#sobriety mather

[eminemarchive]

Today marks Eminem's 15 years of sobriety.

Congratulations, and we are very proud of you🏅🙏💜

FYI: the sobriety coin pic is not from this year. Em hasn't posted one since 2019 (I believe).

[that1nerd-20]

Happy 16 years of sobriety Em!!! So proud of you!

[smutty-books]

Another Em appreciation post. He really needs to stop looking so hot and sexy and desirable. Plus the Fack Trump? I laughed. My man not making any bones about what he thinks about Trump and frankly not caring wether you agree or not. But I also love that he felt for his fan base that believed in Trump to make their lives better and it didn’t happen and amended what he said in his BET cypher. Then as always those delicious arms and those tattoos. Girrrrrlllllll, and that red g-shock watch, plus the sobriety necklace and the beard. And the ever present Kangol cap????? Salivating and whimpering at these pictures. Happy Monday, y’all!!!!!

[therealcocoshady]

Life update update ❤️ Just came across this post I made a while ago and thought I'd give a little update. A happy one ! This week, I'm celebrating 6 weeks sober (43 days now). My sobriety date is July 12th, aka the day TDOSS dropped. Somebody Save Me is the song that flipped that switch in my brain, that had me go like "ok, let's do this. let's get better.". It hasn't been easy and I'm still trying to navigate life without the crutches I used to rely on (namely pills and drinking). It's not easy and I'm taking it one day at a time but so far, so good. Not to be all corny, but Eminem's music has helped me a lot in my journey battling mental health issues and addiction. For those of you who don't know, he is partnering with Betterhelp, an online platform who provides access to mental health support resources. By clicking here, you can have access to one free month of therapy. I think it's a nice initiative and I know there's been backlash about that partnership already. I can see why and that platform is far from being perfect (it's a platform after all and they literally make money by selling users' data) but if you don't have the resources to seek support elsewhere, I think it might be a good solution and that free month might be a good place to start. I am wishing all of you the very very best. ❤️ Whatever you're going through, you're not alone. When I made that post on May 10th, I didn't think I'd say this but : it gets better. Love, Coco 🥰

Life update

TW : Addiction, meds

Hey friends ❤️. This is a rather unusual post for me to make on this blog but I spend so much time on here that’s it’s almost fair to write this.

As a lot of you know (or have gathered by now) my life hasn’t been sunshine and candy lately (or ever, for that matter haha).

I have been swamped with work for my PhD dissertation and I have had to deal with a lot of issues with friends and family. Two days ago was the last straw for me and I ended up relapsing or having a slipping episode (whatever you want to call it). I am well now, safe and getting a bit better. What I did was more a cry for help than anything and, though we contemplated having me committed to an institution, I am home since it is probably the best place for me to regroup. To be fair I don’t have a lot of recollection of the past two days.

I love you guys a lot, this silly little blog as I usually call it means a lot to me and I just wanted to be honest. I am not sure how long it will take for me to update the blog again (because I am not quitting hein !!!) but I think I won’t be blogging as much …

I just felt like sharing and getting a bit more personal today (hope you guys don’t mind). Not asking for anything here, except if you guys have any sobriety apps to recommend (because hey, this is Day 1 after all) and if you want to pray for me, that’s fine as well ❤️

I love you ❤️. Stay safe ❤️.

(Going to listen to some Eminem right now while consciously skipping Arose because otherwise I’ll be a bawling mess for the rest of the week)

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael Before Midnight: "Houdini" by Eminem

Eminem is one of the most controversial rappers of all time, and this reputation isn’t entirely undeserved. I mean, the man has an entire song that’s just six straight minutes of him acting out violently murdering his ex. Uncontroversial artists do not make songs like that. But I think people do give him a lot of shit and really try to underplay his genuine talent too, mainly because of how a lot of his work just hasn’t aged great.

You have to understand the time and place Em rose out of. The 90s was all about being nasty and politically incorrect, and the rap scene reflected that. The rise of gangster rap had guys talking about how cool the thug life was, and there were all sorts of vulgar tunes being cranked out (“Pregnant Pussy” is from the 90s, if that tells you anything). As a white boy in a cutthroat industry where black men are the kings being taken under the wing of the man who produced “Fuck tha Police,” Marshall Mathers really wasn’t gonna do anything other than assimilate into the culture of the time to survive. And it worked; he’s pretty much the only white rapper besides maybe the Beastie Boys who has kept a long and generally well-liked career. He played by the rules, made sure to acknowledge his place, kept his ego in check outside his songs, collaborated with the right people, and boom! Rap has its token white boy.

But the edgy violent white boy schtick that made Slim Shady so funny and… “endearing” back in the day is not really something people like in 2024. Since the 90s, edgy white boys like the Slim character have shot up schools, sexually assaulted women and gotten away with it, openly supported fascism, and whined about queer people and black people being in Star Wars. No one fucking likes a Slim because they’ve been ruining our world for a while now, so this character who was once a beloved aspect of Em’s career just doesn’t sit right with the people of today. Add onto the fact that he’s a middle aged man, and he can’t just be doing the same crap all these years later without looking like the cringiest man alive, a rapping Elon Musk. With all that, and the fact his upcoming album is called The Death of Slim Shady, you’d think maybe he’d drop a single to showcase how he’s evolved over his career, how his sobriety and fatherhood have changed him, and how the Slim persona is well and truly in the past.

Instead he released “Houdini.”

For better or for worse, this is a return to that classic late 90s/early 2000s Slim style, with everything that implies. Get ready for lots of references, offensive jokes, and more, cuz I’m going line by line to talk about the content of Slim Shady’s final comeback. And while I am going to analyze some of the lamer and more questionable jokes, I want to make it clear that I understand the Slim character is satirical and whatever. I'm not fucking dumb, and I've been listening to Eminem for 24 years now. Being satire is not an excuse to be unfunny.

After an ominous skit where Em’s manager Paul Rosenberg tells him he’s own his own for this album, we have an intro to kick the song off:

Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back, tell a friend Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da, da, da) (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da)

As should be obvious to anyone with a passing knowledge of Eminem, this is a reuse of the intro of his classic “Without Me.” This is a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it is a fun little callback to his earlier career and helps once more establish that he’s bringing it like he did back then. But on the other hand, you’re reminding the audience of one of your best songs right off off the bat, so if this one doesn’t live up to that, you’re in for a world of hurt.

Now’s also a good time to mention that the song heavily samples “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band. From what I’ve gathered, a lot of people find that song unbelievably corny… but that’s why I love it. And I mean, the song’s called “Houdini,” so why not sample the massive smash hit song that’s named after the famous magic words? Again, for me at least, sampling a song I already love means you’re gonna have to really kick it into high gear to make me want to listen to yours over what you’re sampling. There’s about a million songs that sample “When the Levee Breaks,” but how many of those do you think I’m putting on over Led Zeppelin, y’know?

Well, look what the stork brung (What?) Little baby devil with the forked tongue And it's stickin' out, yeah, like a sore thumb (Bleh) With a forehead that it grew horns from (Look) Still a white jerk (It's him), pullin' up in a Chrysler to the cypher With the Vics, Percs and a Bud Light shirt Lyrical technician (Yeah), an electrician (Yeah) Y'all light work (Haha) And I don't gotta play pretend, it's you I make believe (What?) And you know I'm here to stay 'cause me (Why?) If I was to ever take a leave (What?) It would be aspirin' to break a feve' (Yeah)

So far it’s been pretty solid. It’s pretty clear Em’s still got it, great flow, delivery, subtle nods to his past work, boasts about his skills, talking about how he started from the bottom… It’s nothing really groundbreaking, but it’s at least continuing the idea that Slim is back, baby! I sure hope he doesn’t derail his momentum in the next couple of lines with a stupid, cringeworthy jab at a woman who literally never did anything to him!

If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?) Stallion if she would collab with me Would I really have a shot at a feat? (Haha) I don't know, but I'm glad to be back like

So a little context here, for those not in the know: In 2022, rapper Megan Thee Stallion accused fellow rapper Tory Lanez of shooting at her feet and saying, “Dance, bitch, dance” like he’s a comic book mobster. The case was taken to court, where Lanez was found guilty and then sentenced to up to 22 years in jail. Now, the two have shouted out each other before—Em interpolataed the hook of Megan’s song “Body” in 2021’s “Killer (Remix),” while Megan referenced “The Real Slim Shady” on her feature on Lil Nas X’s “DOLLA SIN SLIME”--but I’m not really sure the two are close to the point where it’s cool for Em to jokingly reference the time some psychopath acted like a Batman villain to her. The fact Megan’s 2024 diss track “Hiss” referenced Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” which was about Eminem, does make me side-eye this bar.

But hey, one corny, cringey joke is whatever. Let’s see how the rest of the song goes:

Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick) I'm 'bout to reach in my bag, bruh (Like) Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick, poof) Just like that and I'm back, bro

So this is the chorus, and I have to say it’s incredibly lazy and boring. It’s just an Eminem-themed parody of the original chorus, and it’s not especially interesting. That being said, by token of being a chorus of a song I already like just with lyrical alterations, I don’t think it’s bad either. I just expect a little more cleverness from Eminem.

Now, back in the days of old me (When?) Right around the time I became a dope fiend (Oh) Ate some codeine as a way of coping (Mm) Taste of opiates, case of O.E. Turned me into smiley face emoji (Woo)

Here, now we’re back on track! Em is reflecting on his old self and talking about his drug-addled early career! Surely he’ll stay the course here and dig deep into his manic persona that was partly created by his addictions, and not veer off into alt-right talking points and child abuse jokes!

My shit may not be age-appropriate But I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy 'Cause I have zero doubts That this whole world's 'bout To turn into some girl scouts That censorship bureau's out to (Shut me down) So when I started this verse It did start off lighthearted at first (Hmm) But it feels like I'm targeted

Hoo boy, we’re whining about how “sensitive” the world is becoming and how censorship is coming to get you! Eminem is going full boomer now. But hey, maybe he has a point! You can’t sing songs where you violently murder the mother of your child and then abduct said child anymore, because of woke. You can’t rap about mass shootings right after they happen either, also because of woke. Whatever, grandpa. Let’s see if you have anything of actual substance.

Mind-bogglin' how my profit has skyrocketed Look what I pocketed Yeah, the shit is just like y'all had been light joggin', and I've been runnin' at full speed And that's why I'm ahead like my noggin', and I'm the fight y'all get in When you debate who the best, but opps, I'm white chalkin' when I step up to that mic, cock it then "Oh my God, it's him! Not again!"

Just some pre-chorus boasting topped off with a throwback to his song “As the World Turns.” It doesn’t completely erase the bad taste of his whiny boomerisms out of your mouth, but it’s at least something.

Sometimes, I wonder what the old me'd say (If what?) If he could see the way shit is today (Look at this shit, man) He'd probably say that everything is gay (Like happy) What's my name? What's my name? (Slim Shady)

Em’s had a long, troubled reputation with queerness. He came under a lot of fire for homophobia back in the day, but then his friendship with Elton John happened. There’s also his brief appearance in the Seth Rogen movie The Interview, where he plays himself as a closeted gay man. Even still, he’s often used queerness as jokes in his songs, mainly as an attempt to emasculate his opponents (something he even did to an actual queer rapper, Tyler the Creator). As a bisexual man myself, I do find it tasteless in general, but in the context of this song I thing it’s ok. Like yeah, the homophobic crackhead Slim Shady persona would call the world we live in gay. The line still feels a little weird, though; is the Slim persona actually singing this song, or is this Em reflecting on the Slim persona? It kind of muddies the water, and makes it hard to figure just how seriously we’re supposed to be taking everything here.

So how many little kids still wanna act like me? (Haha) I'm a bigger prick than cacti be (Yeah) And that's why these (What?) Words sting just like you were being attacked by bees (Bzz) In the coupe, leaning back my seat (What?) Bumpin' R. Kelly's favorite group (Uh), the black guy (Guy) pees (Pees, haha) In my Air Max 90s White Ts, walkin' parental advisory

Verse three starts off pretty good! The R. Kelly joke is extremely juvenile and crass, but that’s the sort of thing I enjoy from Slim. It may be low-hanging fruit, but that’s the fruit you wanna grab the most. Now what wacky sort of humor is Slim going to bring to this verse next? Surely he won’t make some incredibly stupid and corny joke that isn’t funny in the slightest and derails the whole song!

My transgender cat's Siamese (Why?) Identifies as black, but acts Chinese (Haha)

According to Genius, this line might actually be a reference to a Dave Chapelle bit from 2019’s Sticks & Stones. If that’s the case, I really don’t need to say much more. There’s no way to read this line in anything other than the worst possible light.

Like a motherfuckin' Hacky Sack, I treat (What?) The whole world 'cause I got it at my feet (Yeah) How can I explain to you (What?) That even myself I'm a danger to? (Yeah) I hop on tracks like a kangaroo And say a few things or two to anger you

So he does openly admit he says fucked up stuff to get a rise out of people. Going in to the song, I knew this. The guy’s a provocateur, it’s what he does, and the Slim persona has always been about being as flagrantly offensive as possible. But the thing is, even the stuff here I’m taking issue with doesn’t make me mad; I’m more disappointed than anything, really. Like he has to know that times have changed and people really aren’t all in on this sort of humor anymore, right? What is the point of bringing Slim back to a world that has evolved beyond him, even if to finally kill him off? If that’s what he wanted to do he could do it without trying to showcase the dated humor. This is the musical equivalent of watching an 80s sex comedy like Porky’s or Revenge of the Nerds. Like maybe it was funny way back when, but looking back at it through a modern lens it’s just really gross and unpleasant and full of terrible messages.

But fuck that, if I think that shit, I'ma say that shit Cancel me, what? Okay, that's it Go ahead, Paul, quit, snake-ass prick You male cross dresser (Haha), fake-ass bitch And I'll probably get shit for that (Watch) But you can all suck my dick, in fact Fuck them, fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you Fuck my own kids, they're brats (Fuck 'em) They can screw off (Yeah), them and you all (Uh) You too, Paul (Punk), got two balls Big as RuPaul's (Woah) What you thought you saw ain't what you saw (Nah) 'Cause you're never gon' see me Caught sleepin' and see the kidnappin' never did happen Like Sherri Papini, Harry Houdini I vanish into the thin air as I'm leavin' like

The rest of the final verse, save for another tired shot at cancel culture, is fine. I might even say it’s a bit funny; I like him taking at shot at Dre, himself, everyone he’s worked with, his own kids… That part is where it is really obvious the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek, because he is by all accounts a good and loving dad. Making fun of RuPaul and Papini are fine in my book too.

So I’ve been pretty critical of this song and rather unamused by a lot of its jokes. This must mean I hate it, right? Well… no. I can’t say I love it, but I really don’t think this is awful. Trust me, I’ve heard awful Eminem and this isn’t it. “Just Lose It” and “We Made You” are light years ahead of this song in terms of awfulness. On top of that, this is also the first single off of an album that’s all about killing Slim—I don’t really have the full context. For all I know, this could be part of an overarching concept of the album, Slim’s last ride before his inevitable death, and in that regard this is definitely a perfect modern take on the classic Slim Shady song, warts and all. We just live in a world where his kind of humor doesn’t age badly, it just ends up dead on arrival more often than not.

If nothing else, it still showcases Eminem has great flow, great wit, clever writing… and that’s what he should stick to instead of making tired, unfunny boomer jokes about cancel culture and queer people just to rile people up. Hopefully that’s what the rest of the album will be like when it drops. I doubt I’m going to review every single song on it since I’m no Todd in the Shadows and my musical knowledge is very casual, but maybe I’ll give my opinions. Until that time, though, I think I’ll just listen to “Venom” again.

[nyotasaimiri]

Second time in a row my monthly Big Art hasn’t been Starbound ^.^:; Ah well. 

This guy’s name is Sobriety Mather his parents wanted a girl. He owns a meadery now and is a contented devotee of the moon-god of plenty in the world I’m building.

[marshallmatherslptwo]

Marshall celebrates 13 years sober today!

Em has been through a lot in his life; he experienced trauma and loss from childhood, into adolescents, then again as an adult, and for that reason his courage and dedication for the last 13 years should not be taken for granted.

He has worked hard!

Em is passionate about his continued sobriety; he is proud of himself and we are proud of him too. Marshall deserves all the love and praise for his achievement today.

He is an inspiration!

Congratulations Marshall!

"It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me, Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally For you, so I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through" - Eminem, Not Afraid.

[zayzaycom]

Eminem Freely Shares His Satisfaction By Celebrating His Tenth Year Of Sobriety

Eminem Freely Shares His Satisfaction By Celebrating His Tenth Year Of Sobriety

Eminem just celebrated a landmark event: he’s been sober for a decade.

In between his headlining sets at Coachella, the 45-year-old rapper shared a photo to Instagram, Saturday, proudly displaying a medallion he received for achieving the milestone.

“Celebrated my 10 years yesterday,” he wrote alongside the image, in which he held the coin up to the camera. The middle of the token features an…

[aem-nd]

Eminem for VIBE Magazine, 2009

[acreativeme]

Dive Bar--- Marshall Mathers

In all his years of sobriety, tonight had been one of the hardest. MGK had just dropped his diss track, mentioning Hailie. It had taken almost all of his strength to not reach for a bottle or for some coke. He had to get some air, so he left the studio and headed downtown. With his hood up, he brushed past the drunk and tipsy patrons into a dive bar-- hoping just being around alcohol would curve his craving. 

He ordered a water from the bartender, keeping his head down- hoping not to be recognized. 

“Hey, everyone. It has been a hard day for me, so I am going to start with an old favorite of mine. This is Family Portrait by P!NK.”

The muscles in his back tightened as the music began.

“Uh, uh, some deep shit, uh, uh

Ohh ohh ohh ohh

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah”

His head turned at the emotion in her voice.

“Momma please stop cryin, I can't stand the sound

Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down

I hear glasses breakin as I sit up in my bed

I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you

Said”

He moved to give the mystery singer the side eye. He noticed the pain on her face, natural like her beauty. Her curls fell around her face as she caressed the microphone.

“You fight about money, bout me and my brother

And this I come home to, this is my shelter

It ain't easy growin up in World War III

Never knowin what love could be, you'll see

I don't want love to destroy me like it has done

My family”

He watched as her cheeks began turning rosy, emotion taking control. Without thinking about it, Marshall got up from his seat and moved towards the stage. Her voice called to him, called for him to save her. What is happening to me? He thought, confused on the unfamiliar feelings bubbling in his chest. 

The music came to an end. “Thank you all. Greg is going to play some Aerosmith, while I take a short break.” She smiled, clearing her throat. 

He watched her push open the fire exit door, using one hand to brush the tears away. He abandoned his untouched water on the bar to go after her. She was leaning against the brink water with a cigarette pressed to her lips. He smirked. “They say those things could give you cancer.” 

She chuckled dryly. “Tell me something I don’t know.” She glanced over at him, recognizing him instantly but not showing it. “What is THE slim shady, THE Eminem, THE Marshall Mathers doing in a bar on this side of town?” 

“Got lost on the road of life, I guess.” He replied, tone obviously sarcastic. 

She snorted, taking a hit of her cigarette. “You musta fell and gotten a concussion to end up in my bar.”

He took the cigarette from her and took a hit. “This is your bar?” He passed the cigarette back, with a curious look.

She nodded. “Yup, it was my grandad’s and I got it when he died.” She put out the cigarette using the bottom of her combat boots. “The old man didn’t want anything to change, so I kept most of the decor the same but added in the open mic night. He loved when I’d perform, so I thought why not open it to other inspiring artists.” She blushed. “Sorry.”

“Why are you sorry, you were just talking about something that interests you?” 

She coughed. “Force of habit, I guess.” 

He smiled. “A force I’d like to help you break.” 

She looked at him, shocked that someone as cool and famous as THE Marshall Mathers wanted anything to do with her. “For real?”

He chuckled, nodding. “Of course.”

She cleared her throat, trying to play it off. “I mean, cool. We will have to wait until after closing time though. I’ve got a bar to run, you know.”

He just shook his head with a smirk. “Of course.”

[emgkheadcannons]

Headcanons about kells get Em's name as a tattoo?

Sorry this took so long.

So I have a few ideas about how Kelly would get Eminem Tattooed on himself.

First Em loves seeing his name, and logo on Kelly. Clothes are great, but something permanent like a tattoo is even better.

Kelly would get it in black since Em prefers black ink, and would either get the tattoo where only EM can see it, if it’s something like his name, or super identifiable, or if it’s something small and discrete, he would get it on his collarbone or the inside of his wrist. He definitely teases EM with it, getting the man all hot and bothered.

------

Another one is that Kelly met Eminem when he was like 15, got Em’s autograph, and ended up getting the signature tattooed on his arm. Then the beef happened and Kelly got a new tattoo to cover up the signature. They end the beef, end up dating, and Em sees an older picture of Kelly, with his signature inked into his boyfriend's skin. The possessive, jealous side of him loves the idea of Machine Gun Kelly having a tattoo of his name, so everyone knows he belongs with Em. The other part wants to know why Kelly covered it with another tattoo.

“Can’t be in the middle of a beef with someone if you have their name tattooed on you.”-K

Em gets it, but he wishes Kelly still had his tattoo.

---Time Skip---

It’s their second anniversary, and they were spending it in Em’s Lakehouse. They haven’t really gotten a chance to see each other in the past few weeks, with both of their lives being so hectic. While getting ready for bed when Em notices a Kelly has something on one of his ass cheeks.

“What in the hell did you do to your ass?”

“Pffft. I got some new ink. Wanna see?”

Kelly turns, so Em can get a better look at the Tattoo. In bold black ink the words 'Property of’ were printed right above his signature, on his pale ass.

Em went to grab the cheek, but stopped. “Is it still sore?”

“Nah man, it’s all healed up. Go ahead.” Kelly answers, with a smirk and wiggles his ass.

That was all Em needed to hear.

---End---

••••••

This one is inspired by the photo set of MGK getting a tattoo @cosmicbash posted and @candy-guns19xx post about tattoos.

Em and Kelly publicly ended their beef and the general public just think they are friends now. The thing is that they are actually dating and have been for a while. They can’t go public with their relationship, and even though the people important to them know they are together, Kelly wanted more. He wanted to be able to go out with Em and hold hands. He wants to do normal boyfriend things with Em.

Eminem loves Kelly, and wishes he could show the other rapper off, like he could with a woman, but the rap industry, and a good part of the world are not okay with that. He wished he could shower Kelly with gifts, have him wear his name, and basically tell the world he was taken, so back off.

It’s Rook who gives Kelly the idea to get a tattoo for Em. They had been hanging out with Slim, and the rest of the crew, after a show when Rook showed Kelly a picture on instagram.

“Dude look at this tattoo.” Rook holds the phone up to slim.

“What the fuck is that supposed to be?” Slim questioned, looking at the horrible tattoo.

“This guy’s wife.” Rook said, trying to not shake with laughter.

“What, no way. Kells come look at this.”

Kelly shuffles over to his friends, looks at the picture and laughs.

“Dude that is terrible”-K

“I know. Who is stupid enough to get a tattoo like that”-R

‘Me’ Kelly thinks. He can’t show off that he is Em’s boyfriend, or wear the other rapper’s stuff out but he could get a tattoo, and he and EM would know what it meant but what kind.

Heading back over to the couch, ignoring the guys Kelly starts to think.

He could get the triangle within the circle symbol, like on the necklace Em used to wear, but no. That symbol was about sobriety, and AA, and Kelly wasn’t going to use that.

He could get some lyrics tattooed, but which ones.

Then it hit him what he wanted.

---Page Break---

A two and a half weeks later Em and Kelly are chilling. Kelly was done with his mini tour and back in detroit with Em. “

Hey my newest tattoo is all healed up. Wanna see it?”-K

Em knew Kells had gotten some new ink, he just hadn’t seen it yet. Nodding his head, he watches as Kelly pulls the waistband of his shorts and boxers. Below and a little to the left of his triple red X’s, are two interlocked M’s.

“What do the M’s stand for”-E

“Marshal Mathers” Kelly says.

Em sits there stunned. His boyfriend got his initials tattooed above his dick. Em stands up and pulls Kelly down into a kiss. When they break apart, Kelly has a smile on his lips, and EM goes to touch the newly healed skin. Gently rubbing it with his thumb, Em looks at Kelly’s eye, blown out with please.

“I like the new ink, looks really nice.” Em purrs to Kells. “Looks like I don’t know your body as well as I used to.”EM then darts up, picks Kelly up, and heads to the bedroom.

[frogoat]

Venom and Eminem

I've recently had a few people ask me my opinion on the song 'Venom' by Eminem for the soundtrack of the titular film. So here we go:

Despite perhaps not being top-tier in terms of his best work, Eminem’s Venom song does hold more merit than might be thought from your first listen. 

For those only familiar with his early hits or present day charting singles, Eminem frequently utilizes more than one persona for his various songs: Eminem (the Rap God), Marshall Mathers (the man behind the facade) and Slim Shady (the dark and offensive Evil Twin). 

Through his early career the artist became mostly associated with his Slim Shady persona, partly because of which songs became hits and which lyrics drew negative media attention and partly because he encouraged it and even enjoyed it. 

Over the years, he's come out with many songs discussing his meteoric rise to fame, his poor handling of the popularity and the scrutiny of media associated with living in the public eye. His marriage fell apart, he was banned in places and demonstrated against. He was a villain because he gave into his dark impulses and didn't care who got hurt as a result. Sound familiar?

Venom started out as a villain who gained popularity exceptionally quickly and was later transitioned into an anti-hero as a result. Often described as an evil counterpart to Spider-Man, the combination of the alien symbiote and former journalist turned obsessive Spidey stalker Eddie Brock, Venom never actually corrupted it's former host Spider-Man. In fact, until Eddie came along the symbiote was merely a glorified tool, an extension of the hosts will. Under Eddie's influence Venom suddenly became a fearsome malevolence that hurt and killed those in their way without remorse and justified and rationalized their actions so as to never blame themselves. 

'Ever since I came along From the day the song called "Hi! My Name Is" dropped Started thinking my name was fault 'Cause anytime things went wrong I was the one who they would blame it on The media made me the equivalent of a modern-day Genghis Khan'

--Guts Over Fear

Further into his career, Em tried to transition himself into a more sympathetic light, with more singles and album tracks focusing on his personal struggles and private life, while still maintaining the harder edge and unapologetic attitude that made him famous. In terms of trajectory, this very much mirrors Venom's repositioning into an anti-hero in the comics. In more recent times we've seen Em address his own status as a villain in the industry including attempts to make amends with such songs as 'Headlights' and 'Bad Husband' as well as more vulnerable songs like 'Walk on Water' and ‘In Your Head’. 

‘Hailie, baby, I didn't mean to make you eighty/Percent of what I rapped about/ Maybe I shoulda did a better job at separating/Shady and entertaining from real life/But this fame thing is still the hardest thing to explain/It's the craziest shit I/Ever seen, and back then it was like I ain't even/Bothered taking into consideration/You one day being older and may hear me say things/I didn’t (A) mean and (B) just ain’t me/’

--In Your Head

There's almost a one to one comparison between the character of Venom and the artist Marshall Mathers. Eddie blames others or deflects responsibility for his behaviour, as Em often dismissed criticism of his foul and offensive lyrics as just his art - the work of his evil other half, Slim Shady- not intended to be taken seriously. Both became overnight hits, both became more sympathetic overtime and both seemingly flit between the role of villain and anti-hero in their respective mediums and in the eyes of fans.

The song Venom itself makes for a microcosm of themes. The song starts by claiming it's for those who've been given a 'raw deal' and are feeling angry. This can be read as referring to both Eddie Brock and Marshall himself when they were at low points in life. then we are introduced to a few themes with 'When something's in your mitochondrial/ 'Cause it latched on to you' conjuring images of the alien symbiote and 'Knock knock, let the devil in, malevolent/ As I've ever been, head spinnin', this medicine' using the symbiote as a metaphor for his past drug dependence and bad behaviour. These ideas reoccur throughout the song, with shifting meanings as the song progresses. 'shoulda been dead a long time ago' can also be read as referring to both Em's near death experience via overdose before going sober and Eddie Brock's attempted suicide and/or cancer diagnosis before finding the symbiote.

 The chorus makes reference to the erratic behaviour of both Eddie and Marshall with ' Venom, (I got that) adrenaline momentum/ And I'm not knowin' when I'm/ Ever gonna slow up and I'm/ Ready to snap any moment I'm/ Thinkin' it's time to go get 'em/ (W-w-when they get bit with the-)/ Venom'. There's also not-so-subtle references here to the adrenaline rush a person feels when using certain drugs, which also describes the way Eddie feels when empowered by the alien symbiote. 

Another commonality, Venom and Eminem are known for using descriptions of over the top violent acts, often for humourous effect. The humour is also juxtaposed against the dark themes of the song or the actions taken. This can be seen to address the power fantasy of both Eddie Brock’s newfound abilities and Marshall's fame and influence, which inevitably results in them abusing their abilities and status. Tell me that doesn’t remind you of anyone else?

'Then I wait to face the demons I'm bonded to/ 'Cause they're chasin' me but I'm part of you/ So escapin' me is impossible/ I latch onto you like a—parasite/ And I probably ruined your parents' life/ And your childhood too/'Cause if I'm the music that y'all grew up on/I'm responsible for you retarded fools/ I'm the super villain Dad and Mom was losin' their marbles to/ You marvel that? Eddie Brock is you/ And I'm the suit, so call me—/ Venom'

While the symbiote is initially used as a way to talk about the dark side of Marshall's personality, fame and former drug addiction, by the song’s conclusion he admits that despite his decade of sobriety and efforts to change, the darkness always resided within him. Unlike Eddie Brock, Marshall is taking responsibility for his actions. However, if Em is the symbiote suit, then he's granting great power, and it's up to the audience ('Eddie Brock is you') to use it responsibly.

Or maybe it's all just a catchy song to sell records?

[intentshq]

✎ 🏷 ･ﾟ:* ⇢ ˗ˏˋ  welcome to camp intent CAMILLE (CABIN OAK) ! we’ll handle your bags if you just make your way to your cabin and get settled ! see you at the lake !

isabelle mathers is now taken

✎ 🏷 ･ﾟ:* ⇢ ˗ˏˋ isabelle mathers. cisfemale. twenty. she/her. ⇢ welcome to camp, { CAMILLE CONRAD } ! hope you’re ready for an experience you’ll dream about the rest of your life. thank you for completing our survey before you got here. so to make sure, you’re afraid of { HEIGHTS, CLOSED SPACES AND BEING BURIED ALIVE} ? it also says you signed up because { SHE WANTED TO CELEBRATE A YEAR OF SOBRIETY } ? one last question. you have { 780k } followers on { INSTAGRAM } ? perfect. and don’t worry, no one will find out about { REDACTED }. just make sure you’re never around camp alone. || ess. 18+. gmt+1.

[youngandhungryent]

Eminem Celebrates 12 Years Of Sobriety Via Social Media

Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty

Eminem has been candid about his struggles with addiction and shared his road to recovery over the past decade and more. The veteran Detroit rapper shared a milestone with fans regarding his sobriety.

Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, took to Instagram to share that he’s now been sober from drugs for 12 years, this after an overdose of methadone became his rock bottom moment. The post has been liked well over 1 million times so far.

In a post that went out to his 29 million followers on Instagram, the 47-year-old star shared his 12-year achievement button and wrote in the caption for the image, “Clean dozen, in the books! I’m not afraid.”

The caption references Eminem’s 2010 smash hit “Not Afraid from his seventh studio album, Recovery. Some hail the record as a sobriety anthem and was one of Eminem’s biggest crossover hits.

Check out the Instagram post below and salute to Eminem for reaching his “Clean dozen.”

View this post on Instagram

Clean dozen, in the books! I’m not afraid.

A post shared by Marshall Mathers (@eminem) on Apr 20, 2020 at 6:43pm PDT

—

Photo: Getty

source https://hiphopwired.com/855901/eminem-12-years-sober/

[thesinglesjukebox]

NEON TREES - USED TO LIKE

[6.62]

Seems like we still do…

Alfred Soto: Apparently The Singles Jukebox has a history reviewing Neon Trees, and, interestingly, so have I. The guitar crunch and enthusiastic chorus promise pre-hip-hop pleasures — by a CMJ-beloved quartet in 1986, say. In a timeline devoid of verities, young bands must make their own. Or find them. [4]

Kylo Nocom: When rock radio acts are either annoyingly ubiquitous or complete one-hit-wonders, Neon Trees being a two-hit wonder always seems to make their legacy a bit awkward given that it seems like it barely exists. Of course, “Everybody Talks” and “Animal” remain among the best pop rock hits of the century so far with their incessant twee energy. Even if the title phrase could read as a self-aware Hail Mary attempt à la “Never Really Over,” “Used to Like” has a confidence that suggests a reality in which their style of nervy power pop has always remained en vogue. The highlights include the pseudo-“Fireflies” synth melody and the bridge’s glitched breakdown — certainly features that date the song, yet feel indescribably joyful right now. [8]

Tobi Tella: Less schticky and more honest than I expected from the band, but also trends less interesting. I appreciate the attempt at propulsion and fun in the chorus and bridge, but I think going a little further would’ve given it more impact. [6]

Edward Okulicz: The groove is rubbery, the hook is dinky, the song as a whole is… cuddly? That can’t have been the goal, but like the accidental invention of Teflon, the result sticks, it just works. [7]

Brad Shoup: The line “get back to what you used to like about me” might be… a little emblematic, but hearing Tyler Glenn murder some vowels in the bridge really did send me back. After all this time, Neon Trees’ pneumatic new wave remains more uncanny than one thousand hypnagogic pop acts. [7]

Ian Mathers: There is, of course, a tinge of self-loathing to the idea of going back to what used to be likeable, or loveable, or even just tolerable, about yourself. Not only have circumstances shifted away from what you want (now, although god knows we often don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone), but we’re placing the blame and the solution strictly on ourselves. Of course, demanding that someone else “gets back to what you used to like about me” puts it in the realm of the person who changed on you showing up at your door and expecting you to act like nothing happened. Which doesn’t make them nice, but nice isn’t always the same as appealing. [7]

Andy Hutchins: The parallel paths of Neon Trees and The Killers — bands of Mormons and ex-Mos from desert lands that toured together because the latter essentially discovered the former — fascinate me. The Killers struck with classically rock songs and have kept both making those songs and getting weirder for 20 years, becoming one of the biggest bands in the world at a time despite their singles having no purchase at pop radio: They haven’t had a top-40 hit since Brandon Flowers immortally wondered “Are we human or are we dancer?” and yet released a platinum album in 2012 and an album that debuted at No. 1 in 2017; a third is due this spring, and it’s probably going to be even more of Flowers making his band the millennial equivalent to U2. It’s probably going to be pretty good and sell even if it barely registers in the pop mainstream. Tyler Glenn, on the other hand, is the kind of former Mormon who’ll spit on Joseph Smith and revel in a lack of sobriety while working toward 15 years of trying to write the perfect pop song. “Used to Like” is not that, but its energy jangles, and its romanticizing of the liquored-up fuck-up Glenn is happy to play is at least trying to make an anti-hero compelling. Especially while The Weeknd is in the midst of working the same gimmick on the other end of the dial as a Vegas tourist, it’s nice to have a local providing the view from the ground, raging against his own dying of the light. [6]

Jackie Powell: Tyler Glenn told Billboard in November that “Used to Like” is about the pain that comes and goes when a co-dependent relationship shatters. That much is clear in the visual treatment. The loneliness is given a very modern image that is overused in our 2020 vernacular: the ghost. A white sheet/ghost figure follows Glenn through the void of his own loss. He meets someone at a bar and the mood changes. The ghost steps aside and stops its pursuit, but by the end of the clip, we see that Glenn didn’t slay the ghost. It greets him in the morning leaving him feeling melancholy. The track itself is a well-mixed solute of the entire Neon Trees discography, giving fans nostalgia while also inviting in newcomers who want to rock out and simultaneously feel a bit droopy. Producer Mike Green mixes the melodic and rhythm guitar of Habits, the dark ’80s synths of Picture Show and a touch of the high energy but depressing undertones of Pop Psychology. Glenn’s storytelling is like a three-minute brisk workout all about modern love that runs circles around the New York Times column and its corresponding Amazon Prime series. It simply does the job with more energy and speed. Elaine Bradley’s drumming keeps the tempo and the track moving because when her beat keeping cuts out with seven seconds remaining, Glenn brings his “yeah yeah yeahs” down the octave and down a dynamic, symbolizing that the marathon has been run. The lesson has been learned. This track aids with the transitional emotional journey that we don’t really talk about. But do we really talk about why people used to like each other anyway? Maybe Glenn is saying we should. [8]

[thekillerblogofkillers]

Randy Steven Kraft (1945-?) PART THREE

At 1:10am on May 14, 1983, 2 California Highway Patrol officers saw a Toyota Celica driving erratically on the Interstate 5 Freeway in the Orange County community of Mission Viejo. Having seen the vehicle perform an illegal lane change, the officers, suspecting the driver was drunk, signalled for the vehicle to stop. The driver slowed the vehicle down to a halt and got out of the car, throwing the contents of a beer bottle onto the pavement as he did. Officer Michael Sterling met the individual, who identified himself as Randy Kraft, at the front of his patrol car and saw that his jeans were unbuttoned. Sterling performed a sobriety test on Kraft. He failed. Kraft was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Sterling’s partner, Sgt. Michael Howard approached the Celica and saw a young man slumped with his eyes closed and empty beer bottles strewn around his feet. Howard tried to wake the man, and got no response to his verbal efforts. Howard tried to wake the man by shaking his arm, only to notice that the man had a very low body temperature. Having felt for a pulse, Howard noted that the man was dead – a ligature mark was visible around his neck. Lifting the jacket from the deceased man’s lap, Howard saw that the victim’s jeans had been opened to expose his genitals. The deceased’s hands had been bound with shoelace and his wrists showed welt marks. He had been strangled to death. He was later identified as 25-year-old Marine Terry Lee Gambrel, who had been stationed at El Toro Air Base. Kraft was initially charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and held in custody while detectives conducted a search of his vehicle. On the rear seat of the car they found a belt, the width of which matched the bruising around Gambrel’s neck. Other evidence found included alcohol, tranquilisers, various prescription drugs and stimulants. The passenger seat and carpet of the vehicle was heavily bloodstained but Gambrel had no open wounds. Investigators removed the upholstery for forensic analysis. The results confirmed that the blood was human. Beneath the carpet, investigators found an envelope with over 50 pictures of young men in pornographic poses. Many of the men in the pictures appeared to be either asleep or dead. Inside the trunk of Kraft’s car, investigators found a ring binder containing a hand-written list of coded notations. A search of Kraft’s home revealed more incriminating evidence, including clothes and personal possessions from numerous young men who had been murdered over the last decade. Fibers taken from a rug matched those found on victim Scott Hughes. The couch in Kraft’s living room was identified as being the one in the photos found in Kraft’s car.

The coded list of 61 printed terms and phrases found in Kraft’s car is believed to refer to each of Kraft’s victims. Many entries appear innocent, but each is believed to correspond to a specific murder victim or double murder. Several entries clearly refer to victims’ names (for example, “EDM” are the initials of Edward Daniel Moore, “Vince M” refers to victim Vincent Mestas). In other cases, entries indicate torture or mutilation inflicted on the victims’ bodies and/or places they were last seen. The entry “Marine Head BP” is believed to refer to victim Mark Marsh, a Marine found decapitated having last hitchhiking near Buena Park. Other entries refer to body dump locations. The entry “Golden Sails” refers to the fact that the body of Craig Jonaitis was discovered in the parking lot of the Golden Sails Hotel. The list also contains entries indicating at least 4 double murders – “GR2” (victims Dennis Alt and Christopher Schoenborn, last seen in Grand Rapids), “2 in 1 Beach” (victims Geoffrey Nelson and Rodger DeVaul), “2 in 1 Hitch” and “2 in 1 MV to PL” (neither of these entries has been linked to any double murder or disappearance to date). Investigators believe that 2 victims whose murders Kraft was convicted of do not appear on the list (Eric Church and Terry Gambrel), but since the list is coded, it is possible that Eric Church is included using a reference that police just haven’t linked to him. Terry Gambrel may also be on the list, but as Kraft was arrested whilst trying to dispose of the body, it is possible he may not have added an entry for him yet. These possibilities indicate that the scorecard lists a minimum of 65 and a possible 67 victims. The entry on Kraft’s scorecard reading “Navy White” is believed to refer to 17-year-old James Sean Cox, a Marine stationed at Mather Air Force Base who was last seen on September 29, 1974, hitchhiking near Interstate 5. His body was found several weeks later in Rancho Santa Fe. At the time of his disappearance, Cox was dressed in his white navy uniform. Another entry on the scorecard reading “Iowa” is believed to refer to 18-year-old U.S. Marine Oral Alfred Stuart, Jr. Stuart was born in Iowa and his body was discovered near a Long Beach condo in November 1974. He had died as the result of blunt force trauma. His body was unidentified until March 2012. Investigators noticed a similar MO in the murder and body dump of Oral Stuart to that of Kraft’s known victims. 22 of Kraft’s estimated 67 victims remain unrecovered and unidentified. This is large due to the fact that the killings occurred in several different states, with the bodies being dumped in various locations.

On May 16, 1983, Kraft was charged with the murder of Terry Lee Gambrel. By September 8, investigators had interviewed over 700 witnesses and gathered more than 250 pieces of physical evidence that pointed to Kraft’s guilt in a further 15 homicides committed between December 1972 and February 1983. Kraft was charged with these 15 further homicides (Edward Moore, Kevin Bailey, Ronnie Wiebe, Keith Crotwell, Mark Hall, Scott Hughes, Roland Young, Richard Keith, Keith Klingbeil, Michael Inderbieten, Donald Crisel, Robert Loggins, Eric Church, Rodger DeVaul, Geoffrey Nelson, Terry Lee Gambrel) as well as 2 counts of sodomy and 1 of emasculation on September 8. Kraft’s trial began on September 26, 1988 in Orange County before Judge Donald A. McCartin.

At trial, nearly 160 witnesses were called to testify on behalf of the prosecution and over 1000 exhibits were introduced as evidence. This evidence all pointed to Kraft’s guilt and included physical evidence such as bloodstains and hair/fiber evidence found at Kraft’s Long Beach home and in his vehicle, fingerprints found on glass shards found at the scene of Mark Hall’s murder, the negatives and photographs of young men who had been identified as murder victims found hidden in Kraft’s car which showed the youths either dead, drugged or asleep and which backgrounds revealed they had been taken in Kraft’s home or in his car, in addition to the belt used to strangle Terry Gambrel and the prescription drugs and buck knife found in his car. Other evidence included work and travel records and gasoline receipts which put Kraft in locations where victims had been abducted and/or dumped and the personal possessions of various murder victims found in Kraft’s possession following his arrest.

Kraft’s defence relied on alibis and alternate suspects. His attorneys dismissed much of the evidence as being circumstantial and they tried to portray Kraft as an articulate, hardworking, upstanding member of the community. They did not deny that the 16 victims for whose murder their client was on trial for were in fact murder victims, but they argued they were “victims of someone, but not Randy Kraft.” The defence stated that several of 16 victims had originally been believed by investigators to have been killed by 1 of 2 other serial killers (William Bonin and Patrick Kearney) and argued there was “no concrete evidence” that Kraft had killed any of the victims. The trial lasted 13 months and would be the most expensive trial in Orange County history. On April 29, 1989, each side began closing arguments, which lasted for 3 days. The prosecution again listed all of the physical and circumstantial evidence that suggested Kraft’s guilt and the defence argued as to the circumstantial case the prosecution had put forward that indicated all the murders were connected and accused them of “glossing over” the truth. The jury deliberated for 11 days before reaching a verdict. On May 12, 1989, the jury found Kraft guilty of 16 counts of murder, 1 count of sodomy and 1 count of emasculation.

On June 5, 1989, the same jury reconvened to hear further testimony from the prosecution and defence as to Kraft’s penalty. This phase of the trial lasted until August and at this point the prosecution introduced evidence of several more homicides committed in Oregon and Michigan which they were certain Kraft was responsible for and for which he had not been tried in Orange County. The defence dismissed the prosecution’s argument as being “highly speculative” and introduced new testimony relating to a PET scan performed on Kraft which, they claimed, showed abnormalities in the frontal lobes of Kraft’s brain, reducing his ability to control emotion and impulse. The prosecution rebuffed this argument by stating: “There is nothing wrong with Mr. Kraft’s mind other than that he likes killing for sexual satisfaction”, adding that the fact that his family and friends found it difficult to believe had killed anyone simply showed “what a good salesman he is.” On August 11, 1989, the jury recommended the death penalty. 3 months later, on November 29, Judge McCartin formally sentenced Kraft to death. The sentence was upheld by the California Supreme Court on August 11, 2000. Kraft remains on death row at the San Quentin State Prison. He continues to deny guilt in any of the murders, both convicted and suspected.