ALBUM REVIEW: EMINEM 'RELAPSE'

MY BIG HOMEY OVER AT THE BALTIMORE EXAMINER, MY HOMETOWN, REVIEWS EMINEM’S MUCH ANTICIPATED “RELAPSE” ALBUM. I’VE HEARD THINGS ABOUT IT, MOSTLY UNPLEASANT, BUT OF COURSE YOU SHOULD CHECK FOR YOURSELF, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW. I READ THIS ARTICLE, & I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH IT, AS DO MANY PEOPLE. CHECK IT OUT. ENJOY

Eminem sells 600,000 records in first week

Does Eminem look different to you? Or is that just me?

Surprise! Surprise! Your favorite MC sold 600,000 copies of his latest CD, Relapse this week.

What does this tell us? Eminem is the best rapper, ever? Nope. Just that America is still infatuated and in an ongoing love/hate relationship with Mr. Mathers; a relationship that I ended 3 years ago...

What makes an album like Eminem's sell 600K copies? What makes an album with an unnecessary number of references to vicodin, valium, and/or rehab sell 600K copies in the first week? Is this what Eminem fans were waiting for?

I've purposely held off on my review of Eminem's album primarily because I wanted to be (as) objective (as possible) when reviewing Relapse. Based on my preliminary review of his first 2 singles, in my past article "Eminem is killing again," I'm assuming that many of you won't like this review. After listening to this album about 10-11 times:

Point blank...plain and simple...I believe Relapse is just that; a relapse.

Re-lapse: [v. ree-laps] 1. to fall or slip back into a former state, practice, etc;

Based on that definition, this album is absolutely a relapse. A slip back to Eminem circa 2001-2. A former state that we all laughed and sat jaw-dropped over 7-8 years ago. If you look at the album, as a whole, there is very little pertinent content and/or development of Eminem as an artist. I don't know Eminem personally. I'm sure that he has grown as a person; become more knowledgeable of the industry, the business, and his demons. Unfortunately, he chose not to truly highlight that growth and/or development in this work.

I sat excited, like most of you ready to listen to an album full of the life that Eminem lived over the past 4 years; his on/off again divorce; the trials of being a dad; the violent death of his best friend; overcoming the drug addiction that almost killed him. I wasn't expecting a dark album like 808's. I wasn't expecting a radio-friendly album. I wasn't expecting an album about Eminem turning to God and going back to church. I was expecting a more realistic (and less horrifying) account of his challenges over the past 4 years. I mean, come on. 4 years away from this fickle industry.He's lucky that he still has a fan base that find him relevant.

I will not dedicate this entire article to slamming this album. I will say that Eminem has infused some tantalizing flows and cadences that I haven't heard from him in the past. His flow seems to be a bit more fluid in some songs, and more appropriately choppy in others. It seems that his flow is more appropriately linked to the individual song.

MUSIC REVIEW: FLORIDA- R.O.O.T.S

PERSONALLY, I’M A FAN OF FLO-RIDA. I DIG HIS FLOW, & HIS SWAG ON WAX. HE KNOWS HE ISN’T SUPER LYRICAL, NOR DOES HE ATTEMPT TO BE. BUT HE DOES HAVE A GREAT BLEND OF COMMERCIAL & SUBSTANTIVE MUSIC ON HIS ALBUM, MUCH LIKE HE DID ON HIS FRESHMAN ALBUM, MAIL ON SUNDAY. SO CHECK IT THIS OTHER REVIEW, & THEN CHECK OUT HIS ALBUM. IT WON’T DISAPPOINT.

Flo Rida's 'R.O.O.T.S.'

From LL Cool J to Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, hip-hop always has prized larger-than-life icons whose alchemy of skills, style and swagger enabled them to scale the Billboard charts. But with rap finally submerged in the waters of the mainstream, it's only inevitable that it would emulate the superstar-as- cipher model pioneered by its pop kin.

"Right Round," Flo Rida's record-shattering, double-platinum first single from "R.O.O.T.S.," boasts production credits from Dr. Luke, the mastermind behind such smashes as Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." Interpolating Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," the song recasts rap as Hot Topic teen pop. It's a smart move. Gone are the illusions of hip-hop credibility that dogged "Mail on Sunday." In its stead, Flo Rida's Atlantic patrons have supplied him with billion-dollar beats, gluttonous hooks and a blinding chrome tint.

With an almost eerie facelessness, the Miami rapper inhabits the songs like Armani suits bought off the rack. He's enlisting a who's who of contemporary hit makers: will.i.am. and Akon ("Available,") Timbaland ("Touch Me,") Wyclef Jean ("Rewind,") Ne-Yo ("Be on You,") and Nelly Furtado ("Jump"). Flo Rida boasts an adroit double-timed flow, but his greatest achievement is his understanding of how to stay in the background, never overwhelming the electro-laced tracks.

Even the title song, a narrative of Flo Rida's gritty rise, is swathed in mammoth R&B hooks, baying ad-libs, dollar-sign synthesizers. There's an almost geometric symmetry to "R.O.O.T.S.' " pop precision, one that lends it a ruthless efficacy and anoints Flo Rida the first anonymous rap superstar.

-- Jeff Weiss