Eminem Needs To Deliver His ‘Logan’
Despite decreased demand after two underwhelming projects, Wolverine’s movie franchise rebounded in a major way this year. Here’s how his Hip-Hop equivalent can do the same.
Eminem and Wolverine. On face value, these are two of the most dynamic characters in their respective eclectic universes. In the right setting, they’re caring sweethearts, who express themselves with tough love. In the wrong setting, they’re savage beasts, who destroy competition with God-given abilities normal people will never understand. They resent their gifts, but know others rely on them, so they continue to fight the good fight.
With news coming out that Eminem’s ninth studio album is reportedly in the 11th hour, fans questioning whether or not Hip-Hop’s great white hype can regain his credibility among the masses should look no further than his comic book counterpart.
Below, we delve into how these two pop culture icons have had nearly identical creative paths over the past few releases, with fan reception having waned as a result of underwhelming output and in favor of more colorful contemporaries. Then, we’ll discuss how Logan’s uninhibited level up earlier this year should be the blueprint to a successful final push for Slim Shady.
Act 1: Turning The Page For A New Decade
Recovery was Eminem’s first grown up album. The 2010 release was the veteran Detroit MC’s return from an extended, drug-tinged hiatus that almost took his life and rightfully brought out his more serious side. Marshall’s 7th album went on to win the Grammy for Rap Album Of The Year and was maybe his most personal to date. But, the project ironically lacked the personality of his previous work. He was more somber than ever, reflecting on himself in a tamed manner we’d never heard, but the witty pizazz that made his first four albums classics was nowhere to be seen.
When X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit theaters in 2009, diehards who waited decades for a solo Wolvie movie expected Sony to do wonders with Marvel’s baddest mutant, driving home the face of their big ticket franchise with a top notch action thriller. Instead, the fumbled spin-off offered a dumbed down version of Weapon X’s backstory to meet PG-13 audiences. The film literally cut away from any should-be violence the clawed character had to offer and muted the would-be outspoken superstar villain Deadpool.
In the case of both Recovery and Origins: Wolverine, subdued writing prevented the most engaging aspects of the movie from truly shining.
Act 2: Reflecting For Success In 2013
After mixed reviews of both projects in the rearview, both characters returned in 2013 with even more hype, as fans expected a rebound of sorts from each respective franchise.
For Eminem, Marhsall Mathers LP 2 wasn’t the answer. While his 8th album had some interesting moments and did well commercially, the reworked version of his untouchable classic ultimately didn’t add value to his legacy — for various reasons. The expectations were way too high, based on the title alone. Sonically, the album reached back to a traditional Hip-Hop approach in the middle of a rap renaissance, ultimately not connecting with anyone outside Em’s core audience. Most significantly, Em’s post-”Forever” flow eventually wore thin, making each song feel overdone with more listens.
The story wasn’t much different with The Wolverine. While the film had a few great scenes and a cool foreign storyline to back up Wolvie’s comic backstory, the film ultimately had no oomph. The action felt minimal, especially after Avengers dropped the year prior. Character development felt situational. Worst of all, the climax and main villain were way over the top.
In the case of Marshall Mathers 2 and The Wolverine, both projects coasted on a brand name and known backstory, but neither managed to be innovative enough to raise the bar on their influence.
Still, both projects saw massive commercial success, with The Wolverine snagging $132,550,96 in gross US revenue and Marshall’s most recent album earning a few Grammies en route to selling 3.8 million copies, during an industry dry spell. Not surprisingly, those successful bottom lines led to green lights for each name brand, moving forward.
Act 3: Coming Of Age In 2017
Last year, rumors began swirling that a final Hugh Jackman-featured Wolverine movie was not only in the works, but it would be rated R. Fans salty from the previous two films immediately began knocking on wood.
When Logan finally hit theaters earlier this year in March, the jaded franchise offered a gory and glorious finale that blatantly distanced itself from prior films. Visually, nothing was dumbed down at all, with the adult-oriented rating letting the character finally flourish in the bloody, ravenous ways that made his adamantium claws memorable in the comics. Story-wise, all previous narratives were altered to offer the best script possible. There was no more looking back at the character’s past, instead exploring a new perspective by offering a bleak and futuristic take on the former X-Man, allowing Wolvie’s jaded growth to unfold organically. New characters were even offered to steal the show — in X-23 and The Reavers, letting fans know the best fighters can’t stay atop the hill forever.
Director James Mangold’s last installment of the Wolverine franchise was dark, natural and immediately blew up the box office. Most importantly, the borderline gory film finally met expectations, drawing praise from fans from finally using the character’s sweetheart savagery properly and critical acclaim for being the most realistic Marvel movie to date.
In Eminem’s case, well…he needs to drop his Logan.
People don’t want the uptight, overthought and over-budget Eminem we’ve gotten to know the last two albums. Fans want the guy who had no “Guilty Conscience” about dropping a back and forth story record as a single. The guy who vented about his shattered love life by unabashedly verbally murdering his baby momma, “Kim.” The guy who blatantly addressed his pigment privilege on “White America.” The guy who put a “Nail in the Coffin” of his enemies, for good. Fans want uninhibited Eminem, who doesn’t view his career from a bubble or appeal to label heads. They want reckless abandon, delivered via clever and confident concept tracks with an edge. Hell, after a career of ups and downs for one of the most engaging characters the medium has ever seen, fans deserve a true final act from their anti-hero. Not some PG-13 version of him.
To make that a reality, Slim Shady’s ninth studio album needs to start by avoiding the status quo. No melodic, 808-laced singles. No Lil Wayne feature. No Ty Dolla $ign hook. Hell, we don’t even need the 4:44 grown version of Marshall. The project should offer eye-popping story songs, gut-punching reality raps, timely opinions, growth with consequence, and a delivery his fans are accustomed to. Sonically, Dre production is great, but Mr. Porter can cook too. As soon as Em removes external expectations, he should find his back against the wall comfort zone that made him great. Then, watch his creative freedom fly in the wind.
No matter how Eminem’s new project unfolds, his next chapter will inevitably be successful. He’s a name brand who sells and always will, for better or worse. The true test will be whether Em can deliver a project that actually shows he’s capable of actually taking his career to the next level — without sacrificing the edge that makes him great.
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