I can't think of a Marshal Mathers/Eminem/Slim Shady album that I'd ever give less than 4.5 stars to as of yet and this is no exception. This was an instant classic when it first played. You know when Marshal is performing the lyrics are going to be more meaningful and tell stories paralleling his life or those close to him. There is a mix of fast and slow beats but as always he is so precise in making sure each note and effect are correctly laid for the track.

A Masterpiece

I've been an Eminem fan for a total of 8 years now and I've heard his albums a numerous amount of times. In my opinion, the Marshall Mathers Lp is the greatest rap album of all time. So I'm sure Eminem knew that he had to come out with something special with this album and he has. It's definitely different than any of his other albums, but it works really well. The wordplay, sound, metaphors, and production is all top notch. It is more of a revisit than a sequel to the Marshall Mathers Lp and I love it. All the tracks are amazing and you want to hear it over and over again. It starts off great with Bad Guy and stays consistent throughout. I recommend this to any hip-hop fan. Thank you Eminem for another great album.

A Solid Return

Perhaps the greatest travesty this album could face is its title. Living up to the classic Marshal Mathers LP is a long shot for any artist, even the man that penned the original. By naming this the MMLP2, Eminem raised both the stakes and expectations of the record, which will invariably hinder its reaction.I will say outright that the MMLP2 is a solid rap album. It's also a strong step forward for an artist rediscovering himself in the expatriation of sobriety. Yet, it's far removed from a sequel. While the record does well to touch on old topics from the previous album -- returning to Stan through his scorned brother, tapping issues like coming to terms with fame, et cetera -- the style of Em's lyrical flow and the production of the tracks alone stand out like ... MorePerhaps the greatest travesty this album could face is its title. Living up to the classic Marshal Mathers LP is a long shot for any artist, even the man that penned the original. By naming this the MMLP2, Eminem raised both the stakes and expectations of the record, which will invariably hinder its reaction.I will say outright that the MMLP2 is a solid rap album. It's also a strong step forward for an artist rediscovering himself in the expatriation of sobriety. Yet, it's far removed from a sequel. While the record does well to touch on old topics from the previous album -- returning to Stan through his scorned brother, tapping issues like coming to terms with fame, et cetera -- the style of Em's lyrical flow and the production of the tracks alone stand out like a sore thumb. With that said, a collaboration between Em and Rick Rubin was both inevitable and successful. Rick's influences are dotted through this amalgamation of producers and collaborators. Even with Dre being a co-Executive Producer, the album feels fresh from his established sound and is undeniably invigorating. The MMLP2 crafts a sound that strikes the ear as modern yet different; straying from the themes of the zeitgeist while still hitting the radio with a reserved seat.If taken as a standalone album, separate entirely from its namesake, the MMLP2 is adventurous, ambitious, relentless, and clear cutting; all while displaying Em's lyrical potential in a gamut ranging from vivid, rapid-fire rhymes to glimpses of his older, slower, free-style imagery. The beats are risky, from homages, to old school hip-hop, to sampling classic rock tracks like the The Zombie's "Time of the Season" in "Rhyme or Reason" and Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good" in "So Far..."., and while nothing here feels particularly reminiscent of the original album, these tracks nevertheless standout as some of my favorites of his work to date.Perhaps the strongest element of the record is in its sense of development. It does succeed in telling the next chapter of Em's ongoing drama, with him coming to terms with his mother in "Headlights" and joking tongue-in-cheek about his resounding success in Rap God, but also returns to older struggles of his childhood by targeting his oft overlooked father, or reinvigorating the underdog with a respectful nod in "Legacy." There are macabre undertones that we've come to expect from him over the years as well, but nothing quite as campy/comedy as was commonplace in the first album. Those elements in this album feel like they're just shaking off the the remaining flakes of the freshly-sober, sincerity-creep factor found in Relapse, and there aren't quite as many laughs to be found here, whether by sincere humor or as a nervous reaction. Yet, still shining with the refreshing confidence of Recovery, Em resounds with a strong sense of identity and purpose, even if that purpose is reminding us how untrustworthy relationships can be, or how he himself may struggle with the double edged image he's crafted over the years.With all subjectivity aside, If you are looking for old school Em, you're better off hunting down Infinite. But, if you're looking for something that sounds fresh, even if it doesn't entirely break new ground, this album does the trick. I also highly recommend going for the Deluxe edition. In a move that is uncharacteristic of the industry, I found at least three of the five additional tracks as good if not better than those on the actual album.

AMAZING album

I will admit at first when I heard the title of this album was gonna be called Marshall Mathers 2 it made me almost sick to my stomach, thinkin "great a publicity stunt just to sell the album. I clearly admit I was VERY WRONG. I had to go get the cd the day it came out and half way through track 1 I knew this was gonna be his best work in years.some of my fav tracks are,Berzerk, Rap God, & Headlights (a song that really shows ems maturity) the whole album front to back is amazing the deluxe edition only adds a few extra songs but it is well worth the couple extra bucks. Personally I dont see why they werent on the regular version.If u aare an eminem fan U WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

Back to the basics!

Relapse and Recovery were about him overcoming his addiction to pills, his best friend's death, and relationship turmoil (women, and hip-hop itself), BUT NOW!?! Shady returns to true form and just has fun and reminds us why we loved him in the first place. Gone are his corny accents (Relapse) and his shouting-90%-of-the-time raps (Recovery), he's comfortable with his style and blends it all well perfectly. This album doesn't have the shock value of the first MMLP because Shady is no longer the underdog, and we know what to expect of him, but this album furthers his reputation as the greatest of all time. If you're a fan of true hip hop, you'll enjoy this CD, guaranteed.

EMINEM FOR SURE OUT DID HIMSELF ON THIS CD!

I, ALONG WITH MY HUSBAND AND 12 YR OLD SON LOVE EMINEM. I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO HIS MUSIC FOR YEARS! BOUGHT THIS CD NOT KNOWING REALLY WHAT TO EXPECT SINCE IT HAD BEEN SO LONG SINCE HE MADE SOMETHING. WE BOUGHT THE CD THAT HAD THE BONUS CD WITH 5 SONGS ON IT, AND REALLY GLAD THAT WE DID BECAUSE THOSE SONGS ARE REALLY GREAT ALSO! THE WHOLE CD IS GREAT! I LOVE TO LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF HIS SONGS BECAUSE IT PUTS YOU IN HIS SHOES IN SOME OF THE ISSUES HE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH. I'M REALLY A FAN OF MARSHALL MATHERS! I AM A 35 YEAR OLD FEMALE, MOTHER OF 2 AND LOVE TO LISTEN TO HIM! IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THIS WHOLE CD THEN FOR SURE BUY IT BECAUSE IT IS REALLY GOOD!! I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED! :)

Eminem is back!

This is Eminem's best Album in a long time. His best since at least "The Eminem Show". His lyrics are the best I've heard from him, since the first "Marshall Mathers LP". The production value is great, but not anything special, to make the beats or hooks stand out. The only real negative about the album is that there is not even one track produced by Dr. Dre. He is listed as an executive producer, but that just means he helped pick the songs and mix some tracks. No actual, "production" going on by Dre on this album. 4 out of 5 stars.

Great album for lyrical hip hop fans

I am a big fan of what I call lyrical hip hop. Songs and lyrics with deep meanings that hit home for fans. This album definitely delivered on that end. But, the choice in beats wasn't the best for 2 or 3 songs on the album. Some beats were just strange and made the song sound awkward. It's a great album and will please hip hop and Eminem fans alike.

Guess who's back, shady's back tell a friend

Seeing as the original "Marshall Mathers LP" is my favorite album this one had a lot of pressure to succeed going in. Thankfully it meets or exceeds expectations on almost every front. While nothing can get Eminem back to the furious anger that makes the original album so great this new one showcases how much he's grown and matured as a rapper. Instead of dissing pop stars, his mom, or his ex Kim we find he's rapping about his own personal journey and less about the world around him. He samples from a lot of songs, most effectively in "Rhyme or Reason" using the old "Time of Season". The lyrics have never been sharper either, made evident by the recent showcase of 100 words in 15 seconds portion of "Rap God" which just bewilders with is perfection. The music may be ... MoreSeeing as the original "Marshall Mathers LP" is my favorite album this one had a lot of pressure to succeed going in. Thankfully it meets or exceeds expectations on almost every front. While nothing can get Eminem back to the furious anger that makes the original album so great this new one showcases how much he's grown and matured as a rapper. Instead of dissing pop stars, his mom, or his ex Kim we find he's rapping about his own personal journey and less about the world around him. He samples from a lot of songs, most effectively in "Rhyme or Reason" using the old "Time of Season". The lyrics have never been sharper either, made evident by the recent showcase of 100 words in 15 seconds portion of "Rap God" which just bewilders with is perfection. The music may be too good in fact as it feels pretty short at about 75 minutes, although looking back that's average for him. Some of the best songs on previous albums have been tracks where he teams up with Dre, Snoop, or his crew D12 however all of them are missing from his album and it leaves a hole in this reviewer's satisfaction. Also, by spending the extra money to get a deluxe version you get five bonus tracks however they are placed on their own CD, and how often will you ever really switch out a full disc for a short five song disc? Maybe it's OK if you rip them so they run back to back with the real album.Overall this is a worthy addition to the Eminem discography and you won't regret buying it. I just hope he doesn't wait another 3-4 years to make another album.

Lives up to the name

I've had the leaked copy for about a week now. After the first play through I didn't know if I truly liked it due to the extremely different beats he choose to use. I mean, He uses Wayne Fontaine's game of love as a track. But after a few more play throughs, and finally catching some of what his amazing word play is saying, it was all coming together. Rapping wise, EM has never been better. His flow, punch lines, metaphors, and cursing have all reached new highs. He is every bit as good now as he was during the MMLP, and in most cases he is better. I can not wait till Tuesday to purchase the deluxe edition, as the leaked copy does not have the extra songs. I definitely recommend any true hip hop fan purchase this amazing album.