After a three year absence, Slim Shady has risen from the ashes to release The Marshall Mathers LP 2, a sequel to one of his early albums from over a decade ago. Defying the stereotype that one has to be a profanity-spitting aggressive twenty-something covered in tattoos with poor grammar to top rap charts since 1996, Eminem has been regarded in the eyes of many as a god of rap. However on October 15th, 2013, Eminem released Rap God, the first single from his LP, implying his vision of himself as a Hip-Hop deity.

When I first heard that Marshall Mathers was making a comeback, I couldn’t help but be excited. I can still remember the day in 6th grade when I first heard Eminem’s Not Afraid, introducing me to the world of Hip-Hop and rap. I have always been impressed by Eminem’s ability to consistently incorporate his sophisticated vocabulary and figurative language into his music, despite being surrounded by a genre of music inspired by slang and owning expensive cars. Rap God is no exception. Eminem’s single skillfully incorporates complexity, rhymes, and headbanging beats into a six minute medley of joy.

Considering his legacy, the difficulty in topping his previous works was very immense, but Rap God was able to do his career some justice. Although I found the beats to be overdone and even corny at some points, I must admit that Mathers’ compilation of rhythm, aggression, rhyme, and anecdotes was pure genius. I can find no better way for a legend to revive his career. Would I go as far as to say that Eminem is a god of rap? A being sent from above to bless pop culture and the music industry? Not necessarily. However, it is impossible to deny Eminem’s refreshing ingenuity in a music culture with almost no meaning. Frankly, if anyone in the industry would be considered holy, it would most definitely be Slim Shady himself.