The People Vs. (Universal Motown, 2005) by Trick Trick

Trick Trick's debut album is descent.  "Welcome 2 Detroit," a collaboration with Eminem, is by far the album's standout.  Other highlights include the Proof and Eminem assisted "No More to Say" and the Jazze Pha produced "Attitude Adjustment."  However, some of the albums low points, most notably "My Name is Trick Trick," do weigh the album down a bit.  Overall, this is an average album that shows potential.  Fortunately he lived up to it, and Trick Trick showed noticeable improvement on his 2008 follow up, The Villian.

Second Round's On Me (Shady, 2006) by Obie Trice

"Meat cleaver, leave a gas in a bitches ass/See her dreams of being an R&B singer diva/Leave her face, cut her from the waist/Ah man what a waste, of a pretty face/And this place ain't just safe, it's just straight gangsta/It ain't just New York or L.A. that pains no more/There's Latin Coun' Kings here/Southside, four, East Side and Gansen/Nuthin but ganglands and, spray paint cans/And when that van rolls up, man they ain't glancing/That window rolls down and that tre-eight's dancing/And them shooters don't miss, homie they hate chancing/Straight for the dome and it's vacate fast and/Get the fuck outta dodge 'fore that blue Dodge flashing/Red and blue lights, no ambulance, you got flattened/And this was not supposed to be no Detroit anthem/But just so ya know, if ya see them D-Boys passing"

-Eminem, "There They Go"

Straight from the Lab (N/A, 2004) by Eminem

The cuts here that weren't included on the bonus disc of Encore should have taken the place of some of the songs on the regular Encore disc (so what if they had leaked, I think they're still better than "Big Weenie" and "Ass Like That").  "Monkey See Monkey Do" is a song to get people amped and "Can I Bitch" is more evidence that Em is not someone that an opponent will likely beat in a battle.

G-Unit Radio Vol. 6: Motion Picture Shit (N/A, 2004) by DJ Whoo Kid

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1/Ready or not here we come, here comes trouble in the club11, 12, 13, pistols big as M 16's/How the fuck we sneak in with this many heaters in our jeans/Nina, 2 nina's, a peace and they don't even see us/Some shit pops off we squeeze each one they gon' think its machine guns/Vanos vo vano, bananas in our flannels/Hands around our colt handles, hold them like roman candles/Vannas vo vannas, banana fanna fo fannas/Who come back all bananas, banana clips loaded/Managers, bouncers and the club owners, the motherfuckers dont want us/To come up and rush in the club and run up in it with a bunch of/Motherfuckers from Runyan, steady poppin them onions/Ready set to go nut up, prepare to tear the whole club up/Fixin to get into some shit just itchin to choke someone up/You know we finna loc'n when we mix coke with coke and nut rum up/Yeah Yeah oh, what up, see my people throw shit up/See you talk that hoe shit now when you down and wont get up/And can't sit up your so slit up, the ambulance wont sew you up/They just throw you up in the trunk once they tag your big toe up/Heater no heater, automatic no matic/Mac or no mac it dont matter if I have or dont have it/You never know what im packin' so you just dont want no static/And open up a whole can of whoop ass you dont wanna chance to/Risk it no biscuit, mili mac a mac milli/Really homie dont be silly, homie you dont know me really/You're just gonna make yourself dizzy wonderin what the dealy/Fuck it lets just get busy D Twizzys back up in the hizzy!"

-Eminem, "10, 9, 8, 7"

Tupac Resurrection Soundtrack (Amaru, 2003) by 2Pac

This is really more of a compilation album than a soundtrack, a few songs don't even appear in the movie.  However, they're still great records that prove the staying power of Tupac's music ("Holler If Ya Hear Me," "Bury Me a G" to name a few).  "Runnin' [Dyin' to Live]" is the crown jewel of this album.  It's one of the best songs Eminem has ever produced (props to "Lose Yourself" as well).  Unfortunately, Loyal to  the Game which also paired Em's production with 2pac's beats wasn't quite as good in my opinion.

The Re-Up (Shady, 2006) by various

If I'm not mistaken, this album was originally intended to be a mixtape.  I think it should have stayed that way.  I say that not because the music is bad, but because it lacks the cohesion of an album.  Eminem does a good job of introducing new Shady artists on the intro, but after that all that tracks seem to have been just thrown together with minimal consideration for sequencing.  Obie's "Pistol Pistol (Remix)" was solid as well as "You Don't Know" which help introduce Cashis to the mainstream.  However, other than Eminem's "No Apologies," there aren't really many standout songs here.  But the fact that Eminem drew the album cover makes up for a bit of it.

The Slim Shady LP (Aftermath, 1999) by Eminem

"Slim Shady, brain dead like Jim Brady/I'm a M80, you Lil' like that Kim lady/I'm buzzin, Dirty Dozen, naughty rotten rhymer/Cursin at you players worse than Marty Schottenheimer/You wacker than the motherfucker you bit your style from/You ain't gonna sell two copies if you press a double album/Admit it, fuck it, while we comin out in the open/I'm doin acid, crack, smack, coke and smokin dope then/My name is Marshall Mathers, I'm an alcoholic (Hi Marshall)/I have a disease and they don't know what to call it/Better hide your wallet cause I'm comin up quick to strip your cash/Bought a ticket to your concert just to come and whip your ass/Bitch, I'm comin out swingin, so fast it'll make your eyes spin/You gettin knocked the fuck out like Mike Tyson/The +Proof+ is in the puddin, just ask the Deshaun Holton/I'll slit your motherfuckin throat worse than Ron Goldman"

-Eminem, "Just Don't Give a Fuck"

Recovery (Aftermath, 2010) by Eminem

This album was vital to Eminem's legacy and it did not disappoint.  In my opinion, it is his best album since The Eminem Show.  The material on the album balanced the clever, "just don't give a fuck" attitude ("Cold Wind Blows") with strong substance ("Talkin' 2 Myself").  Lyrically, Eminem proves again that he is one of the best writers ever.  And in perhaps his most emotional record since "Mockingbird", atop a sample from "The Lost Boys" and production from Just Blaze, Eminem pays homage to Proof with "You're Never Over."  Dr. Dre's only track "So Bad" is decent, but Just Blaze and DJ Khalil are the album's star producers.  Taken as a whole, Recovery was Eminem's return to glory professionally and evidence that he was able to make music that grew with him personally.

The Invasion (n/a, 2002) by DJ Green Lantern

The first installment in this legendary mix tape series is famous because it, for all intents and purposes, ended Benzino's career as a rapper.  Eminem's "The Sauce" is a great diss at The Source and his "Nail in the Coffin" is more of a personal, damning record aimed squarely air the magazine's "co-founder."  Obie's "Welcome to Detroit City" is a great take on Cam'ron and Jay's "Welcome to New York City."  And 50's "The Hood", with a beat courtesy of Dr. Dre, and G-Unit's "G'd Up" are also standouts.  Other highlights include DJ Green Lantern's blend of "Lose Yourself" and The Flipmode Squad spitting over the remix to "U Don't Know."

Curtain Call: The Hits (Aftermath, 2005) by Eminem

Three of the four new tracks here are nothing spectacular at all.  "When I'm Gone" plays like an inferior sequel to "Mockingbird."  "Shake That", even with strong contributions from Nate Dogg, comes off as too silly and playful.  And "Fack" is just weird.  The one highlight of new material is the previously unreleased live version of "Stan" that Eminem performed with Elton John at The Grammys in 2001.  It was a legendary performance, moment in Eminem's career and event in hip hop history.  I'm glad it was finally released on record.  The only thing a recorded version of the performance doesn't capture is Mr. Mathers throwing his middle fingers in the air at the end.

The Slim Shady EP (Web, 1997) by Eminem

This EP is a bit raw.  However, given Eminem's skills, it epitomizes the idea of the diamond in the rough.  "If I Had…" is my favorite track on the 10-song EP and even held up alongside Dr. Dre-produced cuts on The Slim Shady LP released in early '99.  However, that is not the only song that was re-released on Eminem's Aftermath debut.  "Just Don't Give a Fuck" and "Just the Two Of Us" [later renamed "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" without the Bill Withers' sample and replaced with an original beat] also received mainstream exposure after first appearing here.  Dr. Dre is arguably the greatest hip hop producer ever, and if this project caught his ear- clearly, he thought Eminem had something to offer.  Which he did.  And then some.  Almost fifteen years later, Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s decade and one of the most respected emcees in the history of hip hop.

D12 World (Shady, 2004) by D12

The album starts off with an incredible rapid-fire verse from Eminem which sets the tone and momentum for the entire project.  It isn't quite as dark as Devil's Night, and that makes for a well-rounded release.  from the humorous "My Band" to the serious "Good Die Young," D12 World finds the six Detroit emcees in top form.  Overall, Eminem outperforms the other five.  However, on "Get My Gun" and "40 Oz.," the late, great Proof reigns supreme.  Production-wise, the sounds are varied.  Among others, producers include Red Spyda, Hi-Tek, and Dr. Dre.  The album shows growth from their debut, and since the group is now seemingly disbanded- I feel that D12 proved themselves as what they set out to be: shocking and skilled emcees.

Relapse (Aftermath, 2009) by Eminem

I like this album more than the general consensus did.  I do feel that it was way too one dimensional as far as the drug content though.  However, I liked hearing the Slim Shady persona again.  Production-wise, the drums bang on my "My Mom" and the sample of "Reaching Out" is very effective on "Beautiful."  The extreme violence (i.e. "3 A.M.", "Stay Wide Awake") sounds a bit forced, but the dark humor does find its footing by the end of the LP ("Underground").  And I do think "We Made You" is one of the weakest songs in Eminem's entire catalogue, but, to counter that, "Deja Vu" is one of the best.

Invasion Part II: Conspiracy Theory (n/a, 2003) by DJ Green Lantern

Of the three mixtapes in the series, the second one is my favorite.  Yes, "The Sauce" was good and "Nail in the Coffin" is one of the best diss records ever (both on the first Invasion), but as an emcee, Benzino never struck me as a worthy opponent for Eminem.  Therefore, it seemed obvious that Eminem would be victorious immediately when everything started.  Ja Rule, who was feuding with 50 at this time, however, had a bit more credibility and had sold millions.  I did think Ja was good on some records ("Holla Holla", "Can I Get A…", "Murdergram", and "Get the Fortune"), but when he began to compare himself to Tupac- he lost me.  And Shady Records took full advantage of that poor decision on Ja Rule's part, the "Hail Mary (Remix)" not only uses Ja's words against him but has three stellar verses from Eminem, 50 Cent, and Busta Rhymes.  As far as Green Lantern's blends, it has one of my favorites that I've ever heard from him, where he takes 50 and Lil Kim's vocals from "Magic Stick" and puts them over "Work It," "Fuck You," and "21 Questions" beats.  There are some skippable tracks on this project, but fewer than the other two and I think the tape concludes on a high note with a live recording of Em and 50 performing "Patiently Waiting" in Detroit, MI.

Radioactive (Shady, 2011) by Yelawolf

Aside from the obvious common thread of race among Yelawolf, Eminem, and Kid Rock.  Stylistically, Yelawolf sounds like a combination of Eminem and Kid Rock.  And Yela's well-rounded appreciation of music extends beyond his sound as well.  He has a wide range of influences too.  If you don't believe me, listen to "Radio" where he name-drops Janis Joplin and Bone Thugs N Harmony in the same line.  This very diverse mix of taste translates wonderfully to all of his major-label debut, Radioactive.  There are no two songs that sound alike.  "Made in the U.S.A" sounds like the perfect anthem for the Occupy Wall Street movement, "Growin' Up in the Gutter" sounds just as industrial as anything Trent Reznor would put out, and "Animal" has Yela blacking out with an absolutely amazing flow at the end, and he holds his own on collabos alongside Em, Kid Rock, Killer Mike, and Mystikal ; this album is a modern hip hop classic.  And the reason I have yet to come across anyone else who recognizes this album in that same light is totally beyond me.

8 Mile Soundtrack (Shady, 2002) by various

"Lose Yourself" is a history-making song and one of the most popular records of its time.  The title track is actually one of my favorite Eminem songs and I think 50's "Places to Go" should have been his introductory single instead of "Wanksta".  The other song that I go back to a lot on this album is Gang Starr's "Battle".  A movie about hip-hop in the mid-90s without a DJ Premier beat is blasphemous.  Not surprisingly, the music supervision for this film for material that was actually made in the mid-90s is superb.  And truth be told, as a whole, the soundtrack to 8 Mile can't touch More Music from 8 Mile.  However, 8 Mile and its soundtrack helped establish Eminem as a hip-hop icon at the height of his popularity and continued to showcase his untouchable rap skills as well as his ability to find and develop new talent (50 Cent, Obie Trice).

Get Rich or Die Tryin' (Shady/Aftermath, 2003) by 50 Cent

This album is a modern day classic.  It benefited from great timing and came out at a time when sing-songy rap (i.e. Ja Rule) was dominating the airwaves.  The drop of the coin for the introduction was a great set-up for "What Up Gangsta".  Not only does that track set the tone for the rest of the album, but it is a song with great energy that smoothly transfers to an amazing live performance.  And "Patiently Waiting" is the best song that 50 has ever done with Eminem.  Other highlights include "Heat" [gun-shot snares = genius] and "Many Men".  Then, last but not least, there is "In Da Club".  At first look, it appears to be a materialistic rhyme that's been heard too many times.  However, after one listen, it becomes clear that it is anything but that.  Dre's masterful production makes for one of the most memorable beats of his career.  And the "Go Shorty, it's your Birthday" ad-lib that 50 put in at the beginning made this a timeless song because everyday is somebody's birthday and they're always going to want to party.

Encore (Aftermath, 2004) by Eminem

For as dumb as a lot of this album is (i.e. "Big Weenie", "Just Lose It, "Ass Like That", "Rain Man"), there are still some very solid tracks on Eminem's fourth major-label release.  "Yellow Brick Road" is a screenplay-detailed account of what led up to those controversial freestyle tapes and "Like Toy Soldiers" is his call for a truce with The Source and Murder Inc.  "Mockingbird", a song for his daughter, is one of the best songs of his career.  And the title track with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, in my opinion, surpasses "Crack a Bottle"- a collaborative song the three hip-hop icons would release five years later to much fanfare.  Despite the album's highlights, Encore failed to live up to the standard Eminem set for himself with his previous releases.  But this album's shortcomings, as well as the ones on 2009's Relapse, made Eminem's 2010 release, Recovery, one of the best revivals hip-hop has ever seen.

The Eminem Show (Aftermath, 2002) by Eminem

I really like how much Em's songwriting skills were showcased on this album.  Not to say that The Marshall Mathers LP didn't have its moments (i.e. "Stan", "Kim", "The Way I Am"), but, for the most part, Marshall Mathers was more about punchlines, verses, and delivery than actual complete songs.  Although the production was not quite as solid this go round, Eminem more than made up for it with lyrical content and records such as "White America", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "Square Dance", and "'Til I Collapse."

Hell: The Sequel (Shady, 2011) by Bad Meets Evil

“He’s Evil, and I’m Bad like Steve Seagal/ Against peaceful, see you in Hell for the sequel”, and with that the final rhyme of “Bad Meets Evil”, from Eminem’s 1999 Slim Shady LP, are air-borne.  And after twelve years, the sequel has finally arrived.  Once upon a time, Bad and Evil (Royce Da 5’9” and Eminem respectively) were the best unsigned rappers in Detroit, Michigan, and this EP is a reminder as to why.  As far as lyrics and delivery are concerned, this EP is flawless. Hell’s first single, “Fast Lane”, is arguably the most memorable hip-hop duet since “Brooklyn’s Finest” in 1996. While the shock value seemed somewhat uninspired on Eminem’s 2009 album Relapse, “Fast Lane” finds Mr. Mathers back in top form.  And Royce is clearly capable of matching wits with 50’s favorite white boy (Graduated from master debater slash massive masturbator, to Michael Jackson’s activator/ Meanin’ I’m on fire off the top, might wanna back up the data) over the orchestral beat.  Other highlights include “The Reunion”, which find Eminem slowing down his flow and Royce turning down a woman for using the word ‘swagger’.  “Lighters” featuring Bruno Mars is also a good song.  As out of place on the EP as it is, the record does do a great job of breaking up the warped sense of humor and fun approach throughout the rest of the project.  Production-wise, the tracks become a bit repetitive and tiresome by the end.  But to be fair, most of the beats are sparse and tailor-made for spitting.  And in this case, more so than many, the beats are there to accentuate the rhymes.  The use of the Mike Epps vocal sample on “I’m on Everything” seems clever at first, but him saying “Ha ha huh” in the chorus comes off as obnoxious.  And for something as highly anticipated as Hell, it seems improper that the EP would close out with “Loud Noises”- the only track featuring other rappers, supergroup Slaughterhouse, alongside Bad and Evil.  Even with a great set-up for the song by Eminem on the previous number, “Take From Me”, “Loud Noises” still feels out of sequence.  Despite a few faults, Hell: The Sequel is a great release.  It is an EP which clearly aims to satisfy hip-hop purists without compromising anything to appeal to pop sensibilities.  And just because it probably won’t sell in the millions doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve to.  Twelve years is a long time.  But it was worth the wait.