The first hint to what to expect from the album is evident in the cover. It’s dark, cliché, but still appealing. Ever since Nas popularized the baby on an album cover, it kind of ruined it for other artists to do the same. Just like the cover, the album is repetitive and overdone. Boasting at 17 tracks, it seems like Trice just threw together a conglomerate of unfinished and repetitive ideas that don’t necessarily take fruition. Although the album is the most light-hearted works of Trice, it is still ridden with dark tones that are evident in his lyrics, and haunting production. But overall the album is a satisfactory effort. It may not be someone’s next favorite album, but definitely has some tracks that are worth listening to.

The album first opens up with, “Intro,” a humble ode and thank you to all of Trice’s supporters like Shady Records, his label mates, and fans. However it is not Trice’s lyrics that are the attention grabber it is Dr.Dre’s production. Granted, it’s not Dre’s best work, but the piano chords are simple, repetitive, and addictive. And unfortunately, Trice’s lackluster flow doesn’t do it justice. Instead of using his aggressive, hard hitting rap lines, his delivery is far too simplistic.

Although Dr Dre sets the bar high in terms of production, once the album progresses it simmers down to a small spark. The repetitive production of syncopated hand claps, palpating bass drums, and minimal piano samples all mesh the songs together, leaving the album as a rushed production. It seems that after six long years, Trice just gathered a few tracks together as an effort to finally put something out. It leaves the listener sifting through remnants of tracks in search of the next best song. However, the album is predictable and the listener gets what they expect from any good hiphop artist; aggressive hooks marked with a consistent flow, and adequate production with cohesive ideas. Trice isn’t taking risks and it works for him.

However there are a few songs that do shine not only instrumentally, but also lyrically. Eminem’s haunting delivery (with his staple Slim Shady accent) and Satik Selektah’s reggae influenced beat, make “Richard” one of the best songs on the album. The boastful nature, but whimsical delivery in the lyrics, “Just call me Richard, cause I’m a dick,” make the song’s concept hilarious, and fun. The light nature of the album is a breath of fresh air from the all too serious and almost pretentious approach most rappers take in their lyricism.

Bottoms Up is all in all an adequate project. It’s not subpar but neither is it innovative. But to be honest, it probably shouldn’t be. Even if it boasts the production from acclaimed producers, the label switch from Shady Records and six-year time span could have served as the culprits for a lackluster record.

Let me backtrack a bit by saying that, lyrically, there’s nothing wrong with Eminem or Royce Da 5’9”, Eminem’s other half in Bad Meets Evil. Hell: The Sequel is a compilation of supremely timed verse-spitting, with Eminem and Royce trading bars with effortless ease and throwing down fiery lyrics that are so well enunciated they could act as the beat itself (see: “Fast Lane”). In fact, sometimes I wish they did.

Which brings me to my next point. I’ve never been a huge fan of the melodic part of Eminem’s songs. When I think of Eminem, my mind is whisked back to eighth grade; I’m just coming into my rap maturity and the pubescent boys in my class are torturing me at recess, backing themselves up toward me and boorishly repeating, “my bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips.” Shudder. Ok, so I have deep-seeded personal issues with this particular song, but the annoyance factor found on the track “The Real Slim Shady” off the album The Marshall Mathers LP – both lyrically and musically – continues throughout Eminem’s career. And it doesn’t stop with Hell: The Sequel.

While Hell: The Sequel stands out on a few levels –lines upon lines of piercing lyricism, well-timed verses – the rest of it falls flat. In general, Hell: The Sequel doesn’t stray too far from what Eminem’s done in the past. He’s still spouting homophobic slurs, he’s still claiming he’ll stomp on lesser rap fools, and he’s still the good old playboy we all know, as evidenced by the lyric “if you ain’t suckin’ a dick, why you sittin’ there?” in the track “A Kiss.” Sound familiar?

The real turning point for me, though, happened when I heard the track “Lighters”. This song can only be characterized one way: disaster. Maybe I’m unfairly biased against Bruno Mars, and I’m probably in the minority; that’s fine, I can live with that. But this track proves to me what I just didn’t want to be true — Hell: The Sequel was made for radio play, plain and simple. “Lighters’” sweet-sounding melody combined with Mars’s sensual boy band-reminiscent voice will no doubt incite gaggles of 14-year-old girls to exclaim praise on their Facebooks. It’s a con, it’s dirty, and it has nothing to do with the rest of the album. Hell: The Sequel is simply not for 14-year-old girls.

Lesser-known but no less talented Royce Da 5’9” (or Nickel Nine as he’s also known) is a formidable force on Hell: The Sequel as he proves he can throw down intoxicating wordplay right on par with Eminem. While, yes, he’s one half of Bad Meets Evil, I still can’t blame him for the lackluster beats because, in my mind, that’s Eminem’s domain. That’s how he’s been doing it since the album “Infinite” in 1996, and that’s how he does it now. Royce’s album “Street Hop” (2009) can prove my point that what’s lacking on Hell: The Sequel is simply not his fault.

Listen to Hell: The Sequel. I promise mind-blowing rhyming skills. I promise laugh-out-loud entertainment. I don’t promise something you’ve never heard before.

Where can I start?  The very first rap album that I ever had was The Slim Shady LP. I must have been in grade five or six when my best friend Jesse Taylor told me to listen to a song. From that point fourth I was hooked. I saved all my coin I could get my hands on and bought the album. Not sure if I purchased it or my mother. Either way, I had to have it. My favorite song was “Bitch,” keep in mind the most violent thing that I ever saw would have been on the news; my mind at this point had so many questions.

My mom, now concerned proceeded to purchase the new albums as they came out…(Record Scratch) yes, I know, what a terrible mother. I was officially scarred for life. Probably where a lot of my imagination comes from to be honest. Luckily enough growing up I had huge family, and I learned very quickly how to decipher between good and evil.

Still do this day I make sure to stay on top of what Em is doing. Record deals, big singing’s and new tracks. Well Em is at it again, hows this Ladies and Gents! This is one of those songs that you have to listen to several times over. Amazing.

Eminem, Royce Da 5’9″, Mr. Porter & The Alchemist – Tim Westwood Freestyle

Eminem, Royce Da 5?9? & Kon Artist go on Tim Westwood show and spit a freestyle over an Alchemist beat.

Snoop D-O-double-G has been around for so long that it’s hard to imagine him being the protégé of anyone. He is, though. Way back in the early nineties, Cordazar Calvin Broadus was fresh out of high school and a couple of convictions of cocaine trafficking. His freestyle over an old En Vogue song somehow made its way to The Dr. Dre’s ears, and after an audition, Snoop Doggy Dogg found a home at Death Row Records. He certainly has a thing for doctors, as he not only caught the attention of Dr. Dre, but also The D.O.C. (from gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A.), who gave him pointers on how to craft some good rap. Random fact: Snoop is a spokesperson for “Chronic Candy,” made in Switzerland and tastes like… you guessed it: marijuana. On second thought, maybe that’s not so random.

Eminem

Probably the most famous protégé in the history of hip-hop, Eminem made a huge name for not only himself when his Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LPs came out, but also Dr. Dre, the man who seems to be some kind of talent magnet. That or he just knows how to pick those rappers; thanks to Em, his label, Aftermath Records, found its biggest star, and with Dr. Dre producing the bulk of his albums, Eminem became the rapper that you and your mom knew about. In any case, Eminem’s undying obsession with controversy ensured that music listeners will always be likewise obsessed with Slim Shady – and how could we not? It’s not everyday that a non-African-American rapper has the power to shock you like no gangsta rap has ever done.

50 Cent

From one rapper with an eye for talent to another, Eminem must’ve been taught well by Dr. Dre because when he picked up 50 Cent, he got Aftermath Records another multi-platinum superstar rapper. A little know fact about 50 is that he had some help before Eminem and Dre came along; Jam Master Jay was technically his first mentor in the art of writing songs. After 50 Cent got shot in the infamous nine-bullet-wound incident, one of his CDs found its way into Eminem’s hands, he got flown out for an audition… and everyone knows what happened after that. The lesson here? If you want to make it big you’ve got to go straight to the top – that’s where the people with the jets are.

Drake

You might know him as that guy in the wheelchair from that Degrassi show, but apparently, Aubrey “Drake” Graham raps even better than he acts. Actually, it might have something to do with the producers of his show getting rid of the entire cast, but that’s a different story. After working on a bunch of mixtapes in his early career, Drake finally ended up on Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, and was (still is, probably) one of the most hyped Canadian rappers in a long, long time. It remains to be seen if Lil Wayne, his mentor who’s pretty young himself, can pull a Dr. Dre, but given how Drake is doing on the charts, the chances look pretty good.

Danja

Rappers aside, one of the biggest protégés in hip-hop music has to be “Danjahandz,” or simply Danja, who’s been the perfect student for Timbaland. This record producer has worked with Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Lloyd Banks, T.I., and of course, Timbaland himself, picking up a couple of Grammys along the way. Stepping out of his mentor’s shadow though, Danja’s experience with piano and drums sets him apart from other beat-makers who go completely digital and forgo their instruments, and this strategy earns him at least 50k per track at the last count. Not too shabby.

We all know Dr. Dre has an ear for beats, but the West Coast superproducer also has a keen sense of recognizing upcoming lyrical talent. Dre’s The Chronic launched Snoop Dogg’s career, and his second solo album, 2001, helped solidify Eminem as a serious talent to pay attention to in the game. With his third opus on the way, the good doctor has tapped South Central rookie Slim Da Mobster to contribute to Detox, alongside heavyweights like Lil Wayne and T.I.

“I’m not even focused on my album right now,” Slim told MTV. “I’m all about his album. ‘Cause the better I do on that, the better it is for the situation with my album.”

Slim Da Mobster might be new on the scene, but the Los Angeles rhyme-spitter impressed Eminem so much that he pushed to have him ink a deal.

After getting the co-signs from the big homies Dre and Eminem, 50 Cent was the next to jump onboard behind the young rapper. Now, Slim Da Mobster has his music featured on the G-Unit boss’ website, ThisIs50.com.

Full Albums Stream for Free Days Before Hitting Stores

MySpace Music, the world’s premier music community, is excited to announce six exclusive album debuts within days of each other. MySpace users can find the highly anticipated albums from Eminem, Tori Amos, Lionel Richie, Busta Rhymes, Method Man & Redman, Kate Voegele and Phoenix available only on MySpace Music. Fans are able to stream the albums in their entirety days before they hit store shelves.

Eminem
The highly anticipated new album, Relapse¸ from hip hop artist Eminem makes its official debut on MySpace Music beginning today, Friday, May 15. Additionally, tune into FOX’s Family Guy on Sunday, May 17 for more MySpace news pertaining to the hip hop star. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Eminem to stream his entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/eminem.

Tori Amos
Multiplatinum and Grammy nominated recording artist Tori Amos will premiere her brand new album titled Abnormally Attracted to Sin exclusively on MySpace Music in the U.S. beginning on Saturday, May 16. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Tori Amos to stream her entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/toriamos.

Lionel Richie
The new album from legendary artist Lionel Richie is currently available for free streaming exclusively on MySpace Music. Just Go marks the singer’s ninth studio album. Check back to MySpace Music for more exciting news about the singer in the coming weeks. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Lionel Richie to stream his entire album: http://www.myspace.com/lionelrichie.

Busta Rhymes
Grammy nominated rapper Busta Rhymes is set to debut his eighth studio album Back on My B.S. exclusively on MySpace Music beginning today, Friday, May 15. To celebrate the release of his new album, Busta will also perform for his MySpace fans at a special MySpace Music The Release show on Monday, May 18 in New York City. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Busta Rhymes to stream his entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/bustarhymes.

Method Man and Redman
Hip Hop and rap duo Method Man and Redman are set to debut Blackout 2, the highly anticipated follow up to their platinum selling 1999 release Blackout, exclusively on MySpace Music beginning on Saturday, May 16. The duo will perform in a special MySpace Music The Release concert on Thursday, May 28 in Los Angeles. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Method Man to stream their entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/methodman.

Kate Voegele
Singer/songwriter Kate Voegele premiered her second full length studio album A Fine Mess exclusively on MySpace Music this week. The singer is currently on tour and providing her MySpace fans with exclusive content. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Kate Voegele, sponsored by University of Phoenix, to stream her entire album for free and to access exciting videos and blogs especially for her MySpace friends: http://www.myspace.com/katevoegele.

Phoenix
French alternative rock band Phoenix will debut their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix exclusively on MySpace Music beginning on Monday, May 18. The band consists of Thomas Mars, Deck D’Arcy, Christian Mazzalai, and Laurent Brancowitz. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Phoenix to stream their entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix.

Go back to the future with Delicious Vinyl RMXXOLOGY, an all-new, 15-track album featuring classic tracks by Young MC, The Pharcyde, Masta Ace, The Brand New Heavies, and Fatlip re-imagined by artists including Peaches, Hot Chip, and Eminem. The first two singles from the album are already embedded in the hearts and minds of DJs and party people worldwide: pioneering electro goddess Peaches’ sizzling update of Tone Loc’s immortal “Wild Thing” and Aaron LaCrate and Debonair Samir’s gutter-bumping Baltimore blast of Young MC’s “Know How.”

RMXXOLOGY was born a year ago when Delicious Vinyl honcho Rick Ross met Peaches after a show. After agreeing that she would do a version of Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” they began brainstorming a dream team of artists to let loose on the Delicious Vinyl catalog. This led to the creation of The Delicious Vinyl All-Stars, a collective including prime-time players like Eminem and Diplo, as well as upstart French freakers Mr. Flash, Breakbot, and Don Rimini, and L.A. new jacks Cory Nitta (Pink Enemy/Philippians) and Bobby Evans (Brother Reade). Soon each of the Delicious Vinyl All-Stars was having their way with a Delicious Vinyl classic of their choosing…

As Rick Ross puts it, “Peaches is my co-curator on RMXXOLOGY. We reached out to people who know how to have fun exploring their influences and adding their own magic to something they love. That’s the creative core of what the RMXXOLOGY project is about: Start with these dope raw materials and reassemble them into something new and fun, revitalizing the music for a new generation of fans.”

The album runs the gamut from Pink Enemy’s tech-soul take on The Brand New Heavies’ beloved “Never Stop” to Eminem’s head-knock redux of Masta Ace “Slaughterhouse” and, the real stunner, Hot Chip’s transformation of The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” into a sacred hymn. Rick Ross explains: “RMXXOLOGY represents a whole variety of styles. It’s all about creating alternative versions of these classics, rather than remixing them expressly for the dancefloor. After all, the original songs always brought people to the dancefloor anyway.”

But don’t fear: The dancefloor isn’t being neglected. The third single from RMXXOLOGY, “Bust A Move RMXXS”, finds Diplo and Don Rimini manhandling the Young MC classic into club-savvy form. (Already #1 on Beatport and Turntablelab’s digital charts, “Bust A Move RMXXS” will be released on 12″ vinyl on May 22.) And then there’s the album’s lead track, Bobby Evans’ “Freak-A-Zoid Robots (RMXXOLOGY Theme)” an homage to Afrika Bambaataa and old school electro that embodies the album’s past-is-present spirit.

RMXXOLOGY will feature gold sparkle artwork that flips the classic Delicious Vinyl logo in the same way that The Delicious Vinyl All-Stars have re-thunk the original music.

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.

Original Article (extended)

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.

Original Article (extended)