CLEVELAND - The world has long known about Eminem's amazing lyrical ability thanks largely to his ascension to the top of the music industry during the early stages of this decade.
His music videos however, have been very underrated.
Eminem, the professional alter ego of 36-year old Marshall Mathers has crafted a wondrously creative body of work in the world of music videos. Beginning in 1999, the Detroit native released elaborate, often satirical clips with many locations and costume changes. In the "My Name Is..." video, Mathers hilariously spoofs then-U.S. President Bill Clinton during the aftermath of the Monica Lewinsky debacle. He's also made fun of a litany of pop culture icons past and present including two of the biggest in history; Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
Mathers created what I feel to be his tour-de-force in videos in 2000 with the release of the highly detailed clip for "Stan" from the acclaimed The Marshall Mathers LP. It shows in unflinching detail how a fan's obsession can turn deadly. It is one of the best clips I have ever seen.
Em's new album, Relapse will be released on May 19 and has already spawned a wildly "spoofy" video for the single, "We Made You." That clip takes aim at more than a dozen celebrities and sparked the expected controversy that Mathers has endured for years. The next clip is for the single, "3 A.M." which, based on its just released trailer is an ominous and sinister visual aid to the dark and psychotic lyrics of the song itself.
The video appears to be shot in a more cinematic mode than Eminem's previous work and its frenetic pacing just adds to the eerie feel of the disturbing imagery. It debuts tomorrow night on the cable network Cinemax.
Bottom line, I salute Eminem's creative genius and attention to detail in his video endeavors. No other hip-hop artist in history can match either his video legacy or cutting edge concepts.
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