em and goofy and gold?

[Miss NWA Whoorider]

 Eminem: 'Curtain Call: The Hits'
By Kevin C. Johnson
POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
12/18/2005

Curtain Call - The Hits
( Handout)
 
 

Eminem's year has included plenty of highs and lows: hospitalization for sleep-medication dependency, cancellation of a European tour, headlining gig on the Anger Management tour, loss of his DJ, scattered lawsuits, reconciliation with his wife. But he'll end the year back on top of the charts with "Curtain Call: The Hits."

The follow-up to last year's "Encore," the CD offers the Detroit rapper's greatest hits and a few extras. The retrospective will probably further fuel talk, however improbable, that he's retiring. For the record, Eminem says only that he's at a point in his career where he doesn't know what he'll do next. So don't read too much prophecy into the title of his new song "When I'm Gone."

"Curtain Call" provides a quick reminder of why Eminem is among the most respected and revealing hip-hop artists, shattering the long-held belief that only African-Americans can rap successfully.

The set goes back to 1999 with material from his debut, "The Slim Shady LP." Included are the goofy, Dr. Dre-produced "My Name Is" and the laid-back "Guilty Conscience," both novelties at the time. But Eminem proved more novel than novelty, following his debut with smash after smash, including 2000's "The Marshall Mathers LP," 2002's "The Eminem Show" and 2004's "Encore."

The song selection on "Curtain Call" represents all of the popular rapper's various sides - for better and worse. He displays his immaturity on "My Name Is," as annoying as anything he has ever done (the Spice Girls reference is terribly dated). Eminem's equally a pain on "The Real Slim Shady," with its childish rants against Christina Aguilera and others, and on the nursery rhyme-flavored "Without Me."

But there are real moments of introspection as well, something Eminem does extremely well. The hauntingly great "Stan" details an obsessed fan's descent into madness, and two versions are included: the official cut with Dido (which helped bring her fully into the mainstream) and a live take with Elton John during a great Grammy performance a few years back.

Among the other tracks: his worthy, Academy Award-winning "Lose Yourself"' from "8 Mile," and such intensely personal songs as "Mockingbird" and "Cleaning Out My Closet." "Like Toy Soldiers" and "Sing for the Moment" nicely sample Martika and Aerosmith, respectively.

The CD features several new songs. "When I'm Gone" fares best, but "Fack" is little more than a wild sexcapade that gets more gross as it goes along, and "Shake That," with Nate Dogg, gives just enough to hold fans over.

The deluxe edition of "Curtain Call" includes "Stan's Mixtape," a separate disc with Eminem-featured songs that have never appeared on an Eminem CD - for example, a "Dead Wrong" remix with Notorious B.I.G. and "Renegade" with Jay-Z.

Eminem's success over such a short period of time makes it unlikely that "Curtain Call" is really curtains for him. But maybe a little time off is a good idea for such an overexposed artist. He's earned the rest - and the public can use a respite.


Eminem
"Curtain Call: The Hits"
Grade: B

 
 

[Miss NWA Whoorider]

iwanted yall to see this shit,hahahahaha they called him and dre goofy but if dre hits him with a lawsuit who will be laughing then?

[GangstaBoogy]

why the fuck are there 3 eminem topics in the west coast section?

[J Bananas]

skyyyyyyyyyyyyy ballin

[Teddy Roosevelt]

why the fuck are there 3 eminem topics in the west coast section?

You didn't hear? Eminem recently announced that he's actually from Vallejo, California. He made up all that bullshit about being from detriot because he wanted to be completly different from other rappers. (being white wasn't enough for him). He moved to Detriot when he was 16. Nowadays you can see him throwing his dubs up. He and Mac Dre use to kick it all the time. You didn't know?

[BigBDrugStores]

iwanted yall to see this shit,hahahahaha they called him and dre goofy but if dre hits him with a lawsuit who will be laughing then?

no, they said the songs were goofy and that dr dre produced them. dumb bitch