Customer Reviews

8 Mile (Deluxe Limited Edition)

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

8 Mile Soundtrack, has to be one of the nicest soundtracks out in a long time. In the movie Eminem is the the main actor, and the story is similar to his life story, and his long rise in the game. The soundtrack is laced with loads of rap talent, old and new, with Ems group D12, 50 Cent, Nas, Jay-Z, Young Zee,Gangstarr, Freeway, Macy Gracy, Boomkat, Obie Trice and the legendary Rakim all making appearances. The album opens with the lead single "Lose Yourself", Eminem verses.. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow; this opportunity comes once in a lifetime.. to the background guitar riffs which gradually rise throghout the song. Eminem is passing the message, when the opportunity comes, you better dam will grasp it, track is very powerfull. This is my favourite track on the album."8 Mile" and "Love Me" Feat. 50 Cent and Obie Trice follow and are nice tracks. On "8 Miles and Running" Jay-Z and Freeway drop a deadly combination. Macy Gracys "Time of Your Life" brings about a change in sound, produced by Dante Ross, as does Nas "U wanna be Me" another blazing track where Nas kicks insightful knowledge. Hiphop Legend Rakim who is making a commeback appears on "R.A.K.I.M" and flows nicely, letting you know he is still very much in the game. Gangstarr appears on "Battle" produced by DJ premier. 8 mile soundtrack is really a show of Shady Records talent and Eminems beats but succesfull tracks by big names like Nas, Jay-Z and Rakim all raise the quality of the album. Blazing soundtrack, worth checking out.

As a movie soundtrack, "8 Mile" is not the best, especially since only a few of the songs appear in the movie. Eminem, of course, contributes the best tracks and this time from the prespective of his "Rabbit" character instead of "Slim Shady", which adds a new dimension to Em's already powerful MC arsenal. The problem is the rest of the artists give an uneven contribution. Even the rap heavyweights are disappointing at times. LOSE YOURSELF-You've problably heard this 100 times by now. It's still great; a different and more inspirational track than Em's other commercial hits. (5/5) LOVE ME-An odd semi-love song. The funniest verse comes from 50 Cent. (3.5/5) 8 MILE-More than just the movie's title. A terrific 6-minute escape-from-home rant from Em and perfect for the film. My favorite track. I liked this even better than "Lose Yourself". (5/5) ADRENALINE RUSH-I hated this. Em's protege' Obie Trice, who contributed a really disgusting verse in "Drips", does no better here. An empty diss of whomever .... Obie's track on the bonus sampler is much better than this. (0/5) PLACES TO GO-To me, 50 Cent shows much more potential than Obie. He has a more laid back style in his delivery. Pretty smooth track and fitting for the movie. (4/5) RAP GAME-Pretty amusing track from D12. Funniest moment is Em rapping in Pig Latin. (3.5/5) 8 MILES AND RUNNIN'-Okay track from Jay-Z & Freeway, but it sounds like an ad for "Blueprint 2". (3/5) SPIT SHINE-So-so rant from Xzibit. He been more forceful in his previous work. (2.5/5) TIME OF MY LIFE-Sure, this song is out of place, but I still liked it. (4/5) U WANNA B ME-Normally, Nas is one of the more deep, thought-provoking rappers around, especially in songs like "One Mic", but he's completely wasted here. This is an idiotic, unnecessary dis of Jay-Z, or whomever. Truly awful. (0.5/5) WANKSTA-50 Cent's first single from his upcoming album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'". Pretty good, but I liked "Places to Go" better. (3/5) WASTING MY TIME-Just as out of place as the Macy Gray song, but much less memorable. A waste of your time. (1.5/5) R.A.K.I.M.-Rather dull and not very bounceable. (2/5) THAT'S MY N***A FO' REAL-So-so filler track. (2/5) BATTLE-Pretty good gangsta track. (3.5/5) RABBIT RUN-Awesome conclusion to the soundtrack from Em, who takes you inside the head of an aspiring rapper and his creative struggles. Yet another new dimension from Eminem. (5/5) The best tracks from the sampler come from Em, 50, and Obie. The start of "Rap Name", of course, started Em's hit single "Without Me" and the chorus samples the hook from "Drips" So I was impressed with Eminem and underwhelmed with the rest of the artists. However Eminem's contributions are great enough to buy the album. You can skip some of the rest.

When Eminem is placed beside another rapper, he usally steals the show. But how about when he's placed beside a Who's Who list of rappers on a soundtrack? The answer is still yes.

Simply, get the album for the Eminem songs because all of them are dope (well, duh). In fact, "8 Mile Road" is even better than "Lose Yourself", a song that radio will never get tired of. Other good songs are Young Zee of the Outsidaz with "That's My N For Real" and a rejuvenated 50 Cent with "Wanksta".

But like all soundtracks, there are a few missteps. Macy Gray gives us "Time of Your Life", an R&B song that disrupts the hip-hop feel of this album, plus she went out of style with the year 2000. Rakim's verses on "R.A.K.I.M." are decent, but the chorus and production are both terrible. And Nas gives an uninspired performance on the sluggish "You Wanna Be Me". But it's funny that the very next song that follows is from his rival Jay-Z, who shines so bright on "8 Miles and Running" (with Freeway) that it proves my theory that Hova gives his best performances everywhere but on his own albums.

So, to sum it up, there are some good songs and some bad songs on this soundtrack, but the good songs make the album a little worthwhile.

Yeah, I know Eminem is on this cd and his contributions are dope, of course everyone's heard "Lose Yourself," but check his verse on "Love Me" with Obie Trice and the star of the soundtrack 50 Cent. 50 Cent's "Wanksta" is one of the best songs in hip-hop this year, plus it's a diss song about Ja Rule (check the doll in video wearing Ja's guitar charm on his chain) how can you go wrong. 50's other solo song "Places to Go" has him spittin fire over a bangin Eminem back drop. Jay-Z slides into the mix flanked by his soldier Freeway on the solemn "8 Miles and Runnin," I dare you to listen to this song and not have the hook stuck in your head. Other hot ones include Rakim's sonic boom "R.A.K.I.M," Obie Trice's "Adrenaline Rush" and D-12's "Rap Game," another bangin hook by 50 on that one. There are only three missteps on the soundtrack, Macy Gray's annoying "Time of Your Life," Xzibit's below average "Spit Shine," and Nas' latest Jay-Z diss, "You Wanna Be Me." Other than these slip ups, 8 Mile is one of the best hip-hop soundtracks since "The Show."

...What you need to know about this album, and the other reviews stress it too, is that it's not an Eminem album. Its not going to be an essential to your CD player. You won't hear people quoting lines from the songs all the time or anything like that (with the possible exception of Lose Yourself). But once you take that into account you should like this.

Needless to say, this CD is almost all rap. The first half is Eminem and everyone else signed onto Shady Records. If you like the movie "8 Mile" or "The Eminem Show," it should impress you. If you thought Eminem should never have stopped the insanity of The Marshall Mathers LP, you might not be so impressed. The songs are mostly about Rabbit, not Eminem. The tracks with Obie Trice have good beats, but he's kind of a clown. You can take 50 Cent a little more seriously. Theres an OK D12 track. Its not outstanding, but it's pretty good. The first half is aimed more at Eminem fans.

The second half has a variety of people and is aimed at rap fans in general. Jay-Z does a track that works very well. Pretty good beat, pretty good chorus, pretty good rhymes, pretty good guest. I've never once skipped that one. Macy Gray and Boomkat (who?) provide an R&B track each, which is great if you like R&B. I, for one, don't feel the need to listen to these all the way through. Xzibit has a track that's tight if you like Xzibit. The rhymes are good, but he only talks about how he's better than everyone else. The Nas track is pathetic. It's another Jay-Z diss, the reason I never liked Nas in the first place. It's funny how Nas's rival contributes something to the album, but Nas doesn't. The last few tracks are from lesser known rap people. People know Rakim, but his day has passed and I don't know anything about the other two. The tracks are OK, but you might not listen to them all the way through. It ends with another no-chorus Eminem track that I like a lot. It has fast rhyming and it works perfectly to end the album.

This CD is good, but not that good. You might enjoy it, but you won't be deeply impressed. Dont buy it if you don't like Eminem, and don't buy it expecting an Eminem album. But if you like mainstream rap in general, this is probably for you.

Closing comments: How come Nas spends half the time talking about how he's the "last real ... alive" and he's God's Son and half making old ... jabs at Jay-Z?

Em continues to provide his standard excellent performance on his five cuts. By now, we've all heard "Lose Yourself," the inspiring anthem he delivers with a Pac-like passion similar to "Soldier," "Sing For the Moment" and "'Til I Collapse" from "The Eminem Show." What detracts from this album are the R&B cuts that don't fit and seem misplaced inserted between hip-hop tracks. Gangstarr, Jigga, Nas and 50 Cent provide solid cuts, while one surprise is the eerily commercial sounding track from legendary mic God Rakim, which really isn't that bad, but hopefully isn't a precursor to an Aftermath Ent. debut of the same fair.

This album actually surprised me because most soundtracks these days suck. anyways...

Lose Yourself - 4.5/5 - I'd give it 5, but this song gets boring. The beat is good though, although it very closely resembles Till I Collapse on The Eminem Show.

Love Me - 4.5/5 - A great song by Eminem and the newest members of his Shady Records label.

8 Mile - 4.5/5 - This would've been better if Em made it a bit shorter. (it's six minutes) but it was good anyways.

Adrenaline Rush - 2.5/5 - Obie is setting a bad image for himself and his upcoming album. He is always outshined by 50. This song isn't good, he should've had a different one to go with it or even better, instead of it.

Places To Go - 3/5 - This is okay...the beat isn't the greatest, but it's better than Adrenaline Rush.

Rap Game - 4.5/5 - D12's addition to the cd is pretty good. Em makes a good verse using pig latin. pretty funny actually...you might be expecting bizarre to ruin it, but he doesn't....at least, not as much.

8 Miles and Runnin - 4/5 - This would be a near perfect song without Freeway...his voice is just annoying. The beat is so-so, but Jay-Z has a great flow on this track.

Spit Shine - 3/5 - meh...Xhibit could've done better than this...(should've)

Time of My Life - 0/5 - I never listen to this, it's just bad.

U Wanna Be Me - 2/5 - Actually not a dis to Jay-Z...it's not a very good song.

Wanksta - 4.5/5 - This song was actually on one of his older album, funny how it becomes a hit right now....anyways, it's a good dis to Ja, and an even better song.

Wasting My Time - 0.5/5 - This and the Macy Gray song are both useless to the cd.

R.A.K.I.M. - 1/5 - Ughh.....(that pretty much sums it up)

That's My N***a Fo Real - 1/5 - Just as bad as R.A.K.I.M.

Battle - 5/5 - FINALLY something good! The end of the cd was beginning to seem like total garbage until this one. Can't wait till Gang Starr's next album...

Rabbit Run - 4.5/5 - This is a pretty good song.

-->SAMPLER<--

Three songs here are from Shady Records, and three are from Aftermath Entertainment. Looking forward to a few of these artists, but not *some*.

*SHADY* Rap Name - 4/5 - One of Obie's better songs, you may recognize it from the beginning of Without Me (pretty interesting way of introducing a new artist). It also uses bits of the hook from Drips.

*SHADY* Stimulate - 5/5 - One of tracks that was cut from The Eminem Show, this is a great song. Talks about how people take him too seriously, and how he's only here to entertain.

*SHADY* Till I Collapse Freestyle - 4.5/5 - Nothing really new, 50 freestyles over Em's Till I Collapse. It's a great freestyle though.

*AFTERMATH* Gangsta - 1/5 - Really sounds like Snoop when he says Gangsta in the background...anyways, like obie, if this is how they're gonna promote him, I don't think I'm lookin forward to his debut much.

*AFTERMATH* The Weekend - 3/5 - An okay song from one of the recently-signed-to-Aftermath artists. Brooklyn is supposed to be both an emcee and R&B artist. pretty interesting.

*AFTERMATH* California - 2.5/5 - The hook is kinda annoying, but otherwise an average song.

Other reviewers have given useful information and opinions on the soundtrack itself, but I had a little trouble figuring out exactly WHAT made this a Deluxe Limited Edition! The answer is that it comes with a bonus disc, The Shady Aftermath Sampler. The six raps/songs include:

1. Obie Trice - Rap Name
2. Eminem - Stimulate
3. 50 Cent - Til I Collapse Freestyle
4. Joe Beast - Gangsta
5. Brooklyn - The Weekend
6. Shaunta - California

The only really worthwhile bonus track is "Stimulate" by Eminem, which is great! 4, 5 and 6 are enjoyable, but 1 and 3 are downright annoying. I like Brooklyn's song, a fresh female vocalist.

I bought the deluxe version thinking that there would be videos and interviews, possibly a DVD - but it turned out to be only a download of "The Eminem Desksite" which delivers videos and interviews from the internet, maybe twice a month - but it's FREE to download from www.eminem.com, and I already had it, so I was rather disappointed!

As to the soundtrack itself, I just want to say that, in contrast to most reviewers, I LIKE "The Time of My Life". It took a while to get used to it, but since this isn't a RAP ALBUM, but is music connected to a film, I think the song fits as part of the story, when you listen to the lyrics. I also like "Wasting My Time" by Taryn Manning, who played Jimmy's ex-girlfriend Janine in the movie. She has a good voice, and her song also makes the soundtrack feel like it's telling a story. But of course the highlights are the 5 raps in which Eminem appears.

....

The first Eminem single, "Loose Yourself," is very good. The track is about seizing opportunity when it knocks because "you only get one shot." Eminem is a brilliant lyricist, the song is a great example. It is so reflective of a person struggling with poverty and with where life is taking them. Em's other tracks, "8 Mile" and "Run Rabbit Run" are both very impressive. Both are very introspective, each about the drive to succeed.

Eminem's group, "D12" has a pretty impressive track called "Rap Game." These guys get better with experience. Their first record wasn't all that impressive, but their appearance on "The Eminem Show" was pretty good, and their contribution here is top shelf. Xzibit's track, called "Spitshine," is pretty intense. It is great; it has this driving beat that is rather infectious. Jay-Z's contribution is good too. 50 Cent, an artist on Em's label, "Shady Records," has a couple of songs on the album. "Wankster" and "Places to Go" are pretty decent.

There are a couple of non-rap tracks on the soundtrack. Boomkat's "Wasting My Time" is a slow tempo track that sort of reminds me of a mix of En Vogue and Dido. Very soulful, Boomkat has a very sexy voice, and her song on the record is very good. I am not a huge Macy Gray fan, so I am not crazy about her song, but it is probably good for those who like her.

Overall this is a great soundtrack. I am looking forward to see the movie to see where the music is placed in the film. It seems that the songs are specific and it should be interesting to see how they play into the movie.

epc

Skip the boring stuff and just review the songs.

1. Lose Yourself - 10/10 - If you haven't heard this song then I would like to welcome you to the 21st century. Awesome song to start off the CD.

2. 8 Mile - Eminem - 9/10 - Very good song to follow up one of the best on the CD. Eminem raps pretty much the same lyrics as Lose Yourself.

3. Run Rabbit Run - Eminem - 8/10 - The songs seem to go down in rating as I go down the list. This is a great song, though lacking a chorus. Takes a few listens to get to.

4. Love Me - Obie Trice, Eminem & 50 Cent - 10/10 - Awesome! Obie raps some of the best raps on the CD before Em and 50 get to even start. A good review doesn't do this song justice - just listen to it and you'll see what I mean.

5. Places to Go - 50 Cent - 7/10 - Okay song, gets boring easily though. Listen to it a few times, then get to the rest of the CD before you break your CD player.

6. Wanksta - 50 Cent - 11/10 - Whoever says 50 can't rap needs to get their ears checked. Listen to this once, get blown away, then listen to it more! Amazing lyrics and beat from 50.

7. Rap Game - D-12 - 13/10 - ROFLMAO! - the one way to describe this song. Eminem and Plev are hilarious! He's all for America but he says **** the government, Em brings the rap fast and furiously following Plev. 50 does the chorus, then you hear some more D12 members (mind blank - can't remember names), then 50 again, then Swifty and that one guy (lol mind blank) before 50 does the final chorus. Comical and the best raps on the CD - what could be better?

8. You Wanna Be Me - Nas - 6/10 - Boring. One listen and you're switching to the next song. NaS can do much better than this.

9. 8 Miles and Running - Jay-Z & Freeway - 11/10 - Jay-Z and bad rap don't go together. Freeway doesn't sound like him in this song. No, he sounds like Jay Jr. ready to rap till he drops. Awesome song; worth listening to many times over.

10. That's My N**** Fo' Real - Young Zee - 7/10 - Slow and as boring as 'Places To Go,' this song should be skipped after a listen or two as well.

11. Battle - Gang Starr - 9/10 - Very interesting, although his syllables are way off :P. Good listen, and the mixing makes it worthwhile.

12. Spitshine - Xzibit - 12/10 - Xzibit rapping amaznigly. This song makes me want to get up and rap the chorus over and over with lyrics such as 'Fight the good fight, don't need no help!' Never gets tired for me.

13. Time of Your Life - Macy Gray and 14. Wasting My Time - Boomkat - 1/10 - skip 'em both; they ruin the CD.

15. R.A.K.I.M. - Rakim - 6/10 - Bad rapping, bad rhymes, bad beat, what do you get? Rakim! Listen to it once or twice then stop laughing at the patheticness of this song.

16. Adrenaline Rush - Obie Trice - 9/10 - Great song to end the CD. Great beat, and a very inappropriate chorus to please you :P.

All in all, this is a great CD and definetly worth buying. I'd give it a four and a half overall, but I can't, so I round up to a five ;)