. Not Pop. Queer.