Tyler, The Creator recently shared his thoughts on Eminem's Shady XV compilation album giving the release a less than satisfactory review. While the young emcee expressed his love for the Detroit rapper, he was less than impressed with his latest release. Since then, several reviews for Shady XV have surfaced on the Internet. Shady XV has been considered a reference point for the growth of Shady Records over the past decade. It has also been referenced as an indication that Em's aggressive rhyme pattern may have run its course. Check out a round-up of what critics are saying below.
The folks over at Pitchfork sided with Tyler, The Creator saying, "Eminem's music has been unrelievedly awful now for a full decade."
Seconds into the 2xCD label compilation Shady XV, which pairs 12 new songs with a disc of "greatest hits," Eminem fires up his rappity-rap sputtering chainsaw, and it never ceases for the spiritually exhausting hour that follows. Even at his peak, his rapping was never melodious, but at his nadir, he has all the musicality of a leaf-blower. The production functions simply, like a stopwatch: It's there to tell him when to start and when to stop, and occasionally a juiced-up power-rock chorus interrupts him. Submitting production to an Eminem album must feel, for a producer, something like a novelist feeding their manuscript into a wood chipper. On the one hand, you are guaranteed unprecedented exposure, and on the other, you are all but ensuring that no one will notice a note of your work.
On the other hand, HipHopDX gave the album 4 x's out of 5, pointing to the label's progression over the years.
Aside from Marshall, Shady XV also celebrates the artistry of the rest of the team. Yelawolf and Royce Da 5'9 stand out in particular for their versatility. Fans of both artists will be pleased to hear them deviate for this album. Yela shines on "Down," while Royce holds his own alongside Em' on "Psychopath Killer." In keeping with the theme of nothing but straight bars, the Slaughterhouse track "Y'all Already Know" is particularly down home. Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden and Royce all go in over a DJ Premier beat swollen with nostalgia. The song, with a vintage, Premo sample-based beat, is a throwback of sorts to '90s era Hip Hop, and musically represents a break from the rest of the album. Premier obviously leaves his mark here, but Em's production is nothing to sneeze at either. Shady XV reinforces the notion that he has gone from a student of the "Dr. Dre School" of production to a legitimate rapper/producer.
The double disc album, which was released on November 24, is available on iTunes now. Check it out for yourself and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
