In the live arena, he seems more like the hip-hop equivalent of baseball’s Garth Brooks.Įminem, however, came across as an absolute giant in direct comparison to his protege 50 Cent.įollowing an opening set by Lil Jon, which some fans missed while waiting in long lines to pass through metal detectors on their way into the building, 50 Cent took the stage and immediately showed how little he has learned about performing live since he played the Roc the Mic Tour with Jay-Z at Shoreline in 2003. In the studio, he comes across like the rap version of country music’s Garth Brooks, a performer who is able to cross boundaries and connect with listeners from all walks of life. Eminem, given the strength of his material, should be able to knock one out of the park every time he comes to bat. The show was fraught with pacing problems, curious musical decisions, numerous hip-hop cliches and far too much clutter, mostly in the form of guest rappers. The 90-minute set was occasionally spectacular, often downright boring, and it never jelled in a fashion even remotely approaching what the star routinely accomplishes in the studio. It was pretty much the same deal as Eminem headlined the Anger Management 3 Tour at HP Pavilion on Tuesday night. But it’s also coming from a person who has seen the rapper basically every time he’s performed in the Bay Area since the release of 1999’s groundbreaking “Slim Shady LP.”įrom the Up in Smoke Tour at the HP Pavilion in San Jose in 2000 to his headlining gig at the Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View in 2002, the result has always been the same: a maddeningly uneven live performance by the most consistently entertaining recording artist in hip-hop.

Eminem a rap genius – but live act isn’t – East Bay Times Close Menuĭespite being the top-selling artist in rap history, and an undisputed lyrical genius, Eminem has yet to prove that he can be a truly great live performer.Īdmittedly, that assessment is coming from someone who never had the chance to witness the rapper battle, and belittle, other MCs in cutting contests at Detroit clubs in the’90s.

Eminem show live concert