Really engaging and warm hip-hop! The old-timey Kanye production is just the right backing for Common here, creating a very lively and dynamic record. I've never listened to Common before but he has a light and deft touch here that definitely makes me interested in more of his work. I give it four stars here only because this is the kind of album I respect technically more than I "love" it, strictly speaking. But that could change as I listen more!

Really engaging and warm hip-hop! The old-timey Kanye production is just the right backing for Common here, creating a very lively and dynamic record. I've never listened to Common before but he has a light and deft touch here that definitely makes me interested in more of his work. I give it four stars here only because this is the kind of album I respect technically more than I "love" it, strictly speaking. But that could change as I listen more!

I don't tend to get uncomfortable due to the subject matter of music much...lyrics have seldom been the "main event" of any song for me. So I was surprised by how much Eminem was really able to get under my skin with these songs [particularly on 'Stan' and 'Kim'] and actually make me feel shocked. It's frightening how vividly he's able to evoke the emotions backing up the horrible things he talks about; and he does it with a sardonic sense of humor that adds a grimly realistic personality on top of it all. On the more laid-back tracks, it's much easier to admire the technical backbone of his skills as a rapper, so I'm grateful it's not a horror show the whole time! Four stars here; not exactly an album I "love", per se, but I respect the craft SO much here.

This is a tough one for me to rate. I really like the craft and the production techniques here, and fundamentally I would say the songs are all "good". Honestly though, it feels far too long for me. All these songs hang their hats on a couple of cool-sounding ideas but never develop enough new ones to hold my interest. So for as energetic and lively a record as this is, it was ultimately kind of a slog for me to get through.