new Eminem – Number One audio (Produced by Dr. Dre) supposedly from Relapse
There is a good reason why no one knows the name of Eminem’s band, and “D-12 World” is proof why. The highly criticized sidekicks of Eminem; Proof, Bizarre, Swifty, Kon Artist & Kuniva, have lived under a microscope ever since they stepped foot in the Hip Hop industry. It’s tough enough for a group of talent less emcees to make it, but when you have to follow in the footsteps of an individual the likes of Eminem, the journey is even harder. While their debut album “Devil’s Night” was a solid offering that capitalized off of the groups shock value, there was no question that without Marshall Mathers the album would have never been equally as good. In fact, the entire world knows that D-12 is a group completely run by Eminem. The only problem is the rest of D-12 must have missed the memo.
In a day and age where the most talented emcees continue to drop disappointing albums, it’s hard to put faith in any hip-hop artist. This year alone, we’ve heard questionable albums from people that had the potential to drop classic material. Far too often, an artist is faced with two choices. He can try something new, and risk failure by disappointing his original fans. Or he can stay stagnant, “giving the people what they want,” and risk failure by getting played out. Eminem walks that line, by touching on new topics while still adding the wild antics that got him where he is. It’s comforting to hear an artist that hasn’t given in to industry standards, and despite added success, still keeps his core audience in mind when recording. Young Marshall has a habit of causing controversy, and attracting an audience that normally doesn’t listen to a hip-hop, but he’s still one of the most consistent artists in today’s rap industry.
From the first time I heard Eminem (1997 on the ‘Slim Shady EP’) I was immediately a fan. I then checked out his album ‘Infinite’ which didn’t really grab me as much as the EP, but seeing as the EP was more recent I decided to keep a look out for any future appearances of his.
Eminem hasn’t failed in any way to impress me both on the singles that he’s dropped and the appearances that he’s made. During the last year Eminem has collaborated with everyone from Bizarre to Da Ruckus. None of his appearances have been disappointing which is also a good sign.
Has Eminem just lost it, or has he simply run out of ideas? Either way, Eminem’s highly anticipated release, “Encore”, is his worst album to date. With a combination of bland production, horrendous hooks and gimmicky concepts, “Encore” is a strange album that finds a confused Eminem. One moment Em sticks to his guns and produces his usual assortment of lyrically brilliant songs, while the next minute, he is consumed with producing childish and immature pop songs that will have every Hip Hop fan scratching his head. It is this fight between Em’s Hip Hop and pop side that ultimately divides the album, making for one of the most disappointing albums of the year.
“I used to like Eminem, until I got ‘The Real Slim Shady’ rammed down my throat, played to death. I mean, it was a good song, good lyrics etc. but I got sick of it, hearing it so much.” Well, that’s a stellar reason to no longer like an artist. You’d be surprised as to how many times I’ve heard words along those lines. It seems that as soon as an artist becomes successful, and the media takes over, noticing what sort of a draw the artist’s material has – that the artist all of a sudden has fallen off. Or has sold out. This doesn’t make too much sense to anyone who is able to see through the fog, but few seem able to penetrate the mist.
As the rain came pouring down on fifty five thousand fans in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for Hot 97’s Summer Jam 10, the world’s biggest Hip Hop artist Eminem, took the stage to a crowd heading for the exits. While Eminem has dominated the Hip Hop world ever since his introduction back on “The Slim Shady LPâ€, on June 3rd his accolades meant nothing to a stadium more concerned with seeing the hottest artist of the moment, 50 Cent.
Looking at the “8 Mile Soundtrack’s” track listing one might think this album has the chance to be one of the greatest soundtracks ever released. 5 new Eminem tracks and brand new Xzibit, 50 Cent, Jay-z, Nas, Gangstarr and Rakim tracks! The lineup is simply amazing! However, looks can be deceiving and that’s exactly the story with the “8 Mile Soundtrack”.