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After watching one of Eminem’s latest videos, Love The Way You Lie featuring Rihanna, one would be tempted to answer with a firm “yes”.
A lot of journalists have spilled a lot of ink about the prolific and controversial artist, some with insight, some others showing their plain ignorance of the subject.
Back in the days, Eminem used to say, in a very provocative way: ” I don’t promote violence, I just encourage it.” In fact, it is not the first time that the painful thread of domestic violence appears in Eminem’s music. It goes back to the ‘ 97 Bonnie and Clyde song, taken out of the Slim Shady LP, in which Eminem even involved his little daughter Hailie Jade, 2 and a half years old at the time, making a somber accomplice of her in the dark fictional murder of Kim.
Again, the Kim song from the Marshall Mathers LP depicts violence and murder against Kim.
Then again you see Eminem in Love The Way You Lie acting as a violent man, being involved in rough domestic disputes.
One could easily jump to the conclusion that Marshall Mathers is a violent man in real life and that he probably beat his ex wife up all the time.
However, the attentive listener needs to take some distance from Eminem as an artist. His texts need to be analyzed within the specific biographical context of his, in which he struggled to get his girlfriend back and wrote her a very strange ” love letter”, using shock value and violence for Kim to take his pain into account.
I admit that this is not a very conventional way to express love, but whatever…Eminem is a complex artist and he would ridicule anybody who would be tempted to take his music too literally. In addition, Debbie Mathers, his own mom ( despite all the arguments that ever opposed both parts) testified publicly that her son never ever” laid a finger on Kim”.
The reason why the video Love The Way You Lie exists is to raise people’s consciences, especially women, for them to understand that domestic violence is never the answer. No matter your background, age and how much you pretend to love somebody, if a man starts beating you up, leave him straight away. He’ll never change.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG PROOF!
Four years ago, I’ve been granted the chance to interview Big Proof.
This interview has never ever been published…it has been done through Rude of IF just a few months before Big Proof died…Attention, please! This is from January 2006. Love you, Big Proof:)))

Proof interview Q & A’s
Deshaun Holton aka Proof aka Derty Harry, thanks for accepting this interview.
1. Many people know you as the D12 member, but less people know you as a solo artist. Is that the main reason that motivated you to create Iron First?
Yeah, it seems that the people forget the origin of D-12. All solo artist an who ever gets on comes back for the rest
2. What is the main difference between the D12 artist and the solo artist you actually are?
Basically too different perspective to speak from..
3. In your Searching For Jerry Garcia album -tight album, by the way- suicide seems to be a recurrent theme…can you tell us a little bit more about your fascination with suicide and about « Club ‘27 »?
It’s a metaphor, the death of Derty Harry, a cocoon state, its a new beginning… Club 27 is some spooky shit to me, a lot of incredible artists…
4. Besides your love for your hometown that is present in your Cds and mixtapes, what or who is your main source of inspiration?
Man life is the greatest inspiration, hands down.
5. D12 and Proof fans are familiar with your E.S.H.A.M track and have followed your beef with local rapper Esham. On your Grown Man Shit mixtape, you apologize to him. I have heard that both of you have reconciled in Detroit at your birthday party. Do you have some collaborations with Esham included in your future projects?
Yeah, me and Esham gonna do some work very soon.
6. I Miss The Hip Hop Shop that beautiful mixtape of yours recalls the days of the Hip Hop shop in Detroit. Back in the days, what do you miss most about the early stages of Detroit hip hop?
Wow! That’s an ill question … I miss the innocence, the vibe and the adventure.
7. What is the most difficult challenge you had to face in your whole career?
Separating the streets from the industry….
8. Besides D12, you have many collaborations with local artists at your active. Which Detroit artist (s) has (have) recently attracted your attention because of his (their) talent ?
Supa Mc, Woofpac, an J Hill. They all are very talented, an ,of course, Purple Gang.
Who are you keen on collaborating (whether on the local scene or on a national scale) with in a near future?
Mike from Alien Ant Farm, he’s a cool cat.
10. What kind of projects will you be working on after « Searching For Jerry Garcia »?
Hand to hand mix cd due out march 7th … P.G. album, Woofpac, Supa M.C. then Club 27, we just started on the 3rd D-12 album …. so be on the look out we coming full steam ahead.
Copyright2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Global rating of the product: 4.5 stars
If you like biographical movies and you got an open ear for good quality music, the Ray movie that depicts Ray Charles life is certainly a must have in your library.
Jamie Foxx plays the role of the musical genius from his humble beginnings, raised by a single mom to stardom.
The move doesn’t spare you young Ray’s hardships and drama. It goes through little Ray’s dramatic life. Even as an adult, Ray remains haunted by the death of his little brother who drowns in the water in front of his eyes. His mom helps him to deal with his blindness and allows him to become an independant adult. A very interesting scene is the way Ray learns to play the piano.
The movie also describes the man in his weaknesses, his drug addiction, his life with wife and mistress. But moreover, the whole film is filled with intense moments of swinging sounds.
Ray Charles will have to deal with the opposition of the Church, because he combines gospel and R’n’B in his music.
His fighting spirit will allow him to eventually get recognition from the state of Georgia for his brilliant composition, Georgia On My Mind. Ray Charles’ music can and will defeat racism.
I recommend this brilliant movie to any music lover who wants to know more about jazz legend Ray Charles. If you haven’t done it yet, go watch the movie!
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Global rating of the product:4.5 stars
Deshaun Holton aka Big Proof wrote Time A Tell, a whole hip hop album, within 24 hours, just a few months before being savagely murdered at the CCC club in Detroit. Despite fame and his huge popularity in Detroit City and all over the world, Proof knew how to keep down to earth.With his simplicity and his full dedication to hip hop, his hard work, Proof has become the mere symbol of artistic integrity. With this very complete piece of work, Proof hasn’t left his auditors orphans: he is sharing his wonderful musical genius with his hometown and the rest of the world.
Each time I am tempted to give up on my passion, I look up to Proof. Then I know I have to keep doing my thing with the same flame, because we have to invest in our God-given gifts and allow the world to enjoy them as well.
Time A Tell is rich of many musical collaborations. We need to underline the participation of some skilled Detroit talents like Killa Kaunn, First Borne, Supa Emcee of Iron Fist, J-Hill, Mudd and Thyme of 5 ELA, Moe Dirdee and TY Farris, just to name a few.
The album is rhythmic, inventive with its numerous musical compositions, rich of atitute punchlines. Proof’s raspy voice stands out in the whole album. The Detroit legend is giving you some insight about the Detroit scene.
After a theatrical intro, you will be introduced into a touchy subject, Friends Ain’t Really Friends. The musical background has a rhythmic jazzy-soul touch. The listener will be reminded of Tupac and Biggie’s stories. Fakeness gets exposed in a genuine Proof lyrical rapping style. Thumbs up!
You Heard Of Us featuring Killa Kaunn and First Born is a swinging, offensive track in which the emcees’ skills are fully enlightened. The track gets grimy andd murderous. Enjoy the Detroit style!
Whole New Beginning features the brilliant Supa Emcee. The song is quite nostalgic. Words do matter in this one too.
Priceless combines trumpet and siren background sounds. Feel the dangerosity of hood life. I love the icy cold steel spirit put into his song.
I Think Of You is built on a soft musical background. There, Proof really excels in verbal fluency.
Most of you aready know Sincerly Proof, a track that had been leaked on the internet a short time after Proof passed away.
Pill Pop is written in a sarcastic style. I love the lyrics, Proof’s sense of humor.
Among the songs I really liked, I recommend you the Time A Tell track.
It is beautifully made and reeinforces the Detroit emcee’s know how. That’s how they do it…and they are really good at it!You go, Purple Gang.
You like it lyrical? Go listen to Verbal Spar where you will enjoy Woof Pac’s verbal storm.
Nearly 4 years have gone by since Proof passed away. But his music is pretty much alive. Time will tell you about Proof’s legacy. The emcee is one of hip hop’s most valuable jewels.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

seems to be out…somebody posted a link on facebook…I want that album to be my next review at The Eminem Blog…stay tuned, folks:)
You will be able to listen to Big Proof’s album here.
The album is hotter than hot! Enjoy:)
Isabelle

Global rating of the product:3.75 stars
There’s a little bit of some Westcoast spirit in our Detroiters’ mind. Bizarre of D12 and the King Of Horrorcore King Gordy are inviting you for a chillout ride into their weed smoking universe. Whether you smoke it, inhale and exhale it, there is a relaxing mood in this video. Follow King Gordy and Bizarre on a very soft instrumental tune. just sit back and relax…because there is nothing better in life than a relaxed body and mind.
Let your sorrows and worries be, at the time being…close your eyes…then open them again, let a high Bizarre show you the clouds…
Vocally, Bizarre’s voice contrasts with the darker, grittier King Gordy voice. The soft melody guides you viewers to cloud 9…what a nice feeling of freedom. This song is truly the perfect Summer chillout hit. Fine girls are part of the feature too.
You will be able to find Bizarre’s new video on his official website.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Have a look…it is called What You Smokin On.
I love the soft, rhythmic instrumentals they put into it…a review may follow soon:)

Global rating of the product: lyrically: 4 stars
instrumentally:2,5 stars
Since the release of Relapse, Eminem’s music has taken a new artistic direction. More introspective, Marshall Mathers decided to give his public a glimpse of the real him. No more evil Slim Shady disguise, no other character to spit his rage on Recovery.
The very positive point of the whole album is certainly the return of the talented lyricist. As a matter of fact, many listeners had felt left down by the artist since the release of Encore that did not really meet the standarts that you’d usually expect from a good hip hop album.
Relapse was quite surprising in its concept: Eminem took the risk for his album to be overlooked in its depth, even by die-hard fans. It nearly happened to me, but after a second listen I discovered Eminem’s artistic intent. I thus became more appreciative of his lyrical and musical effort in Relapse.
From Infinite to Recovery, Marshall Mathers offers his audience a long path made of personal experiences and reflexions. Wordsmith Eminem always was and will stay.
Not Afraid embraces a powerful violin background while Eminem faces his public with sincerity. Of course it cost Marshall Mathers a lot to face his demons, to admit his mistakes during his career path. The song unleashes loads of dynamite. It is probably one of the best songs of the album. Eminem also promises not to let his fans dow. However, and despite the huge lyrical efforts set on his brand new album, we are entitled to ask: “Who are Eminem’s fans at the moment?” Undoubtably, they are probably not the same kind of people than the ones that supported the artist a decade ago (with a few exceptions, of course). It can be partly explained by the fact that the different albums’ tones and topics vary from album to album. A lot of Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP listeners actually think that Eminem lost his edge. Well, while I am a long term, adult fan and supporter of Eminem’s music and also very appreciative of the artist’s lyrical effort, I must admit that- musically speaking- the Recovery album barely meets my expectations. Where have the catchy beats gone, where have the mischievousness and the dark humored spirit of his former albums gone?
Too many metal and rock’n roll influences spoil too many songs in my opinion. While it is true that many hip hop artists used diverse varieties of other musical genres to compose their albums,their album’s main musical base remained mostly hip hop sounding.
Moreover, Recovery’s mood is morose and constantly self depreciating.
Cold Wind Blows starts with some icy lyrics. Eminem’s voice hits high notes. Dark guitar and piano sounds are combined with rhythmic claps. Em’s generous word mastery enlighten the song. Good flow too. This is another good song.
Talking To Myself: Time for instrospection on a keyboard background. I don’t understand why Eminem admits envying Lil Wayne and Kanye. He has nothing to envy massive commercial hip hop album sellers such as them. Maybe I would have preferred a wicked diss of both emcees. I probably would have felt better.
Won’t Back Down features pop artist Pink. Eminem excels in his art of rhyming. Unfortunately, the harsh musical background kinda spoils the well written song. I like Eminem’s flow on this one.
Going Through Changes is made of a soft bitter chorus. Marshall Mathers recalls pains and regrets, ancient memories, regrets about family life that didn’t really work out. The song’s tone is quite depressing. Why is Eminem crucifying himself all the time?
He can see clear in his life, realizes his mistakes, but I am not sure he is ready to fully accept himself the way he is. Get rid of this heavy self laceration and you’ll feel better, for sure!
On Fire is one of the tracks I enjoyed most-lyrically and instrumentally as well. However, when Eminem addresses critics, he seems to really miss the point. Why would he ask them to spit rhymes? A critic is there whether to point out a positive or a negative opinion 5or both) aboutr an artist’s work, in order to share some constructyive criticism with his readers and the artist. To each his/ her own: let the artist create and let the critic do his/ her job! This little point being raised, the song is great: good beats, nice chorus, nice instrumentals, nice flow, astute punchlines: in short, Eminem at his top. I recommend this song.
I’ve been disappointed by Cinderella Man and No Love. They are definitely not my type of songs. Eminem really good on Love the Way You Lie, but I don’t like the Rihanna chorus at all. It spoils the song in my opinion.
Globally speaking Eminem’s efforts to be closer to his fans, his lyrical craft, his matured analysis of his personal mistakes really need to be appreciated. That’s why I chose to rate my review differently. A little bit disappointed by the instrumentals and musical genres that are used in the album, I nevertheless still admire Eminem’s lyrical genius.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

A full review of Eminem’s Recovery album…stay tuned…I have a lot to say about his brand new album!

I had the chance to watch Eminem last Thursday on a French private channel called Canal Plus on a live show.
He performed some older famous songs like Stan and some more recent songs like “Forever”. But to the pleased listeners’ ears (that included French singer Marc Lavoine) he performed a brand new song taken out of his upcoming album, Recovery.
Any person who has been following Marshall Mathers since his beginning, from the Infinite album to now perfectly knows that is private and public paths have been far from easy. Despite his overwhelming success since 1999, Eminem has been facing loads of personal difficulties. He often complained in some of his songs about his demons spoiling his life. How many times has he tried to fight them? His desperate efforts to face his drug addiction sometimes made him look like Cervantes’ hero, Don Quixote de la Mancha fighting his windmills.
Year after year, drugs were slowly destroying him. In 2007, Eminem nearly lost his life. His near death experience made him realize that he needed to change, to be honest with himself, to have a clear vision of his addiction and to face his past mistakes with serenity.
Once you begin to accept your past and to learn the lessons from it, once you begin to love yourself with your weaknesses, a lot of things begin to get unstuck in your life. Eminem had the courage to do so in 2009. His Relapse album was the first step of a slow recovery. Today Marshall Mathers is back, offering his public a glance of the real him. No Eminem, no Slim Shady. On this live show, only the real Marshall Mathers was there. He looked different: slender, back in shape, he was able to offer his public the gift of a reborn, more matured and peaceful man.
That glance of the new, empowered Marshall Mathers, raising his hands towards the public and telling them publicly that he was “not afraid” really moved me. It gave me courage to go forward with my own life. The new album also promises to be lyrically sharp.
Let’s celebrate Eminem’s recovery. Be on the lookout for his new album!
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved