Very few artists are more disgusting, perverted, or profane than D12. This group of 6 Detroit MCs headed by the superstar Eminem burst into the rap scene in 2001 with Devil's Night. The expectations were high for their sophomore album, and it delivered. While it is by no means a classic album, it is an entertaining listen, and features some good rhymes and flows. The sheer perverseness of D12's rhymes keeps me coming back for more every time. There are six members of D12, but only three really step out of the crowd. One is obviously Eminem, who is the best rapper in the group easily. Bizarre is a hugely obese MC with incredibly disgusting rhymes. Anything you can think of that's gross, from "I put a rubber on my toe and f**ked you some more" to "I f**k two twins, with a midget on top. A sick mind, raping an old lady." Yes, it is incredibly disgusting. Comic perversion is something D12 relies one, and Bizarre is the leader in this department. The last standout member is Proof, who was killed about a month and a half ago. He has a very recognizable voice, it is much gruffer and harsher than any others. He is easily the best rapper from a skill perspective after Eminem. His rhymes are full of hate and violence, and he is probably the most serious rapper in the group. This album came out with two singles that gained widespread fame, My Band and How Come. But this album actually produced five singles, so I will review them all.
My Band is the single that earned the most popularity, I remember it was on constant MTV rotation for quite a while. This song has a poppy beat, which in some stages is carried by somebody snapping. The song is all about how all of the other members of D12 hate Eminem because he gets all of the popularity. This song is good the first time you hear it, but it gets old at light speed. Right now, this song is one of my least favorites on the album. But it is also the reason that I bought this album in the first place. Overall, the individual rhymes are not very good, a lot of times it is just other members of D12 arguing with Eminem. A lot of sound effects are in this song, always accompanying the lyrics. The beat switches around a lot, from a pop beat to a Mexican salsa beat. I don't really know what to say about this song. Overall, I guess, it is an okay song. One of the very few songs I can think of that is a bad song but also a good single choice.
All of the humor from the first single is gone in How Come. This song features a looming, oppressive beat that sets the mood perfectly for the song. While many songs on this CD are an unfocused series of raps from D12, this song is focused firmly on one subject, which is how Eminem and his homies from childhood have drifted apart because of his fame. Thankfully, Bizarre is left out of his song, as he would've made a complete joke of it if he was in it. While the individual rhymes on this song aren't great, they certainly top My Band. Overall, a good song.
Git Up is one of the three singles that went mostly under the radar. Eminem steps up and tells D12 to take a seat for the most part of this song. He has a very long, verse less solo in the beginning that lasts for 1:30. The beat is quiet and laid back, but D12's rhymes are up in your face intense. The chorus is very good on this song, with the same intensity as the verses. One particularly funny rhyme in my opinion is delivered by Kuniva "And a glock that you stop you from waking, bullets'll hit your liver, I'll even shoot native Americans, A Indian n****r, we back in you life and back in your wife, hit you in the back with a knife and get it crackin' tonight." This is the perfect example of a D12 rhyme, it's violent, graphic, sexual, and a bit racist. This song beats out How Come because of the heavy Eminem, and beats My Band easily.
40 Oz. is at least the equivalent of Git Up. A fight song, no doubt. Loud, looming bass drums provide the backbone for this song. Your typical hip-hop fight song, D12 style. As you would expect, it is even more gory and graphic coming from D12. Eminem is involved in this song, but he delivers subpar verses. This is really the "other" members of D12's coming out party, they all perform excellently. The chorus really shines, it is heavy and oppressive, and leaves you wanting more violence. One good rhyme delivered again by Kuniva is "I settle my vendettas with AK's, Berettas, we don’t supposed to be in here with our weapons but still they let us. Switchblade, brass knuckles, nickel plated belt buckles, broken beer bottles, when we walk in you can smell trouble." While it may be typical fight music rapping, it is done very well in this song because the beat fits the flow of the rappers so well. A great song.
6 In The Morning closes out the singles, and it went even further under the radar than 40 Oz. and Git Up. I only know it was a single because I saw it for sale at Best Buy. A very distinctive piano melody in this song, with nothing but drums backing that. Eminem in this song delivers possibly the only positive rap in this CD, stating "I'd much rather lift a pencil than a pistol when I'm pissed." This song has a lot of Eminem just like Get Up, but he isn't quite as good here. A really great rap verse delivered here by Swift, I can't really give you a highlight because the whole verse is so great. While this song is about the familiar and broad topic of "haters" the individual rhymes are by far the best on the CD. And I mean by far. No contest whatsoever. Probably the best of the singles.
Really only two non-singles are worth mentioning, and they are Get My Gun and Good Die Young. I'll talk about Get My Gun first. Another fight song like 40 Oz., but that's where the familiarities end. The beats are polar opposite. While 40 Oz.'s was slow and oppressive, Get My Gun's is fast and hard-hitting. This song also gives much more graphic detail than 40 Oz. Overall, I think I like this one more. Bizarre really does his stuff on this song, and it was so good that D12 had him close out the song instead of the usual Swift or Proof. There is also a skit in the middle of the song where Eminem shoots at a mass of autograph seekers. Check out this rap by Bizarre though: "I'm ready to blow this b***hes brains out. I'm nervous, I farted, some s**t came out. Times up, shot her with a gun, got on my cell phone and called Rev. Run. And all this crazy s**t I, regret it. . . All because I wanted to see Elton John naked." As usual, it is said with Bizarre's poor flow and it makes absolutely no sense. But it is so f**king hilarious! A great song.
Good Die Young is the 20th song on this album, and doubtless the best. What makes it ridiculous is that it is entirely without Eminem! The thought that D12 could make a good song was ridiculed until this song came out. Very slow and reflective beat, and it gives Kon Artis, Bizarre, Swift, Proof, and Kuniva a chance to reflect on the deaths of their close friends. For the first time in his life, Bizarre is serious. The only reason Bizarre is in D12 is because he is incredibly gross, and his inability to rap really shows when he tries to be serious. Oh well, at least he tried. The other members rhymes are all excellent. I am not going to give you any examples, because simply they are all so great. Not only is the topic of the song a good one, the individual rhymes are second best to 6 In The Morning. But the fact that this was done without Eminem and because of the topic, this is the best song on the CD.
Another fun and entertaining CD from D12. The skits here are actually relatively funny, unlike most Eminem albums. But there are also a lot of weak songs on here, such as I'll Be Damned, Just Like U, U R The One, and Leave Dat Boy Alone.
Best Three:
1. Good Die Young
2. 6 In The Morning
3. Get My Gun
Worst Three:
1. U R The One
2. Just Like U
3. Leave Dat Boy Alone
