Guess who’s back, back again? The Real Slim Shady, Eminem, released his newest compilation album, Nov. 24, and per his reputation, he does not disappoint.
With a burst of rhyme-packed words in the eponymously named first track, “Shady XV”, Eminem plays with rhyme schemes, and the listeners head, while simultaneously joking about his past to the sound of a sampled guitar riff. The rest of the masterpiece is unleashed with such artists as the Slaughterhouse crew, Yelawolf, Skylar Grey and even a return of D12.
On every track, each member of Shady’s clan puts in equal work, one-upping each other on every verse. No one goes soft on these tracks; even the weaker members of Slaughterhouse out-rhyme and clean out any opponents from the modern industry who pose a threat. Kxng Crooked proves that he can hold his weight against Royce da 5’9” and Eminem on “Psychopath Killer.”
In their own right, the Slaughterhouse crew makes their own motions on the album. On “Y’all Ready Know,” all four members pop off with classic 90’s New York style rhyme schemes, and the beloved vinyl scratch everyone has come to love.
For those Em fans who crave the emotional heat packed in such classics as “Kim” and “Spacebound,” the king of modern Hip Hop throws in a couple of deep tracks such as “Die Alone,” a concentrated yet mature look at his past relationships and their failures.
As usual, Shady brings his A-game when it comes to shock, making multiple references directly regarding the suicide of Robin Williams, as well as name-dropping him twice along with Mohammad Ali. In the same song (“Vegas”, for all you curious people), slim drops the now infamous “rape line” involving Iggy Azalea.
Unfortunately, the weak link in the chain on this album falls on the part of Yelawolf, who, on top of spitting out short verses in an unimpressive fashion, drops in the obligatory comparison between himself and Eminem, even going so far as to compare the two of them to God and Jesus. If you’re a die-hard Yelawolf fan, go ahead and check out his verses on the album, otherwise, steer clear of them.
Among the typical themes you would expect in an Eminem song, (the story of an underdog, the pain of fame, jokes about drugs and prostitutes) the album provides a variety of sounds.
Fans of Eminem trying his pipes out at singing will be thrilled to hear him perform a duet with Skylar Grey. Finally, and possibly the most interesting part of the album, is the release of a previously trashed version of “Lose yourself”, which claims its’ own sound and different verses, whilst also sounding hauntingly similar to the original that made Eminem who he is today.
Overall, the ShadyXV does not hold back. Easily toppling the trap and club music being mass-produced in this era, the record is worth a listen. There’s enough rhyming and speed for the MMLP2 fan, enough curse words and obscenities for the Infinite/Slim Shady LP fan, and enough jokes and comedy for everyone in between. Check it out.
Four stars.