Review of Eminem's MMLP2

Hip hop and music has had a decent year. It appears the lyricists are returning and it's not just ignorant anthems about sex, partying and drinking. Eminem restores our faith once again in hip hop with his newest release, the Marshall Mathers LP 2.

Being a hardcore Eminem fan, I wasn't the least bit skeptical that this album would be successful.  The deluxe edition is 21 tracks, and most every track is worthy of a second listen. You can get the basic CD for about $10 if you don't want to pay the extra $6 for the deluxe.  Even at a $1/song (5 tracks on the 2nd CD), it is still worth giving Slim Shady your hard earned money.

He has his usual bizarre and scary lyrics, with an ill rhyming style almost hard to emulate. He mixes his cameos and samples well with the varying styles of songs.  The cameos include Rihanna, Nate Reuss, Kendrick Lamar, and newcomer Skylar Grey who kills it on probably the best track on the entire album "***Hole". Renowned producer Rick Rubin produced most of the album and was criticized, especially for his incessant sampling on tracks such as "Rhyme Or Reason" "So Far" and "Love Game" . However, I believe his beats and samples blended well with Eminem's. It's just different with Dr. Dre, that's all.

While "***Hole" may again be the best song, the released singles are nice "Berserk, Rap God, and Monster". Em's slow melodies were also a winner, especially "Legacy" and "Headlights"  I feel "Bad Guy" was too long and drawn out though.

Nevertheless, this is another timeless, four and a half mic classic for Shady. You can let it play and not be easily tempted to skip songs. Some of his verses are worthy of repeating, just so you can get the full meaning of his cypher.

Eminem has definitely matured over the past couple of decades, but is still an artist at heart. I would definitely suggest picking up either version of MMLP2. Real hip hop and Eminem fans should not be disappointed. 

BONUS BLOG: 2011 53rd Annual Grammy Awards comments

-Aretha's getting honored! She's such a diva!
- LL's about to pop out of that suit.
- Don't you just like how the Grammys jumble about 10 different artists together at once, on one stage?
- Y'all still don't sound like Aretha!
- Don't forget the lyrics, Christina!
- The Grammys appears to be a geriatic experience
- Florence and the Machine looks like they could be Ron Howard's daughters
- Who else can sing "Respect" other than slim J-Hud?
- What about that outfit Christina has on?
- Not feeling that short hair Yolanda
- It's FINALLY over! That was a long tribute!
- What's wrong with Aretha anyways?
- Train, smh! That video looks like it was filmed in the NoDa district of Charlotte
- Here's "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. She's about to hatch out of that giant egg on stage!
- Gaga's hair halfway looks normal
- Lady Gaga is ripped tho! Look at those abs and pecs!
- I'm feeling this song!
- Blake Shelton is country as cornbread
- Miranda Lambert is hot, but I'm muting and changing the channel during this performance
- Lenny Kravitz looks like a bat
- Muse???? They sound like a group that would perform during halftime of the Super Bowl
- They are wild???
- OMG, the special effects looks like Tetris!
- Of course you gotta have Ryan Secreast
- I've been waiting on this performance
- Janelle Monae, I didn't butcher your name this time!
- B.O.B.'s rocking the monocle!
- They've gone back to the 60s now!
- Get it Janelle!
- And now she's crowd surfing
- That's REAL music right there!
- Sorry, don't get too much into country
- Dang Eva, you're leaving TOO much for the imagination
- Justin Bieber didn't look like a woman back in 2007
- I loathe both Usher and Justin Bieber, but I'm watching this performance for Jaden Smith
- That's a lot of ninjas!
- The Grammys are basically one huge concert. We at home don't even see many of the awards being presented.
- Get it Jaden!
- Will and Jada are such proud parents
- Usher's sweating like a whore in church
- Muse! Muse! Muse!!!
- And the winner is MUSE!!!
- Selena Gomez looks grown
- Mumford and Sons, WTH?
- Lady Gaga wins again! Are those butt pads she's wearing?
- Now get off the stage Gaga!
- LOL @ Letterman!
- And Bob Dylan looks drunk!
- Clay Matthews! Packers baby, green and yellow!
- Lady Antebellum are butchering Teddy P's song
- Didn't know The Kings Of Leon were from Tennessee
- Jamie Foxx sounds very hoarse
- Cee-Lo Green, get it!
- Are those Muppets he's performing with?
- NBC called Cee-Lo, they want their peacock back!
- There's the soon-to-be single Katy Perry!
- And what's the deal with artists performing sitting in swings?
- Isn't Katy Perry pregnant?
- John Mayer looks like Johnny Depp
- Why is Seth Rogen talking like a robot?
- Now this is the BIG performance: Rihanna, Dre, and Eminem!!!
- Maaan they bleeped out a whole sentence from Eminem's part
- It's Dr. Dre!!! Those kicks are bright white
- Eminem and em killed it!
- Esperanza Spalding is Best New Artist! Take that, Bieber!
- But dang that dress looks like it was made by a 1st grader
- This old man from the Grammys talking is annoying #thatisall
- How has Mick Jagger went all of these decades without performing on the Grammys?
- Is this "old man night" for real?
- WTH? Barbara Streisand? Where's my trusty, mute button?
- Hope they're cheering that loudly because Barbara's gone
- OK and now for the coon portion of the awards show: Nicki Minaj. And Nicki needs to take that cotton candy off her head
- HELL YEAH!!! Eminem wins Rap Album of The Year!
- Whoa there's Beyonce'!
- So Diddy is Puff Daddy again?
- What's up with all of this fire tonight?
- There's J-Lo looking tasty
- Never heard of Arcadia Fire. They don't sound bad either
- WOW The Grammys ACTUALLY went off on time!

BONS BLOG: 2010 American Music Awards

-Is that a bathrobe that Rihanna is wearing?
- What is that she's sitting on, a tree?
- Rihanna isn't the best singer but she sure is fiiine!
- Man that was a loong performance
- Waddup with Heidi Klum's hair?
- Usher, smh
- OK get off the stage already Usher, you thanked everyone but your maid and driver
- Is Lady Gaga not present tonight?
- Dang Jenny!
- Of course the Black-Eyed Peas (i.e, Fergie, Will, and those "other" two guys) won!
- Will I.A.M., is that hat made of Leggos?
- There's one of the gays from Modern Family
- Lasers are getting sooo played out
- Was that John Mayer in the audience?
- OK Miley Cyrus are you yourself or Hannah Montana?
- Are they trying to summon the ghosts of music past with all of these candles?
- And Miley, Grandma Moses wants her wardrobe back
- OK so now Diddy is called Diddy Dirty Money?
- Who was that gal singing b4 Diddy came on?
- Diddy's son looks just like him
- I'm Coming Home, I'm Coming Home!
- Oh snap, Jessica Alba's gonna be on Little Fockers!
- Taylor Swift wins an AMA. Protect the stage! #Kanyeshrug
- Taylor looks anorexic
- Samuel L. Jackson, you MFers!
- Kid Rock can actually sing! #WOW
- He's not as scruffy anymore either
- Christian Milian, my homie's crush! What a short, sexy skirt!
- Can't wait for that new Black-Eyes Peas album, even with all of the autotune!
- This performance makes me wanna see Tron now
- Why has Katy Perry got a Children's Choir behind her?
- Katy sounds a little off-key right now
- WHOA Katy!! Look at that red catsuit!
- Does Nicki Minaj thinks she's Lady Gaga, Lil Kim or both?
- OK Nicki that was an EXTREMELY inappropriate promo for your new album #epicfail
- Wait, Rihanna doesn't have soul!
- Time to change the channel, it's Justin Bieber, complete with his golden mic
- Mandy Moore, where have you been?
- I thought country singers wore black cowboy hats, not white
- Bon Jovi, still at it!
- Loving those lightning bolts!
- The crowd is REALLY feeling Bon Jovi's performance, especially Jenny McCarthy!
- It's My Life!
- Justin Bieber, award #1
- There's the much slimmer Kelly Osbourne!
- Pink always brings her A game at awards shows
- I'll bet Pink's baby daddy Carey Hart helped design that performance set
- Now we have Ne-Yo trying to bite off of MJ's dance moves
- OK Ne-Yo are you gonna do that gal on stage?
- Taylor Swift's on, time to be bored
- Keri Hilson is sooo beautiful!
- Justin Bieber, ANOTHER award!
- Now I believe I wanna see Burlesque
- Some of this material is NOT even appropriate for adults, let alone children
- Lady Antebellum has broken through!
- Swedish House Mafia? *blank stare and face*
- I haven't heard of any of these alternative groups
- Train is sooo old!
- And Train actually has soul sisters hopping on stage
- And there's Michael Buble', haven't heard of him since the Grammys
- Now the awards show is starting to go in the can. Ke$ha? WTH?
- They're putting a lot of old, classic artists on this year's show. Looks like halftime of a Super Bowl. Mostly coonery and foolery free though
- Santana is a beast on that guitar!
- And NO awards show is complete without Ryan Secreast!
- NOOOOO Bieber!!! This show should be renamed the Justin Bieber awards
- Good gesture Usher!
- Been waiting on this performance. Backstreet Boys are still better!