Re: Eminem Settles Into The Good Life
Australian Sunday Telegraph: Eminem settles into the good life
Eminem settles into the good life
April 25, 2004
RAPPER 50 Cent knows the score. When Eminem finally drops his long-awaited new solo record later this year, 50 Cent will run for cover. "My advice to myself, and all others, is to let Em's release date go by and, after that, we can all come out comfortably," he said, laughing. "Nothing is safe when that time comes around. Em is dropping a bomb." 50 Cent should know. He has heard tracks from the new Eminem record. "It's very different," he told Inside Entertainment magazine. "It's still Em rapping, but the concepts and things he talks about are somewhere else. He has gone in another direction."Ondre Moore, of D12, says the hip-hop superstar, born Marshall Mathers, has taken the last few years to get a life."He always shows growth with each album he brings out," said Moore, who has also heard Eminem's new solo tracks. "This new album shows growth, understanding and the fact that Eminem has paid attention to everything going on around him. "He is doing his thing. The only thing is, this particular thing sounds like it was recorded on Saturn or Pluto." Eminem has no release date in mind for his untitled fourth album for Interscope Records.To date, his three albums for the label have sold 43 million copies worldwide.
Moore and 50 Cent refuse to be drawn on a track listing for Eminem's new album. "All I'm gonna say is: 'Watch out!' " Moore said. 50 Cent said Eminem started working on his new album the day he completed the 8 Mile soundtrack. "Em is all about the music. He is a perfectionist," Moore said. "He won't accept anything else. Em works hard and he doesn't stop. And even then, he can still run circles around anybody in the studio." After the global success of The Eminem Show record and the 8 Mile movie, Eminem, now 31, took his own advice. He vanished, shutting down most of the controversies that dogged him from the start: divorce court, slander suits and weapons charges. He kept his friends close. He spent quality time with the most important person in his life: daughter Hailie Jade, 8. "Em handles things real well, as long as he has people he can trust by his side," Moore said.
Eminem was most upset by recent claims in The Source magazine that he is racist. The magazine cited a 1988 rhyme in which he says, "I don't like the n***** s***/I'm just here to make a bigger hit." Eminem said he was young and naive when he wrote that rap, titled Oh Foolish Heart. But The Source's publisher, David Mays, claims Eminem is a bigot, out to exploit hip-hop."Come on, Eminem is not racist," Moore said. "Everybody in the world knows this. It is common sense. The Source is jealous and mad. They want to be like Eminem and cannot. "But that's when we have to tell Em: 'We know you're bigger than this. Be the bigger man. Be strong.' He appreciates that. Otherwise, he stays in his own zone. He makes music, he raps. When we see him, we shoot pool, go bowling and laugh. "We're his family. We hold each other up. That is what a family is supposed to do." 50 Cent said: "When you blow up, everything changes. There is confusion with becoming successful fast. Eminem went through the same thing. "His advice to me was: 'Create your circle and keep that circle around you close.' " Eminem's time with Hailie has inspired 50 Cent to do better for his son, Marquis, 12. "Hailie thinks Em is a superhero," 50 Cent said. "My son feels the same way about me. Em changed his life for Hailie and I changed my life for my son. "He knows I was out on the street doing certain things, but I stopped because I had responsibilities. I had to take care of him. "I know Em feels the same way about his life. He has changed a lot of things to try and get back to normal." For recording, Eminem divides his time between Detroit and LA. He will work with friend and collaborator Dr Dre on the new album.
Other producers believed to be connected to Eminem's project include Scott Storch and Hi-Tek. Storch has hinted that Dre may be the radical influence behind Eminem's new direction. Storch worked on Dre's now-aborted solo record, Detox. "This will be the most musically advanced hip-hop album ever," Storch said. Moore confirms Dre's desire to smash musical boundaries next year. "Dre ain't changed a bit. He's still supercool," Moore said. "But the things he's doing with Em are different. Dre is still vibing with Em like they always did, but you can see him drilling deep within the brain to get the best result." 50 Cent is signed to Eminem's label, Shady Records. Later this year, he will release the follow-up album to his nine-million-selling debut, Get Rich Or Die Trying. "Em told me the only way to be a true entertainer is to keep everybody guessing," 50 Cent said. "Expect the unexpected." Eminem's solo album is due out later this year. His single with D12, My Band, is just out. The album D12 World will be released tomorrow.
The Sunday Telegraph