Why Eminem was forced into a new style of songwriting
Since he emerged onto the rap scene in the late 1990s, Eminem has certainly made a voice for himself. Often utilising an angrier rap style in his earlier days to go with the angry lyrics of his earlier work, the rap legend has now explored many different genres.
You wouldn’t think that an artist with such a prolific catalogue would struggle to pen a song, but Eminem has revealed the one thing that has hindered his songwriting process – exhausting every genre. Yes, that’s right. In a 2022 interview with XXL Mag, Eminem spoke about his battle with addiction and how he feels about writing now.
“My writing process is different now than it was back in the day. It used to be, give me whatever piece of paper is laying around and I’m going to write some ideas down,” the rapper shared. “Sometimes I wish I could have that freedom back. At the beginning of my career, I had this whole canvas that I could paint on. ‘I haven’t made a song about this, this, this. I can make a song about this.’ The more you paint on that canvas, all of the sudden, you’ve made a song about every single thing you can f*ckin’ possibly think of. So, I start getting in my head.”
Eminem went on to discuss how he feels about putting out albums that are well-loved versus being remembered as a great rapper, stating, “If I had a choice… I’d rather be the best rapper. That’s how I rap, to be the best rapper. Obviously, all of that is subjective, and everybody’s got their favourite rappers, but in my head, I would rather do that than just make good songs.
His wish to be known as a great rapper rather than only as a solid songwriter isn’t just wishful thinking, either. Eminem also told XXL about why he continues to stay in the game and release rap music despite not needing to at this point in his career.
“I want to do things that nobody from this point on can ever top. Rap to a level that no one else could get to…I don’t have to make albums. I don’t have to do anything at this point. It’s about wanting to, and that’s never changed for me no matter what level the fame’s gotten to. I still love to rap. It’s always been the most important thing to me. I still have fun writing.”
Though he is open about enjoying his chosen career and his competitive nature, Eminem went on to acknowledge that the ever-moving and shifting nature of the rap industry is what motivates him to stay on top of everything. In his words, “the minute you sleep, someone’s coming to take your head off. That’s what I’ve always loved about rap. It’s always evolving, and to succeed you need to be constantly aware of that and keep up with it.
An artist who has never been afraid to express himself, it seems that Eminem doesn’t mind being forced to explore new songwriting styles or topic at all – if anything, the prolific rapper appears to be embracing the change.