Marshall Mathers AKA Eminem or his persona The Slim Shady has stuck to the rap formula of bringing in new talent on an album with the intent of giving them some exposure and a leg up for a spin off rap record. The spin-off is rare on television and in almost every genre of music, but it has become a staple in the rap game.
The rap group N.W.A bore some fruit, that being Dre and Ice Cube, the other members flopped, and Eazy-E died. Dre went solo and spawned Snoop Dogg and Eminem, and now Eminem has given birth to D-12. First making an appearance on Eminem's now famous (or infamous depending on how you want to look at it) The Marshall Mathers LP. D-12 now make their full length debut with Devils Night. D-12 is a 5 man rap group with Eminem producing Devils Night and joining the fray on occasion. D-12 is Proof, Bizarre, Kon Artis, Swift and Kuniva. From the very opening of Devils Night it's evident that yet another rap album filled with mindless posturing and bragging has been born.
The opening track Sh*t can happen is another brag rap song to forget about. Pistol Pistol is yet another such track, not only is the subject the same, the sound is similar to every other song like it. Just more mindless talk of how tough they are, and how they aren't afraid to pull a gun on an adversary (yawn). There are occasional breaks from this type of material and the first one goes by the name Nasty mind. Just imagine the most graphic sexual discussion and you'll get the general idea. Too bad this break just happens to be as tired as the tough man material.
One theme that runs like a thread throughout Devils Night is the insanity of the group members. Songs like American Psycho show the strange and bizarre rhyme style of D-12 members and their mentor. It's a shame that such clever twisted lyrics are wasted with no direction and no real story except to impress everyone with their writing and rhyming skill. That's How is the first track to show some actual creativity with direction. That's How is a brutal sometimes funny look at the stupid things people do to get themselves in trouble or worse yet, killed. This track is also the first to show some catchy sounds, samples and turntable scratch work.
Purple Pills (known on the air as 'purple hills' to keep from being banned) is an addictive track, with talk of drugs and hallucinations it has a trippy feel to it. Many elements work here, like Eminem's chorus, the surreal lyrics contributed by all members and the funky beats and overall sound. The choice cut is the end of this tune, with Eminem's lazy, falling asleep rhymes; and a killer harmonica, it left me wanting more. But Eminem and camp quickly fall away from being Lucy in the sky with diamonds rap, to a fight club anthem appropriately titled Fight Music.
Yes the theme is tired, but it's actually pretty good considering. Like Purple Pills this one displays some originality with an aggressive, menacing sound. With that in and out of phase Poltergeist vocal treatment and a sweeping orchestra sound in the background Fight Music has a sound with grip. It's just too bad that the subject matter doesn't display the same traction. Steve Berman, the famed white 'record label man' makes another appearance. Showing up for the first time in a music video with Dre and Snoop, the Steve Berman character caught on.
He appeared on skits between songs on Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP and he shows up again on Devils Night. I have to admit that Steve Berman skits are a guilty pleasure of mine, hearing the whitest guy on earth talk that rap slang is so hilarious that if he had his own record I would buy it. If you like this character you will enjoy the criminally short skit that he and Eminem take part in.
This is where the album takes a turn toward hatred and taking care of business. The first such cross street after this mean left turn goes by the name Pimp Like Me. This track can be deciphered in two ways, it's obviously the defamation of women in general. But underneath that it also pokes fun at the pre-fab female acts that are so popular right now. The female vocals are a sonic spitting image of Destinys Child . Looking at it from the latter point of view, this track makes me snicker (just a little) but the former topic is not my preferred take on the song.
Eminem has enemies and he makes no secret of it, he also takes shots at his foes and names them all very clearly. On this album he has moved his hate beam away from ICP (Insane Clown Posse) and moved it toward former friends Limp Bizkit, Lethal (formally of House of Pain) and Everlast also a House of Pain alumnus, that is now known as Whitey Ford. Of course he still takes shots at Christina, and Britney. This final, untitled track shows the incredible hatred toward former friends that Marshall views as back stabbers. It's interesting to hear the dirt, and while I don't find tracks like this worth revisiting, I respect Marshall for being honest and not dropping hints. He has the courage to name names regardless of the consequence or the triviality of it all.
The bottom line here
Had Devils Night only dabbled in the posturing, and delivered more of the sounds found on Purple Pills and Fight Music a higher rating would have been the result. The skill of Eminem and his new cohorts D-12 gets buried and blurred by all of that endless bravado. Rap being what it is, I expect the boasting, but it doesn't mean that I don't tire of it. However I must admit that there are a few positives. The first one being that the skits that are so popular in rap music were kept to a minimum. Another practice popular in the rap game is of course the cameo. Thankfully this wasn't a No Limit Records attempt to let every friend, cousin, aunt, and uncle get time on the mic.
The various members of D-12 are all interesting and talented. Bizarre as a rapper is a vocal spitting image of RBX from Snoop Dogg's 1993 Serial Killer (Doggy Style). But sometimes I get the feeling that D-12 as a group, is only emulating Eminem's twisted and grotesque writing style. I also get the feeling that the talk of having sex with animals and nuns is merely there for shock value, to get people talking. The Marshall Mathers LP had senseless material like this, however there were serious subjects discussed as well.
Devils Night has no 'Stan' or other such ground breaking material, and that is its fatal flaw. Will Devils Night sell like hot cakes? Eminem and his cohorts crashed Billboard to debut at #1, you tell me. Does it break ground, show originality, or have anything unique? Nope. As far as rap is concerned this album is more of the same, with a little Eminem seasoning. Devils Night has more bark than bite, and it reminds me of Eminem's most recent run in with the law. Devils Night is packing heat, it's just not loaded.
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![Devil's Night [PA] by D12](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/dd/7e/42/2002196799-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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