Nov 02, 2011 05:37 PM
4604 Views
(Updated Nov 02, 2011 05:48 PM)
My live review of Eminem at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this past weekend, there was a question of if the veteran Detroit rapper could be the villain he aspires to be anymore, if his mainstream mega-hits of “Recovery” and the “ehhh” of “Relapse” made a dent in that perception.
As the Evil half of the Bad Meets Evil project with Royce 5’9”, the answer is yes, yes he can be. And he brings it out in Nickel Nine, too, as the pair frequently face- and bounce-off each other in the nine-track set “Hell: The Sequel.” It’s a reunion of sorts, after the two friends matched up briefly on Slim Shady’s earliest studio release, beefed, then came back together after the death D12 rhymer Proof. Em’s since signed Royce’s crew Slaughterhouse to his Shady imprint, and this set marking the meeting of the minds.
Overall, the production is hit or miss, though I appreciate how it’s toned back for maximum lyrical impact. But track-to-track, this bearably short set is incongruent, incomplete, and without statement – surprising, considering Eminem’s need for theme from album to album. But “Hell: The Sequel” is more like a signpost, a feeling of the MCs stretching out again. There’s plenty of promise, should these two decide to give this another sequel
