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Editorial Reviews
Deluxe edition includes two bonus tracks. 2011 release from this Hip Hop duo featuring Royce da 5'9 and Eminem. They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999 and their early association with Dr. Dre and his label Aftermath Entertainment. The duo recorded numerous well received underground songs including the popular song 'Renegade' which would later be used on Jay-Z's The Blueprint album with Royce's verses replaced by Jay-Z. They have also recorded numerous freestyles together, including a 12-minute long battle. Bad Meets Evil split up in 2000, after Royce fell out with Eminem's group, D12 and Dr. Dre. They have since reunited.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 38 people found the following review helpful
By P. Binh
Format:Audio CD
Bad Meets Evil has been on hiatus for the better part of a decade, but you would never know it by listening to this E.P. Each track, with the exception of "Lighters," features complex, blistering, back-and-forth rhymes delivered by two incredibly skilled veterans of the rap game. Eminem is held by many to be the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) to ever rock the mic while Royce da 5'9" is never mentioned in debates about who the GOAT is; he is almost never mentioned in anyone's top 5, top 10, or top 25. Nevertheless, he holds his own with Eminem despite the disparity in their skill levels. There is probably no other rapper in the game who could do so, verse for verse, bar for bar, on almost a dozen songs. Few rappers could avoid being "murdered on their own ish" the way Royce has here.
Royce and Em rap circles around one another, finish each other's lines, and pick up where the other left off, sometimes mid-bar. The video equivalent of their dynamic can be seen at the end of "Fast Lane" music video where they jump in front of one another to be first before the camera. Theirs is a unique chemistry -- a competitive cooperation, or a cooperative competition -- that has produced a lyrical rap fan's dream.
This skit-free almost album length work keeps things moving. There is never a dull moment. "Lighters" does not fit with the E.P.'s overall motif of murders, beat downs, rapes, and literal/literary insanities, but its inclusion prevents it from being a monotone, boring, one note release. The beats are varied: "Take From Me" reminds me of something that could've been on Lupe Fiasco's Lasers, while "Loud Noises" is eccentric enough to be challenging for the likes of Eminem.
The only two shortcomings of this E.P. are its extreme misogyny (it's sad to see such talent misused; Em's rage is most likely due to his hate/love/hate relationship with his ex-wife Kim) and its lack of socio-political commentary. The latter became painfully obvious with the words from the chorus of "Above the Law": "the poor stay poor, the rich get richer..." You would think that Detroit's premier MCs would have something to say about the plight of their city, with half of its population unable to read at a high school level and the devastation caused by the auto industry's destruction/export of formerly well-paid union jobs...
One of the best things about the E.P. is the fact that Em and Royce came together and did this for one overriding reason: to have fun doing what they do best. It's not a commercially driven release, it was not created with tracks designed to appeal to specific demographics (club song, chick song, etc.), and it was not done to meet contractual obligations.
This is a labor of love and anyone who considers themselves a fan of the art owes it to Eminem and Royce to buy themselves a copy.
Royce and Em rap circles around one another, finish each other's lines, and pick up where the other left off, sometimes mid-bar. The video equivalent of their dynamic can be seen at the end of "Fast Lane" music video where they jump in front of one another to be first before the camera. Theirs is a unique chemistry -- a competitive cooperation, or a cooperative competition -- that has produced a lyrical rap fan's dream.
This skit-free almost album length work keeps things moving. There is never a dull moment. "Lighters" does not fit with the E.P.'s overall motif of murders, beat downs, rapes, and literal/literary insanities, but its inclusion prevents it from being a monotone, boring, one note release. The beats are varied: "Take From Me" reminds me of something that could've been on Lupe Fiasco's Lasers, while "Loud Noises" is eccentric enough to be challenging for the likes of Eminem.
The only two shortcomings of this E.P. are its extreme misogyny (it's sad to see such talent misused; Em's rage is most likely due to his hate/love/hate relationship with his ex-wife Kim) and its lack of socio-political commentary. The latter became painfully obvious with the words from the chorus of "Above the Law": "the poor stay poor, the rich get richer..." You would think that Detroit's premier MCs would have something to say about the plight of their city, with half of its population unable to read at a high school level and the devastation caused by the auto industry's destruction/export of formerly well-paid union jobs...
One of the best things about the E.P. is the fact that Em and Royce came together and did this for one overriding reason: to have fun doing what they do best. It's not a commercially driven release, it was not created with tracks designed to appeal to specific demographics (club song, chick song, etc.), and it was not done to meet contractual obligations.
This is a labor of love and anyone who considers themselves a fan of the art owes it to Eminem and Royce to buy themselves a copy.
81 of 106 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shady is "Back! with a capital 'B' with an exclamation mark." THIS is the Slim Shady that I remember and love.
June 14, 2011
By Hudson
Format:Audio CD
UPDATE: THIS IS A REVIEW THAT PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON EMINEM'S OUTPUT ON THIS RECORD (THOUGH I DO ADDRESS THE BAD MEETS EVIL PARTNERSHIP AND ROYCE SEVERAL TIMES). DUE TO COMPLAINTS FROM TROLLS, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS REVIEW IS IN NO WAY INTENDED TO BE A SLIGHT TO ROYCE DA 5'9, A LYRICAL BEAST. WHEN I DO TALK ABOUT ROYCE IN THIS REVIEW I HAVE NOTHING BUT LAUDATORY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT HIM. THIS IS JUST A RIDICULOUSLY LONG REVIEW FROM A DEDICATED STAN'S POINT OF VIEW. MUCH RESPECT TO ROYCE DA 5'9 (ONE OF THE BEST MCs IN THE GAME TODAY), DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS PRIMARILY AN EMINEM REVIEW.
Alright, let's just air out the facts here: "Recovery" was a great album because Eminem had "recovered" from his rap-slump and gained his old skills back and also developed new techniques such as brilliant double entendres, double-time rhyming over beats, and metaphors that were out of this world and even better than many metaphors we've heard from him in the past. After his rehab, Em said that he had to "learn how to rap again," and "Recovery" showed that he had in fact gained back the lyrical magic that laced the music on his early efforts, along with gaining some new impressive skills.
But, "Recovery" seemed to be targeting to a new audience with tracks like "Love the Way You Lie", "Space Bound", and "Not Afraid", which many old-school Shady fans resented, and I can see why. "Recovery" wasn't hardcore like most old-school Eminem fans are accustomed to, and the inevitable cries of "sell-out" or "soft" began to ring out from some hip-hop fans. I can't count how many times I've heard, "Recovery is great, but I miss the old Slim Shady." To tell the truth, I liked "Recovery" a lot, but basically just because Em had truly "recovered" his lyrical prowess that he's always been known for. The pop sound of the album was different from his past records. The reason that "Recovery" had ME excited was that I knew that Em's next album would showcase an even more improved lyrical flow.
That album has arrived, and this is NOT a "soft" album in any sense of the word. "Hell: The Sequel" is hard, misogynistic, raunchy, raw, very vulgar, funny (but not in a corny way) and controversial all the while (There's even a track about drugs, which I never expected to hear from Slim again.). Now THAT'S the Slim Shady I remember and love. With the exception of one track ("Lighters" featuring Bruno Mars, which sticks out like a sore thumb on this record), this album contains hard beats and hard rhymes from beginning to end. No bubble gum stuff here, so "Recovery" fans, brace yourself for a return to the glory days of Eminem.
Now, to address the partnership of Royce da 5'9 and Eminem. I've followed Eminem's career from "Slim Shady LP" till now, and I've never heard anyone trade verses with Em better than Royce. Royce is an absolute lyrical beast. I was upset when Royce and Em fell out several years ago, b/c they had been boys for a long time, and their chemistry as rappers was uncanny. Now they are reunited, and they haven't missed a beat and share love for each other throughout the record. These guys are rapping INCREDIBLY fast and going back and forth on verses similar to Method Man & Redman, or like Em and Dre on "Say What You Say" from "The Eminem Show". The rappers have stated that when they are in the studio together, they motivate each other to step up their game, and it shows on "Hell: The Sequel". When listening to this album, there is no need to try to figure out who spits better on each track, because they are rhyming almost as if they were born to rap with each other. This isn't a competition, it's a partnership, and both members of Bad Meets Evil are so on point it would make many of today's rappers' heads spin.
Before I talk about the specific tracks, there's a warning I feel I should let the ladies know about. When "Recovery" was so successful, I read a magazine article (I believe it was in Spin Magazine, but I can't be positive) where they attributed Em's newfound success to catering to women. Perhaps Em read the article and took it personally, considering he's very bitter towards women. I'm afraid this album is so misogynistic that the new younger female crowd is going to be quite offended. If you are a female who loves rap music though, this is nothing new, but brace yourself, because Em and Royce go hard on the ladies on almost every track. Just something for you ladies to keep in mind. If it doesn't bother you, then this album is a real treat.
Individual favorite tracks are hard to pick on this album. They are all fire. So, I'll address each track:
1.)"Welcome 2 Hell" - 9/10 - No time is wasted on this album. From the first beat to the last on this song, you immediately know what you're in for: an all-out assault of lyricism. If you ask me, Eminem has developed his lyrical techniques even better than the "Recovery" album. I'm going to include some lyrics, even though it's hard to do so here on Amazon b/c of the vulgarity of this album. I'll replace any dirty words with substitute clean words in parentheses. Em spits: "You has-beens are duller than / coloring books that ain't colored in / Second and third, fourth wind, got another win / Here they come again, none other than, / Bad and Evil, also known as Saddam and Osama Bin." Hard beat produced by Havoc (of Mobb Deep). Great album opener.
2.)"Fastlane" - 10/10 - The first single from the album is on fire. Produced with a bumpin' beat by Supadups and co-produced by Em himself, this song is off the hook. In case you haven't heard it, Shady talks about how he wants Nicki Minaj in a very dirty way that I can't print here. Here's my favorite lyric from this track: Em spits: "Maybe you should listen when I flip the linguistics / Cause when I rip this mystical slick (ish) / You don't wanna become another victim or statistic of this (ish) / Cause after I spit the bullets / I'mma treat these shell casings like a soccer ball / I'mma kick the ballistics..."
3.)"The Reunion" - 8/10 - The most hardcore misogynistic track on the album (perhaps). The theme of the song is that women fans say that Eminem's recent "anti-women" raps have been just for show, and on this track Em is saying that it's not a show at all, this is how he actually is. And he's very convincing, calling women every name in the book. Also, Eminem is ripping on "Relapse" again on this song, making fun of his accents in a hilarious way. Em: "In fact, get in the backseat, like the rest of my dates / No (chick) rides shotgun, what taxi? / Stop and pick you some Maxi Pads up? / Is that what you actually 'aksed' me?" Produced by Sid Roams.
4.)"Above the Law" - 8/10 - Produced by Mr. Porter. Good track. Not exactly my favorite on the album, but it's still got fire lyrics and a great hook and beat. This track is laden with explicit lyrics. Royce goes H.A.M. on this track: "I stay violent / ya'll go the peace route / You got a mouth like Kanye / I'll knock your whole bottom row of teeth out."
5.)"I'm On Everything (f/ Mike Epps)" - 10/10 - Perhaps my favorite track on the album. This is Mr. Porter's best beat ever, IMO. Hardcore and bumpin'. Eminem gives old school fans what they want, a track about drug use. He is just rapping, he's not actually back on drugs. He's just making a song to appeal to the crowd that "misses the old Shady". There's a sample from Mike Epps (comedian) that is off-putting at first, but grows on you quickly. Em spits: "Call me Brett Favre, spell it F-A-V-R-E, yep / It's wrong, other words I just (messed) my RV up." Classic track, IMO.
6.)"A Kiss" - 10/10 - Perhaps the hottest beat on the record, produced by Bangladesh (producer of Lil Wayne's "A Milli" and "6 Foot 7 Foot"). Loaded with bass and staccato drums, this is a track to blast the bass on your system. This is another misogynistic track, not for the ladies really, except die hard female fans. And of course, I can't write about this song with addressing the Lady Gaga "diss". Gaga fans, take it easy. All he says is one little punchline and the outrage that has ensued over the line by Gaga fans is just silly. Here's what Em says:
"Shady, he'll tell it like it is / So tell Katy Perry he's on the tail, he's tailgating / These bells are my mating call and I'm here, / Bells waiting and tell Lady / Gaga, she can quit her job at the post office / She's still a mail (male) lady." Advice to enraged Gaga fans: don't take it so seriously. In fact, from what I know about Gaga, she would probably think it's funny and definitely wouldn't encourage hate towards anyone. Besides, it's not like he's beefing with her. He's always been opinionated about certain artists, and in this instance, he's not making fun of her music like he has other pop stars in the past, so Gaga fans, just chill out. It's all in good fun, and this has been blown way out of proportion. A killer track.
7.)"Lighters (f/ Bruno Mars)" - 7/10 - Like I said earlier, this track sticks out on this album like a sore thumb. It just doesn't fit in AT ALL with the rest of the album. The whole album is hard and vicious with no bubble gum junk. There are touching verses from Eminem and especially Royce da 5'9 on this track, which is why I rated it higher than I should have. I know this is the second single from the album, and I think if you are reading reviews for "Hell: The Sequel" because you like this track, you should know that "Lighters" doesn't represent what the rest of this album sounds like. This track would have been much more welcome on "Recovery". I skip the Bruno Mars parts of the song and listen to the verses only. The most touching lyrics here come from Royce da 5'9: "I ain't gotta stop the beat a minute / to tell Shady I love him the same way that he did Dr. Read more ›
Alright, let's just air out the facts here: "Recovery" was a great album because Eminem had "recovered" from his rap-slump and gained his old skills back and also developed new techniques such as brilliant double entendres, double-time rhyming over beats, and metaphors that were out of this world and even better than many metaphors we've heard from him in the past. After his rehab, Em said that he had to "learn how to rap again," and "Recovery" showed that he had in fact gained back the lyrical magic that laced the music on his early efforts, along with gaining some new impressive skills.
But, "Recovery" seemed to be targeting to a new audience with tracks like "Love the Way You Lie", "Space Bound", and "Not Afraid", which many old-school Shady fans resented, and I can see why. "Recovery" wasn't hardcore like most old-school Eminem fans are accustomed to, and the inevitable cries of "sell-out" or "soft" began to ring out from some hip-hop fans. I can't count how many times I've heard, "Recovery is great, but I miss the old Slim Shady." To tell the truth, I liked "Recovery" a lot, but basically just because Em had truly "recovered" his lyrical prowess that he's always been known for. The pop sound of the album was different from his past records. The reason that "Recovery" had ME excited was that I knew that Em's next album would showcase an even more improved lyrical flow.
That album has arrived, and this is NOT a "soft" album in any sense of the word. "Hell: The Sequel" is hard, misogynistic, raunchy, raw, very vulgar, funny (but not in a corny way) and controversial all the while (There's even a track about drugs, which I never expected to hear from Slim again.). Now THAT'S the Slim Shady I remember and love. With the exception of one track ("Lighters" featuring Bruno Mars, which sticks out like a sore thumb on this record), this album contains hard beats and hard rhymes from beginning to end. No bubble gum stuff here, so "Recovery" fans, brace yourself for a return to the glory days of Eminem.
Now, to address the partnership of Royce da 5'9 and Eminem. I've followed Eminem's career from "Slim Shady LP" till now, and I've never heard anyone trade verses with Em better than Royce. Royce is an absolute lyrical beast. I was upset when Royce and Em fell out several years ago, b/c they had been boys for a long time, and their chemistry as rappers was uncanny. Now they are reunited, and they haven't missed a beat and share love for each other throughout the record. These guys are rapping INCREDIBLY fast and going back and forth on verses similar to Method Man & Redman, or like Em and Dre on "Say What You Say" from "The Eminem Show". The rappers have stated that when they are in the studio together, they motivate each other to step up their game, and it shows on "Hell: The Sequel". When listening to this album, there is no need to try to figure out who spits better on each track, because they are rhyming almost as if they were born to rap with each other. This isn't a competition, it's a partnership, and both members of Bad Meets Evil are so on point it would make many of today's rappers' heads spin.
Before I talk about the specific tracks, there's a warning I feel I should let the ladies know about. When "Recovery" was so successful, I read a magazine article (I believe it was in Spin Magazine, but I can't be positive) where they attributed Em's newfound success to catering to women. Perhaps Em read the article and took it personally, considering he's very bitter towards women. I'm afraid this album is so misogynistic that the new younger female crowd is going to be quite offended. If you are a female who loves rap music though, this is nothing new, but brace yourself, because Em and Royce go hard on the ladies on almost every track. Just something for you ladies to keep in mind. If it doesn't bother you, then this album is a real treat.
Individual favorite tracks are hard to pick on this album. They are all fire. So, I'll address each track:
1.)"Welcome 2 Hell" - 9/10 - No time is wasted on this album. From the first beat to the last on this song, you immediately know what you're in for: an all-out assault of lyricism. If you ask me, Eminem has developed his lyrical techniques even better than the "Recovery" album. I'm going to include some lyrics, even though it's hard to do so here on Amazon b/c of the vulgarity of this album. I'll replace any dirty words with substitute clean words in parentheses. Em spits: "You has-beens are duller than / coloring books that ain't colored in / Second and third, fourth wind, got another win / Here they come again, none other than, / Bad and Evil, also known as Saddam and Osama Bin." Hard beat produced by Havoc (of Mobb Deep). Great album opener.
2.)"Fastlane" - 10/10 - The first single from the album is on fire. Produced with a bumpin' beat by Supadups and co-produced by Em himself, this song is off the hook. In case you haven't heard it, Shady talks about how he wants Nicki Minaj in a very dirty way that I can't print here. Here's my favorite lyric from this track: Em spits: "Maybe you should listen when I flip the linguistics / Cause when I rip this mystical slick (ish) / You don't wanna become another victim or statistic of this (ish) / Cause after I spit the bullets / I'mma treat these shell casings like a soccer ball / I'mma kick the ballistics..."
3.)"The Reunion" - 8/10 - The most hardcore misogynistic track on the album (perhaps). The theme of the song is that women fans say that Eminem's recent "anti-women" raps have been just for show, and on this track Em is saying that it's not a show at all, this is how he actually is. And he's very convincing, calling women every name in the book. Also, Eminem is ripping on "Relapse" again on this song, making fun of his accents in a hilarious way. Em: "In fact, get in the backseat, like the rest of my dates / No (chick) rides shotgun, what taxi? / Stop and pick you some Maxi Pads up? / Is that what you actually 'aksed' me?" Produced by Sid Roams.
4.)"Above the Law" - 8/10 - Produced by Mr. Porter. Good track. Not exactly my favorite on the album, but it's still got fire lyrics and a great hook and beat. This track is laden with explicit lyrics. Royce goes H.A.M. on this track: "I stay violent / ya'll go the peace route / You got a mouth like Kanye / I'll knock your whole bottom row of teeth out."
5.)"I'm On Everything (f/ Mike Epps)" - 10/10 - Perhaps my favorite track on the album. This is Mr. Porter's best beat ever, IMO. Hardcore and bumpin'. Eminem gives old school fans what they want, a track about drug use. He is just rapping, he's not actually back on drugs. He's just making a song to appeal to the crowd that "misses the old Shady". There's a sample from Mike Epps (comedian) that is off-putting at first, but grows on you quickly. Em spits: "Call me Brett Favre, spell it F-A-V-R-E, yep / It's wrong, other words I just (messed) my RV up." Classic track, IMO.
6.)"A Kiss" - 10/10 - Perhaps the hottest beat on the record, produced by Bangladesh (producer of Lil Wayne's "A Milli" and "6 Foot 7 Foot"). Loaded with bass and staccato drums, this is a track to blast the bass on your system. This is another misogynistic track, not for the ladies really, except die hard female fans. And of course, I can't write about this song with addressing the Lady Gaga "diss". Gaga fans, take it easy. All he says is one little punchline and the outrage that has ensued over the line by Gaga fans is just silly. Here's what Em says:
"Shady, he'll tell it like it is / So tell Katy Perry he's on the tail, he's tailgating / These bells are my mating call and I'm here, / Bells waiting and tell Lady / Gaga, she can quit her job at the post office / She's still a mail (male) lady." Advice to enraged Gaga fans: don't take it so seriously. In fact, from what I know about Gaga, she would probably think it's funny and definitely wouldn't encourage hate towards anyone. Besides, it's not like he's beefing with her. He's always been opinionated about certain artists, and in this instance, he's not making fun of her music like he has other pop stars in the past, so Gaga fans, just chill out. It's all in good fun, and this has been blown way out of proportion. A killer track.
7.)"Lighters (f/ Bruno Mars)" - 7/10 - Like I said earlier, this track sticks out on this album like a sore thumb. It just doesn't fit in AT ALL with the rest of the album. The whole album is hard and vicious with no bubble gum junk. There are touching verses from Eminem and especially Royce da 5'9 on this track, which is why I rated it higher than I should have. I know this is the second single from the album, and I think if you are reading reviews for "Hell: The Sequel" because you like this track, you should know that "Lighters" doesn't represent what the rest of this album sounds like. This track would have been much more welcome on "Recovery". I skip the Bruno Mars parts of the song and listen to the verses only. The most touching lyrics here come from Royce da 5'9: "I ain't gotta stop the beat a minute / to tell Shady I love him the same way that he did Dr. Read more ›
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A. Harvey
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great album, #7 Lighters is the only weak spot, Bruno Mars does not belong on any Shady album. Eminem is at his best and Royce is a great complement to his style.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A few good songs
Okay album not the best I have heard. But there are a few good songs that I love. Rap is getting played out now its all the same tired stuff.
Published 7 days ago by Heather
5.0 out of 5 stars
media
the media can make or break an artist and eminem doesnt wait until the tide is in his favor. he fights and paves his own way by turning tables right back and opening doors for... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Alia Tarek Tawfik
5.0 out of 5 stars
classic
Must buy for any hip hop fan. If your an eminem fan or rocye59 ethier way thier both amazing on this album and compliment each others skills
Published 1 month ago by tom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD.
The CD came to me in brand new shape with no scratches. The CD also came to me in a timely fashion.
Published 1 month ago by Sara Marie Rodriguez
5.0 out of 5 stars
Its hot.
Eminem and Royce da 5'9 kill co op album with sick flows and interchanges between each at the drop of a hat. Good old fashion REAL hip-hop.
Published 2 months ago by Ricardo Lugo
3.0 out of 5 stars
3 of 5
Eminem and Royce Da 5-9; collectively known as Bad Meets Evil, hence their duet from The Slim Shady LP; should’ve made an album back in 1999. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Marcel Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars
good buy
I am very pleased with my purchase. The price was just as good as buying it in a local store
Published 2 months ago by dave
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eminem is great
Great album to get pumped up for the gym. W w w w w w w w w w w
Published 3 months ago by Scott Bae
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just like Repalse Album
Eminem mad another sloppy album with too much back ground noise with other ft. artist singing along. Save the money and just buy the song you like.
Published 3 months ago by gordi
5.0 out of 5 stars
m&m
What can I say other than it is Eminem. Sounds great, price is right and purchased several more of his albums from this seller and shipped fast. Read more
Published 3 months ago by bgf3
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