Eminem's Hip Hop compilation album "Shady XV" has received negative reviews from critics. Though the rapper's efforts are being appreciated, critics believe that hardcore Eminem fans will be disappointed.
The double disc album with 12 tracks was released by Shady Records and Interscope Records on 24 November. Apart from Eminem, "Shady XV" features D12, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf and Bad Meets Evil.
Here is what is being said about "Shady XV":
"Shady XV, which pairs 12 new songs with a disc of "greatest hits," Eminem fires up his rappity-rap sputtering chainsaw, and it never ceases for the spiritually exhausting hour that follows. Even at his peak, his rapping was never melodious, but at his nadir, he has all the musicality of a leaf-blower. The production functions simply, like a stopwatch: It's there to tell him when to start and when to stop, and occasionally a juiced-up power-rock chorus interrupts him."
"It seems like Eminem has opted for quantity over quality. Casual rap fans may go crazy for a line like 'That she's plain addicted to my d*ck like Lorena Bobbit. Gotta wean her off it, weiner off it like she took my f*cking penis,' but most hip hop fans will yawn. Ultimately, "Shady XV" is an average album. A handful of songs will instantly make it into your iTunes collection ("Die Alone," "Pyschopath Killer," "Y'all Ready Know), while other songs will quickly get deleted ("Twisted,"Shady XV"). Newer Eminem fans, as well as hardcore Eminem fans, will love the album, while older Eminem fans are better off just buying a few of the songs separately."
"Throughout Shady XV Eminem is somehow too good at rapping, executing every internal rhyme scheme, double time, triple time, consonant bend, and flow switch trick in the book. Maybe the most frustrating thing about Shady XV is that it will, inevitably, get propped up as the kind of straight lyrical fire that 2014 hip hop needs. It's going to get a pass because of the weight of Eminem's legacy and the staunch anti-commercial intentions of most of its tracks. But Shady XV is the same shovel full of crap we've been getting from Eminem and his cohorts for the last half decade."
