7. “Infinite” from Infinite
This is the first track from Eminem’s first album, and it drew a lot of criticism because it closely parallels Nas’ style of rhyming. You can definitely hear Nas’ influence on Em at this stage in his career, but I'm reminded of the widely-accepted opinion about the song “Notorious Thugs” on Biggie’s Life After Death when everybody said that Biggie wrecked Bone on their own style. I always thought that was a bit of an overstatement; in fact, I think Eminem came closer to perfecting Nas' style than B.I.G. did to mastering Bone's. This song is pure lyrical wizardry.
6. “My Dad’s Gone Crazy” (3rd verse) from The Eminem Show
Eminem has a knack for making the last verse on all of his albums stick with you - I don't know if he tries to do this on purpose or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does. This verse in particular has always stuck with me because of the first few bars… “My songs can make you cry, take you by surprise at the same time/ then make you dry your eyes with the same rhyme/ See what you’re seeing is a genius at work, which to me isn’t work, so it’s easy to misinterpret it at first…” That’s tough to top as far as opening lines go…
5. “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile Soundtrack
This song gets me crunk, hyphy, amped, whatever you wanna call it; I love it conceptually, lyrically and musically. It’s the story of Marshall Mathers and Eminem rolled into one, similar to the entire concept of 8 Mile the movie. Just like the character of B. Rabbit, Eminem shows his vulnerability and insecurity when describing his life before becoming famous, but ultimately his drive, killer instinct, and love for hip-hop helped transform those would-be weak points to his primary tools for successful song-writing and relating to his fan base.
4. “I’m Back” from The Marshall Mathers LP
This song includes all sides of Em’s on-the-mic personality – the cutthroat battle rapping, the grotesque and violent imagery, the candid and inappropriate teasing of other celebrities, just any and everything that his imagination can conjure. Yet every line is carefully crafted with a high-level of lyrical skill and cleverness.
3. “Til I Collapse” from The Eminem Show
If there was ever any doubt that Eminem had the utmost respect of his peers in the rap game, I feel like it should’ve disappeared once this song was heard. The beat has that epic feel to it, like the apocalypse is about to come, and Em plays the role of the 4th Horseman. He lists (in order) his favorite rappers while simultaneously shooting the middle finger at any haters, whether they be rapper or critic, who choose to slander his name.
2. “Renegade” (his 1st verse, 2nd on the song) from Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint
Nas was the first person to say it publicly, but we were all thinking it. Yes, Eminem clearly murdered Jigga on his own sh!t. But it’s not surprising because the concept of the song is more suited for Slim Shady than Jay, in my opinion. Em's best conceptual writing is done with him as the underdog, and in this song he retorts against an American society who has labeled him the bad guy rather than taking responsibility for our own lives and children. Artistic freedom of speech at its finest (and most scathing).
1. “Stan” from The Marshall Mathers LP
These verses, this story, is one of the most compelling rap stories ever recorded. I almost want to call it the greatest, but I won't because I don't believe in devaluing thoughtful storytelling through the imposed objectivity of rankings. But the beauty of the story combined with Shady's unique ability to tell it so masterfully and with such ease of expression REALLY tempts me to want to say it is the best story ever told on wax. I'll just say this: there isn't a better one. This solidified Eminem's place in the history of not just hip-hop, but music in general.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyHwM8WP0Z4
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