About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
Eminem invites you to feel his pain on this Boi-1da-produced number from Recovery.
Pros
- Steeped in Boi-1da's bouncy charm
- Heartwrenching lyrics from a master poet
Cons
- None
Description
- First single from Recovery
- Produced by Boi-1da
- Eminem raps in his normal voice
Guide Review - Eminem - "Not Afraid"
The first single off Recovery is the exquisitely expressive, appropriately titled "Not Afraid." Eminem is a master poet with an innate ability to make even the mundane sound compelling.
Boi-1da's shimmering production and Em's sensitive lyrics entwine on this knocker. This is Marshall's bittersweet life lessons summed up in four minutes. He exorcises personal demons and pledges devotion to fatherhood and musichood simultaneously. Ultimately, he manages to say all the right things while steering clear of a histrionic outburst.