Review by Steve 'Flash' Juon

Artist: Eminem
Title: 3 A.M.
Label: Aftermath/Interscope Records

"It's 3 A.M. in the morning
Put my key in the door and
Bodies laying all over the floor and
I don't remember how they got there
But I guess I must have killed 'em
Killed 'em"

Someone in Eminem's camp must have been stung by the criticism that "We Made You" was too silly, too fluffy and too pop. (Personally I think it's exactly the first single Eminem needed for his return, but whatever.) The Dr. Dre produced "3 A.M." answers all of those critics with a vengeance, as the malicious and menacing melody of dark keys and buzzing bass sounds sinister throughout Em's psychotic syllables. It's vaguely reminiscent of "The Way I Am," which is something we haven't heard from Marshall in 9 years, although his vocal delivery is higher pitched and much more confrontational here. The flow however is trademark Eminem, following the beat while simultaneously following a pattern that only he can hear in his head when he's jotting down the rhymes. The third verse in particular takes things to a new high (low?) with fluidly delivered rapid fire lyrics like "I remember the first time I dismembered a family member, December I think it was" in non-stop stream of conciousness. If you wanted Marshall Mathers to get back to his roots, where his raps could be funny and disturbing all at the same time, the "3 A.M." single fully succeeds.