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Album Review
by SashaS
1-11-2002
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| Eminem's '8 Mile' soundtrack |
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Eminem: '8 Mile'
(Interscope)
Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ is enthronement of a ‘new Elvis’
Eminem starring ‘8 Mile’ film’s soundtrack landed at the top of the American charts with sales that were more than twice that of the nearest rival (Christina Aquilera) and three-times as much as the second runner-up (Nirvana). The movie received very positive notices from the domestic critics and, predictably, was the most successful opening of the week, and it took staggering $50 million at the box-office!
This marks Eminem’s busting out as a mainstream star, a legend; the transformation from a renegade started with ‘The Eminem Show’ album earlier this year and is now complete. Heading the film that is loosely based on his life, it is basically an ‘American dream’ story. A kid from the wrong-side-of-tracks is trying to make it as rapper while being of the wrong colour. Em’s own career proves that artifice matters not if you have genuine talent and knack for innovation.
Em drops four songs, as well as there being one by D-12, all of the usual high quality with solid beats and “dropping poems”, goes the opener ‘Lose Yourself’, about grabbing the one opportunity when it presents itself. ‘Love Me’ is shared with Obie Trice and 50 Cent and both contribute individual songs – one by the former and two by the latter rapper. Other tracks are by Jay-Z, Xzibit, Macy Gray, Nas, Rakim, GangStarr…
The comparison with Elvis, some even mention James Dean, is justifiable because both are white kids who took black artform to revolutionise white market and rake in zillions of dollars. (Em’s total album sales stand at 30 million right now.) They are the true originators of huge cultural shifts in the market-place and there have been only few in between: Lennon, Hendrix, Rotten, Kurt Cobain… A very distinguished line-up of nearly all-dead legends.
That’s where lies a potential trap as Marshall Mathers can find himself as a rebel without a cause: fame’s isolated him from his public’s reality and his street-life membership has been cancelled. The essence of what made him has been turned off and it is a matter of how much he is ready to fight to remain in touch with. Otherwise all he’d be left to get inspired with is his dysfunctional family life, mainly in the past tense. Fictionalise or politicise more? It’ll be interesting to see which way Em goes next and, so far, he has continually surprised. Rap’s Shakespeare? Better believe it, person.
As it stands, ‘8 Mile’ is a very good album than surpasses its sole function of accompanying the visuals. And, if this happens not to be enough music for you, the disc will allow you to view/listen more songs/material that is uncensored via the official site. The code for it is provided and it is a bloody long one!
8/10
SashaS
1-11-2002
Eminem headed ’8 Mile’ soundtrack is released on 28 October 2002 on Slim Shady/Interscope
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