"Infinite": The album that should've stayed in the Bassmint..
Written: Oct 09 '09 (Updated Dec 07 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Eminem's lyrical proficency is as strong as it would be for later releases.
Cons: Eminem's lack of charisma and personality, the production leaves MUCH to be desired
The Bottom Line: Part 1 of The White Rapper Series: Eminem's pre-Slim Shady debut offers promise, but ultimately dissapoints due to poor production and a lack of charisma. 3 Stars
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| mcheadcase's Full Review: Infinite - Eminem Movies |
While it's no secret that Hip-Hop began in the 1970s as a predominately black art form, it has become a culturally accepted phenomenon over the past few decades, and has included involvement from people of every race, creed, and culture. In particular, I want to focus on the contributions of white people -- and to square it down even further, just the contributions of white rappers. Now, the common perception of the white rapper is the lily-white suburban kid dressing in outrageous fashion, with baggy pants and gold or platinum chains, and using outdated slang. Thankfully though, that isn't always the case: there are plenty of white rappers out there who have been respectable to the culture and have made positive contributions music-wise. And so, I'm proud to announce the start of The White Rapper Series: a series of reviews where we take a look at some of the best (and worst) records made by white rappers. Without any further ado, let's get started...
Of course, what better way to kick things off than with the most popular white rapper of all time, arguably the most popular rapper of all time PERIOD, Eminem. Of course, when this particular album was released, he certainly wasn't as big as he is now. Yes, "Infinite" predates almost everything that we know Em for: the controversial celebrity-bashing rhyme style, the association with Dr. Dre and record deal with Aftermath, even the creation of his 'Slim Shady' persona. "Infinite" was Eminem's debut solo album, released in 1996 on Web Entertainment. Despite popular belief, it was only released on cassette and vinyl, and sold out of the trunk of Em's car in Detroit. Only a certain number of copies were actually produced, though that number varies depending on the source (some sources say only 300 or 400 copies altogether were made, though Wikipedia reports that 1,000 cassettes and 100 vinyl copies were made). The album is extremely rare and genuine copies cannot be found in stores, though phony compact disc copies have been made and can usually found on eBay. In 2009, the album was released in a high-quality MP3 format, ripped from the actual vinyl, as a free download on ThisIs50.com.
If there's one thing that has remained a constant factor in over Eminem's music, it is his lyrical proficiency. Since his major label debut in '99, he's been known for his complex rhyme schemes, his effortless vocal delivery, and humorous punch-lines that can be used to amaze and offend people. With "Infinite", one can see that that was always the case, perhaps even more so back then. The obvious example is the album's opening track and obvious standout, the title track "Infinite". This is Em's original Hip-Hop anthem, as he raps simply about his drive to become the illest emcee over a simple DJ Premier-esque beat with a mellow bassline. The song stands out so much because of the use of mind-blowing metaphors and complex multi-syllable rhymes, filled with his trademark wit. "Open Mic" and "313" are two more lyrical brag-fests that show Em's dominance on the mic. On the latter, he's joined by Eye-Kyu, a Detroit rapper who seems to have faded into obscurity years after this release. Nevertheless, he manages to steal the spotlight just a little bit, with his own plethora of jaw-dropping punchlines, like "You want your shit to blow up, well I'mma stuff some dynamite in your ass crack". Not to be outdone, Em strikes back in the second verse with enginous one-liners like "You couldn't make the fans throw up their hands if they swallowed their fingers" and the finishing "You can be quick, jump the candlestick, burn your back / and fuck Jill on a hill, but you still ain't Jack!"
If you couldn't tell, obviously this isn't the same Eminem that we would see break through into the mainstream. "Infinite" has hardly any objectionable material on it: he's not cursing like a sailor, he's not bashing pop culture figures for the hell of it, and not murdering his mom or wife on record (in regards to the latter, he actually dedicates a serious love song to her, "Searchin'"). No, he's more ambitious than angry, struggling to become a famous rap star while coping with the pressures of being broke with a newborn baby. Sure, he would touch on these subjects on later albums as well (notably on the songs "If I Had" and "Rock Bottom") but what makes songs like "It's OK" and "Never 2 Far" different is the obvious positivity, as Em relays how hard his life is, he tells us that he's trying to hold his head high and keep going through it all: "It's a broke day but everything is okay / I'm up all night but everything is all right". The latter of the two actually serves as a positive message to impressionable kids listening to his music, something almost unfathomable considering what he would become: "It's up to you, the decision is yours / If what you vision is tours, or a mission less course / when your shit is in the stores, cause you can be a star / no matter wherever you are / you're never too far from revenue dawg, cause you can be king / you can fool the world, you can do anything / it's on you baby!" Some have called it an early precursor to his Oscar-winning classic "Lose Yourself" and I can definitely see where they make the connection.
Unfortunately, the lyrical content isn't enough to make "Infinite" a stellar album. Sure, the rhyme schemes were ridiculous, but that was literally all it had going for it. The charisma that he's known for today was nowhere to be seen or heard on "Infinite". As I mentioned, this album was made before he conceived his 'Slim Shady' persona, but that persona is what gave his later records such an edge: yeah, he was a dope white rapper, but by then he was a dope white rapper with a 'don't-give-a-fuck' attitude, who would say and do anything just to piss you off. That personality is what made him so entertaining to listen to, and sadly enough, that lack of personality is what plagues the album. What's more is that some of the concepts are underdeveloped, with tracks like "Jealousy Woes II" and the previously mentioned "Searchin'" not being explored to their full potential. The biggest disappointment on the album is "Maxine". Here we find Em and his crew rapping about catching STDs from chicks -- a concept that he would later revisit, and done MUCH better I might add, on the song "Drips". Sure Em never loses a step lyrically, but seeing how his later material had much more substance, you can say that this was Eminem just trying to figure out how to make songs.
But what's even worse is that Em's lack of personality isn't even the biggest flaw. The songs wouldn't be as big a deal if the production could hold up. Yes, for the most part, the beats are simply bad. The production for the album is entirely handled by a young Denaun Porter (also known as D12 member Kon Artis), who would go on to be a big producer for a lot of mainstream rap acts. Unfortunately, his beats here are too amateurish to really stand out, and come off as remarkably similar to the early production styles of Large Professor or DJ Premier. Save for the title track, Em's lyricism is let down because of these tracks. The biggest example of production waste is "Backstabber", especially when you consider that there's more to this track than meets the eye. The track is actually a re-working of "Fuckin' Backstabber", Em's very first single, released as a member of the group Soul Intent. Both songs are made as diss tracks to Champtown, a Detroit rap veteran who was Em's friend and mentor until he apparently tried to sleep with his wife Kim. The track on "Infinite" is a bit more slick: instead of outright disssing him with battle rhymes, Em spins it into a story of him trying to track down a mental patient with green hair (in the mid-90s, Champ used to sport a green afro and was known as Champtown the Incredible Green-Headed Negro) who escaped from a psychiatric ward (Champ's independent record label is Straight Jacket Records) and is looking to steal other guys' girlfriends (a reference to how he supposedly tried to fuck Kim). Unfortunately, what could stand out as an ingenious song ultimately falters because of simple drum-and-snare laced with muddy keyboard loops.
This album has always been difficult for me to review (and believe me, I've tried in the past), cause it's an up-and-down record to me. But in the end, unlike some of his future releases, "Infinite" just doesn't warrant a recommendation. Aside from the title track, none of the other songs really stand out as Eminem classics. Whether it be poor production, generic song concepts, or a lack of charisma, there's always something taking away from the overall experience. But as everybody would know, the failure of this album led to him channeling his anger in the form of the angry blonde anti-christ known as Slim Shady, which would catch the attention of Hip-Hop West Coast entrepreneur Dr. Dre, and the rest as they say, is history. But overall, "Infinite" is just an early, thus immature, attempt at a record of an incredible talent.
FINAL RATING: 3 Stars
Track listing:
1. Infinite (5 Stars)
2. W.E.G.O. (Interlude) (NOT RATED)
3. Its Okay (3 1/2 Stars)
4. 313 feat. Eye-Kyu (4 Stars)
5. Tonite (2 Stars)
6. Maxine feat. Denaun Porter & 3 (1 Star)
7. Open Mic feat. Thyme (4 Stars)
8. Never 2 Far (4 1/2 Stars)
9. Searchin' feat. Eye-Kyu (3 Stars)
10. Backstabber (2 1/2 Stars)
11. Jealousy Woes II (2 1/2 Stars)
Recommended:
No
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Headcase presents... THE WHITE RAPPER SERIES!
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