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(20 votes, average: 3.65 out of 5)

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Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known by his stage name Eminem and by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. In addition to his solo career, Eminem is a member of his group D12, as well as one half of the hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, alongside Royce da 5’9″. Eminem is one of the world’s best-selling music artists and is the best-selling artist of the 2000s.  He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by many magazines, including Rolling Stone magazine which ranked him 82nd on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.  The same magazine declared him The King of Hip Hop.  Including his work with D12 and Bad Meets Evil, Eminem has achieved ten number-one albums on the Billboard 200. His worldwide albums sales stand at more than 115 million, singles 120 million, and the estimated sale of over 220 million records worldwide.  In the United States, he has sold 49.1 million albums and 42 million tracks.

After releasing his independent debut album Infinite in August 1996, Eminem rose to mainstream popularity with the release of his February 1999 album The Slim Shady LP. The LP also earned Eminem his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. His next two records The Marshall Mathers LP, and The Eminem Show, also won Best Rap Album Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. This was followed by another studio release in November 2004 titled Encore. Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his fifth album Relapse in May 2009. In June 2010, Eminem released his seventh studio album Recovery. Recovery was an international success and was named the best selling album of 2010 worldwide, joining The Eminem Show, which was the best seller of 2002. Eminem won Grammy Awards for both Relapse and Recovery, giving him a total of 13 Grammys in his career, making him the best-selling rap album artist of all-time.

Track listing

1. Bad Guy
2. Parking Lot (Skit)
3. Rhyme or Reason
4. So Much Better
5. Survival
6. Legacy
7. Asshole Ft Skylar Grey
8. Berzerk
9. Rap God
10. Brainless
11. Stronger Than I Was
12. The Monster Ft Rihanna
13. So Far
14. Love Game Ft Kendrick Lamar
15. Headlights Ft Nate Ruess
16. Evil Twin

Track by track review and rating

1. Bad Guy- A very simple beat leads this album off.  That allows his lyrics to come through very well.  From the start you can tell Eminem has found his groove again.  The hook is very low key but works great against the anger and angst in the verses.  9/10
2. Parking Lot (Skit)- Short skit that tells a short story of robbery through sounds.  N/A
3. Rhyme or Reason- The beat takes a sample from the 1968 track “Time Of The Season” by The Zombies, although Eminem plays off the sample in the hook.  While other Horrorcore rappers have sampled this track Eminem’s flow and style compliment it really well.  The angst continues in this track and plays well against the mellow hook.  8/10
4. So Much Better- This track has the same beat as his classic song Criminal with a few slight changes.  The verses are a flash back to his classic theme of woman hating.  The entire vibe of the track will have old school fans excited.  His wordplay is in the forefront again and it shows his talent very well.  9/10
5. Survival- This track was his second official single off the album and debuted within a Call of Duty: Ghosts commercial.  The beat is a little slower than others on the album but that allows his verses to flow in and out of it.  The verses are hard hitting and very motivational.  A nice commercial style track that works well with his style.  9/10
6. Legacy- The beat in this track is very, very simple.  The verses are recorded in an almost distant tone.  The hook is ok but brings down the track a little with the monotone singing.  7/10
7. Asshole Ft Skylar Grey- The beat in this track is great.  The verses flow very well over the beat and his wordplay is once again highlighted here.  The theme of the track is a massive middle finger to everyone who says he can’t change.  His tone is very deliberate and pointed.  This is one of the best tracks on the album.  10/10
8. Berzerk- The first single off this album tips its hat to the classic roots of hip hop.  The feel of the track is very Beastie Boys/1980’s but it works.  Old School Hip Hop heads will dig this one for sure.  He samples the Beastie Boys and the power chords from Billy Squire’s “The Stroke”.  Overall a great track to jam with.  9/10
9. Rap God- The third single released from this album.  The beat in this track is more complicated but not so much it takes away from the lyrics.  The verses show the listener that Eminem is back in full force.  At around the 4:25 mark he raps in “supersonic speed” and shows many doubters why he is one of, if not the greatest lyricists in the business.  The theme makes it very clear he is well aware that many people coming up in the game are after his crown.  There are several disses in this track but those whom he dissed should take it as a sign of respect.  10/10
10. Brainless- Another complex beat in this track.  The verses themselves are very A.D.D. in content but express very well what he is trying to say.  The hook does not really do anything for the track as a whole.  7/10
11. Stronger Than I Was- This beat goes back to a simpler form.  The lyrics are very motivational and are easily felt by the listener.  He takes us all on a tale of heartbreak and rebirth in love.  This is a rare glimpse into his inner thoughts and relationships.  8/10
12. The Monster Ft Rihanna- This was the fourth single released from the album.  It is also the fourth collaboration he has done with Rihanna to date.  The beat is nothing outstanding but the lyrics speak of Rihanna coming to grips with her inner demons while the verses speak of Eminem pondering the negative effects of his fame.  7/10
13. So Far- This track is a remake of Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” and Schoolly D’d “P.S.K. What Does It Mean?”  Overall a decent remake although it comes off as a Frankenstein hybrid of three different tracks.  An enjoyable track though most hard core Eminem fans might not feel what he is doing here.  8/10
14. Love Game Ft Kendrick Lamar- This track features samples from the Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders song “Game Of Love” Once again he samples classic rock tracks but makes them seamlessly work with his style.  Kendrick Lamar adds a nice verse and the hook works here despite the little kid in it.  8/10
15. Headlights Ft Nate Ruess- This track features the front man for the group Fun in the hook.  The hook is simple but works.  The verses show that Eminem has grown up and realized that some of his actions in the past have not been for the best.  This track is his attempt to reconcile with his mother and shows he has grown and began to realize what is really important despite what may have happened in the past.  9/10
16. Evil Twin- A very dark and hard hitting beat in this track.  The verses are very angry and take us back to Eminem’s roots.  This track will appeal to a horror core audience much in the way 3 a.m. did.  A nice track to round out and finish the album.  9/10

 Overall Album Rating: 8.5 /10

Conclusion:  In this album we see the growth of Eminem not only as a lyricist but also as a person.  He combines a lot of old school style and flow with some grown up themes and flavor.  While most fans of ICP will take his mentioning the clowns in multiple songs as a diss there will be a lot that see it for what it is, Eminem paying respect to a group from Detroit that went a different path and still made a very successful career.  This album is a glimpse that Eminem has returned in full force in the business.  This album is highly recommended for fans of true hip hop and rap.

Favorite Tracks:

1. Asshole Ft Skylar Grey
2. Rap God

Length:

• 78 Minutes 13 Seconds

Record Label:

• Shady/Aftermath

Release Date:

• 11/05/2013

Purchase:

• iTunes - $11.99
• iTunes Deluxe - $15.99

Websites:

• Eminem

Reviewer:

• Juggalotus