Okay, so this album is just fun. It's the disk that "never was" - it was a teaser Eminem made to hold off bootlegs of his upcoming "Encore". The tracks on it were all fresh when he released them, although some eventually got on to Disk 2 of Encore.
It's always fun to see Eminem playing around. Since it was an EP, he didn't have the pressure of release the next big thing. All the tracks show Eminem doing what he does best - playing with infinite loops and knocking the *** out of words and phrases. It's a surprising tape - a mix of "The Eminem Show", "8 Mile" and "Encore". If you didn't like any other of the above - perhaps you're into his earlier works - you won't really like this disk.
The tracks are either overly exited ("Can-I-Bitch" or "Doe Ray Me") or they're gloomy and down ("We as Americans", "Bully") It's pretty unique stuff. Let's start with the beats. Eminem has got respect from the likes of Jay Z and his mentor Dr. Dre for producing some snazzy beats. He keeps the bandwagon rolling on this one; "I Love You More", "Bully", "Monkey See Monkey Do", "Come On In" and, especially, "Can-I-Bitch" are tracks with flashy, catchy sounds. Interloped with Em's most hyper lyrics spit on any of his records, it's a good combo.
The lyrics are dope. I'm not just saying that because he's Eminem, and has enough of a posse that reviewers should fear for their life if they say something bad. And I’m not just saying that because Eminem used to be top on my favorite musician list. I'm saying it because it's true; the words come quick and are spit machinegun style. However, don't expect hilarious - this ain't "Slim Shady LP". Expect - tough twisters? Sure. Eminem is really stretching the capabilities of a single sentence, always trying to fit more and more words into a phrase. The effect works.
If you've got Encore, and most people reading this probably have, you can pretty much skip "Monkey See Monkey Do" and "We As Americans" - not much different than the CD version. Check out these though;
"Can-I-Bitch"
I don't know what's going on with Eminem and his words, but he's really re-inventing a sentence. About five thoughts and five hundred words are squeezed into each one of his phrases; all filled with quirky rhymes and small punch lines. I don't know what it is - but it sure is impressive and rolls of his tough into your ears.
"Doe Ray Me"
Again, a hot flow, both on the instrumental and vocal side.
Definitely check this tape out. It's hot, feels unmasked, and is pretty much un-censored to any "beef" he's been having. There are enough cheap shots in here to keep you listening. If you want more underground tunes by Eminem - underground is where he's most comfortable - check out his radio sessions on Sirius.
