 |
8
Mile
Soundtrack featuring Eminem
label: Interscope
released: 10.29.02
our score: 2.0 out of 5.0
|
There's a
pretty sure-fire way to cash in when it comes to rap music, and
his name is "Eminem." Amidst the hubbub surrounding
his three-album career, the white poster-boy of controversy has
become the reigning King of popular rap. Each of his albums has
outsold and outshined the previous, and with every release came
another surge of excitement of "what will happen next?"
His edgy personality had to come from somewhere, and through the
countless interviews, articles, lawsuits, etc. bits and pieces
have surfaced.
But still,
what better way to give a glimpse of Mr. Mathers's psyche than
through a movie based "loosely" on his life. And what
better way to cash in than to piggyback it as a vehicle for yet
another CD - this time overflowing with tracks from his fellow
(and lesser-known labelmates), with a splash of credibility with
some of the more-respected artists from the genre?
Regardless
of the succces of the movie (and trust me, it will succeed,
if for no other reason than even CNN is mentioning "Oscar"
in the same sentence as Eminem), the soundtrack will remain a
testament to the first attempt at a kind of "rap musical."
Because, really, when it all comes down to it, that's what 8
Mile really is.
Eminem's tracks
as his new psyche "Rabbit" (the main character from
the film) really do tell a story, much as the songs from musicals
do. And honestly, it's amazing there haven't been more rap songs
in musicals, seeing as how well they do their part here.
After all, rap has always been rooted in storytelling. On tracks
like the leading single "Lose Yourself," it becomes
obvious "Shady" does have the skills to step
outside his characters. Sure it tells the same "overcoming
all obstacles" story we've heard a thousand times before,
but this track is just plain wicked. Mathers gets what
music is about, and the emotion here is amazing. It's also the
most accessible thing he's ever done. It's Eminem your mom might
even like... whether that's good or bad is up to you.
Unfortunately
Eminem's tracks also serve as the strongest factor on the disc.
Nas's "U Wanna Be Me" self-serving meanderings are disappointing
to say the least, especially given the source. Jay-Z's also done
better, but his "8 Miles and Running" is still one of
the disc's highlights. Macy Gray's "Time Of Your Life"
really doesn't make any sense here, but it's there. So if you
like her, good for you.
Yet, even
given these mediocre tracks, there are of course the absolutely
abhorrent ones. Why Eminem decided to include his cronies like
"Obie Trice" and "50 Cent" is far beyond me.
The likely culprit for their inclusion is the fact that this is
one of those "music from and inspired by the movie..."
discs. So really, some of these tracks have absolutely nothing
to do with the movie. Go figure.
Really, if
you have to judge 8 Mile based on it's soundtrack alone,
you'd be in for disappointment. Luckily the movie's reviews have
been mostly of the raving sort - so chances are most of the crap
music's been pushed to the side, with only the highlights shining
through.
It does star
Eminem after all. So it only makes sense for him to be the soundtrack's
shining star as well.
10-Nov-2002
10:56 PM
If you
liked 8 Mile...
|
Tracklist:
1.
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
2. Love Me (Eminem)
3. 8 Mile (Eminem)
4. Adrenaline Rush (Obie Trice)
5. Places to Go (50 Cent)
6. Rap Game (D12)
7. 8 Miles and Runnin' (Jay-Z)
8. Spit Shine (Xzibit)
9. Time of My Life (Macy Gray)
10. U Wanna Be Me (Nas)
11. Wanksta (50 Cent)
12. Wasting My Time (Boomkat)
13. R.A.K.I.M. (Rakim)
14. That's My Nigga Fo' Real (Young Zee)
15. Battle (Gangstarr)
16. Rabbit Run (Eminem)
|
|
