|
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Song-By-Song Review--Who is D12's Best MC?, April 6, 2002
Okay, I've listened to this album a thousand times--basically in anticipation of Eminem's next record. While not as strong, original, funny, or over-the-top as Em's solo records, his six-man group's debut is solid. Under Em's production (and Dre's supervision, of course), the music and beats are great, and more often than not the lyrics are creative and shocking. However, each song has an outstanding verse...here's a rating.1. "Another Public Service Announcement"--Skit. A not-funny one at that. Em, these are getting old. 2. "Sh-t Can Happen"--A great introduction to the group. Much better than the single "Sh-t On You", which is just plain awful. Anyway, Kon Artis starts out with a solid, strong verse. Kuniva and Swifty follow with nothing too surprising, but decent verses. Eminem closes the set with a brash, innovative verse. Solid, hard delivery and great flow, showing everyone that the master is back. Winner: Eminem, naturally. 3. "Pistol Pistol"--One of the record's high points. A celebration of handguns, of course. Em only does the hook, so he's out. Swifty, Proof, and Kuniva offer solid rhymes, but Kon Artis is the obvious stand-out with his harsh delivery. Bizarre closes the set with a lame verse, although it's a tad bit humorous at most. Winner: Kon Artis 4. "Bizarre"--Skit, introducing us to the undeniably gross Bizarre. He's 99% gross-out shock value and only 1% MC. Overall, he's the least-talented member of the group. 5. "Nasty Mind"--Another Bizarre gross-out song. Also verses by Swifty, Kuniva, and Kon Artis. Eminem is absent. Winner: This song is so bad that no one wins, unless you are really into potty humor, then it's a tie. 6. "Ain't Nuttin' But Music"--This song is essentially "The Real Slim Shady, pt2". A no-holds-barred attack on the current entertainment industry. All six appear on this song. Em takes the opener with a hilarious verse that nearly made me wreck the car the first time I heard it. Bizarre is actually funny, and the rest offer great disses. Winner: Eminem, the master of the dis. 7. "American Psycho"--Another one of the record's crowning achievements. Em, Bizarre, and Kon Artis try to out-psychopath each other, each one effectively shocking the listener. Em is the funniest (he even raps in tongues), Bizarre is the grossest (naturally, although this time, he does it creatively--it actually works!), and Kon Artis is the scariest: "Press, stress, and Ritalin caused the cop's feelin's to be hurt after they seen what I did to those children...!" Winner: A 3-way tie!! 8. "That's How..."--A skit that leads up to the next song. Funny, for once. 9. "That's How..."--One of the funniest songs on the record. No one verses; rather, each (sans Eminem) take a catchy "one liner" describing how a certain person, group, or ethnicity "gets f-cked up", to quote the hook. Winner: No one actually verses, although the song is hilarious. 10. "Purple Pills"--the single, a drug celebration. Funny with an addictive beat (and mad bass!). Em starts things out with his standard mom-dis, carrying it through a drug-induced laugh fest. The others each take a verse, with Kon Artis and Kuniva doing the back-and-forth thing. Bizarre finishes things off with his standard potty humor. Descent track, with a sweet harmonica outro. Winner: Kuniva and Kon Artis' duet. 11. "Fight Music"--An excellent angry track. Each member takes his turn violently destroying anyone who gets in his way. Each verse is great, even the one by the notoriously pitiful Bizarre. Kon Artis has the strongest delivery and most chaotic form of lyrical violence ("Kuniving Kon/Artis with a bomb/Strapped to my stomach/screaming 'Let's get it on!'" >BOOM!<). Em closes the set with a brilliant attack on his critics. Winner: Kon Artis for his delivery, although you cannot overlook Em's verbal assault. 12. "Instigator"--Decent song, although Eminem is abscent. Another violence celebration, this one with some hot turntable scratches. Nothing that spectacular. Winner: Swifty, since it's essentially his song. 13. "Pimp Like Me"--Severe womanizing. An OK track, although Em offers nothing more than some funny sideline comments. Winner: Bizarre, I guess, since he is the best at degrading women. 14. "Blow My Buzz"--Another narcotic orgy. Overall, this song is dumb. Winner: All members must deduct two points for contributing to this song. 15. "Obie Trice"--Skit introducing us to Em's latest addition to his label. The guy has a decent flow, but it didn't change my life. I think I'll skip his debut album. 16. "Devil's Night"--Each member (minus Proof) takes a turn at shocking the listener. Em's is the strongest I think, but Bizarre's actually works. The song is OK. Winner: Eminem and Bizarre tie this time. 17. "Steve Berman"--Another skit milked to the point of it being totally unfunny. 18. "Revelation"--With it's tribute to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, pt2", this song venture's into each member's teenage years. Abusive dysfunctional families dominate the themes. One of the best songs on the album, nearly a six-way tie. However, Proof's suicidal closing verse takes it home with his brash delivery. One of the few serious songs on the album. Winner: Proof 19. "Girls"--A hidden track, an Em solo. A brilliant and well-deserved dis on Limp Bizkit, setting the record straight. Makes Fred Durst look like a little girl in a Sunday dress. Great song. So there you have it. A decent album, with a few weak points. All of Eminem's verses are great, with Kon Artis taking home the trophy for the most talented MC of the group (next to Eminem, of course). Bizarre could be easily thrown out...Hopefully, Kon Artis will release a solo joint soon.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
is D12's 
