New Eminem Album MMLP2

"If Eminem comes at you, you run"- The Game.

Normally, if a guy like The Game, who's no stranger to the odd rap feud, says to not bother messing with Eminem, then it's best to assume that we'd all be much better off by heeding the warning.

However, there's no denying that Eminem experienced a huge slide in prominence over recent years, as he fell from the dizzying heights of the likes of Stan, Lose Yourself and Mockingbird to some more than lack luster tracks that left us all wondering, along with a huge majority of the world's hip-hop artists, where the real Marshall Mather's had got to.

Bursting onto the world's rap scene as the most unlikely MC to come out of Detroit, the likes of The Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP sealed the young rappers reputation as a sharp witted, sharper tongued rap prodigy.

Eminem's private life was never going to be a secret, and with the release of later albums such as Relapse and Recovery, the pressure seemed to be tolling. Sure, the rapper had already secured his name as one of the greatest hip hop artists to ever live, but at that point, it seemed like Eminem's bite was well and truly lost.

So, was The Game right to send out a warning to every other rapper out there who decides to go after Marshall Mathers? Well, if anyone should ever need any proof of what The Game was talking about, then they need only listen to Eminem's latest album MMLP2.

So, a return to form, a return to prominence, a fresh claim to becoming one of the best rappers in the world...again.

MMLP2 is an impeccably constructed come back. By no means is this a revolutionary record- it will never stand in the way of the progress that the likes of Yeezus provided us with earlier in the year, but it's so good, that it just doesn't need to.

Lyrically sublime, MMLP2 is the modern day reference to the Eminem we lost only a few years ago. The tongue in cheek, name hunting, genre defining artist shines through this entire album, in what we hope, will give him back the huge applaud he deserves for this monumental effort.

We're glad to say this album represents the typical Slim Shady. Moody, emotively challenging and packed full of obscenely good lyrics that somehow manage to get you deep in contemplation despite the upbeat track they're violently laced over. From confused love songs, to affirmed lines fueled by what sounds like raw hatred, each track is as relevant as the last.

Trust us, we'd love to start racking through the entire track list and begin telling you which tracks are best, and which ones mean what- but it'd just be a fruitless exercise. One thing we will say though: don't expect to find yourself a Stan or Real Slim Shady here.

Get your hands on a copy, put it on, turn it up, and leave it alone. Slim Shady is well and truly back.

Oh, but if you did want a sneak peek at what's going on with this roller coaster album- check out out favourite tracks...

Ryan J Gray