Detroit rappers D12 may run with hip-hop's biggest star, Eminem, but the real key to their success lies in witty rhymes relying on irony and hyperbole. With brilliantly self-deprecating lines on the hilarious single "My Band," the other members of D12 joke about how Mr. Mathers's celebrity overshadows their own identities. It's an attempt to reclaim their worth by poking fun at listeners too lazy to differentiate between posse members Proof, Kuniva, Bizarre, Kon Artis, and Swift. It's also a slice of their reality -- riding on Em's coattails. The disc revisits some of the same horror-core raps, chest-beating metaphors, and over-the-top jokes about drugs and women as on their debut, Devil's Night. But it's apparent that the crew have improved their lyrical skills -- on "B*tch," Kon and Kuniva trade come-hither lines, and on "Loyalty," which features Obie Trice, Swift's breathless flow glides over a synth-driven beat. Bizarre grabs the spotlight the sly "Just like You," where he rhymes: "I can't help it / My group's D12 / All we do is pop pills and stay in jail." Still, Slim Shady shows why he's the chief jester on the disc's first track, "Git Up," where he drops an excellent barrage of boasts. Plus, he earns production credits for many tracks, filling them with thick bass lines and keyboard-laced sonics. With D12 World, D12 prove they're more than sidekicks to the Eminem show -- although they may have to wait until he retires to climb atop rap's throne.
Condition:NEW. Drilled case
TRACK LISTINGS
Disc 1
1 Git Up (4:03)
2 Loyalty - Obie Trice (5:54)
3 Just Like U (3:31)
4 I'll Be Damned (4:21)
5 Dude (Skit) (1:14)
6 My Band (4:58)
7 U R the One (4:19)
8 6 in the Morning (4:38)
9 How Come (4:09)
10 Leave Dat Boy Alone (5:23)
11 Get My Gun (4:34)
12 Bizarre (Skit) (1:21)
13 Bitch (4:56)
14 Steve's Coffee House (Skit) (0:51)
15 D-12 World (3:10)
16 40 Oz. (4:02)
17 Commercial Break (1:12)
18 American Psycho II (3:44)
19 Bugz 97 (Skit) (1:05)
20 Good Die Young (5:56)
21 Keep Talkin (4:28)
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