Devil's Night [Import Bonus CD]

Barnes & Noble

On Devil's Night -- the first release on Eminem's Shady Records -- the Shady One shares the spotlight with D-12, his Detroit crew of like-minded rhyme lunatics. The disc's 19 maniacal tracks feature some of hip-hop's most delightfully twisted verbal barrages. From the slyly sinister gun-talk of "Pistol Pistol" to the psychedelic drug anthem "Purple Pills," what Bible toters, concerned parents, and critics should keep in mind is that D-12's Garbage-Pail-Kids-on-crack rhymes are aimed beyond tongue-in-cheek -- they're really tongue-through-cheek. Most of the time it's all good fun, although on "American Psycho," Bizarre manages to exceed rap's gross-out quotient with lines like, "And I ain't got no food/ My job, I've been cheated/ My girlfriend had a miscarriage/ I had to eat it." Trashy talk aside, the true showstoppers here are the funky beats courtesy of Dr. Dre and Mr. Mathers himself -- ranging from the ominous strings and thrash guitars of "Fight Music" to the syncopated, carnival-esque organ-grinder snyths of "Ain't Nuthin' but Music." Rounding out the madness is the hidden track "Girls," on which Em lyrically assaults his growing list of nemeses -- former House of Pain frontman Everlast, underground hip-hop heroes Dilated Peoples, and Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal and Fred Durst. This quintessential horror-core-filled record is proof positive that Em deserves his props. Just ask his D-12 compadres, because they've definitely got his back. Brett Johnson

All Music Guide

It's tempting to dismiss D12's debut album, Devil's Night, as exploitative juvenilia, similar to how fellow Detroit hardcore rap acts such as ICP and Esham had been treated in the past. In fact, it's hard not to dismiss this album as shock rap because that's exactly what it is -- there's no denying it. As witty as Eminem may be -- and he's by far the most creative member of the group -- the countless forays into theatrical perversity far outnumber the more literate moments. But to dismiss the album strictly because of its themes would be unfortunate. As challenging as it may be for many to stomach the constant and incredibly explicit sex, violence, and drug references, there is a stunning album lurking beneath that deserves recognition. Functioning as the album's executive producer and as the producer for most of the album's beats, Eminem has done a wonderful job crafting this album and its foreboding feel. Influenced by the style of sparse beats Dr. Dre employed on Eminem's past solo hits, the troublemaking MC's beatmaking steals the show here, particularly on the album's standout moment, "Purple Pills." In fact, Eminem's beats often contest the couple equally impressive tracks that Dre contributes. Besides the remarkable production, Eminem also showcases his songwriting genius on several of the song's hooks, bringing a catchy pop-rap approach to hardcore lyrics. Yet no matter how accomplished this album is from a production and songwriting angle, it's impossible to look past the disturbing lyrics, especially those of Bizarre, and also Eminem's moments of unnecessary instigation. This album is obviously targeting those with a taste for perversity. If that means you, then you'll love this; if that doesn't mean you, then the album is still worth investigating, if only for Eminem's show-stealing performance as not only an MC but also as an adept producer and songwriter. [The European release offers a bonus CD that includes three tracks ("Shit on You," "Words Are Weapons," and "These Drugs") as well as multimedia content.] Jason Birchmeier