After another year filled with record sales and controversy Shady Records/ Aftermath Eminem returns to the game with Encore a 20 track (two interludes) LP that sees Eminem talking about racism, his past, politics, his two little girls, his former girl and the usual drugs, sex and violence.   The LP, executively produced by Dr. Dre is another circus ride from the complex mind of Marshall Mathers, a white man in a notoriously black man's world of Hip Hop, who continues to have people either loving or hating him.  

This album has several highlights including "Mosh", a song in which Eminem asks people to come together and fight oppression and in particular President Bush, "Yellow Brick Road", a story about Eminem's journey leading up to now with a specific mention of the racist comments he made as a teenager and his apology, "Mockingbird", a song dedicated to his two little girls explaining their current situation, "Rain Man", a song where he attacks those who attack him over a crazy beat produced by Dre, "Ass Like That", a song where he comes at typical club song and the most popular pop singers of the world    and "Encore" featuring Dr. Dre rapping as well as 50 Cent.   

Eminem can be righteous on one song and venting his personal frustrations on microphone the other. While most find this disturbing when he does say something serious he carries a lot weight and he continues to show more balls speaking up on songs like "Mosh" instead of hiding behind the fact that he makes millions on his album and needs peoples sales.   You have to take the crazy Eminem with the conscious Eminem and realize that he his good for Hip Hop because of the roles he plays to different types of people.   He continues to breakdown walls and while he could be doing songs like "Just Lose It" on every song and getting paid he still knows it more than that.  

That's why someone like Afeni Shakur has him producing tracks on Tupac Shakur's latest effort coming in December/January.

This album is very solid with bumping beats and thoughtful and sometimes venting lyrics.   If you think of what most MC's are talking about and what Eminem talks about you'll see why Eminem has the respect of MCs like Nas, Jadakiss and Jay-Z. They know he is mad nice!

I'll give the album Encore 4 Globes, this album will take you on a journey through the mind of Eminem and if you have a open mind you'll realize he has a true talent and needs to be given props for being one of the nicest in the game forget about skin color!

Any questions, comments, suggestions email Clayton Ruley at clayton@geoclan.com.