#SummerJams

Fuck Watch the Throne.

OK, Just kidding.  It's good and I know you're probably all listening to it.  There are some great tracks (My favorites are "Who Gon Stop Me" and "Why I Love You"), and the production value is outstanding.  Although it's not as good as either Jay or Ye's most recent solo projects.

But there was a rap duet album that dropped earlier this summer with much less masturbatory hype.

Hell: The Sequel is by Eminem and Royce da 5'9," who call themselves Bad Meets Evil.  I have never listened to Royce before this, probably because his name is fucking retarded, but apparently he is an awesome rapper. 

More importantly, this is the best thing Eminem has done since 2002.  His past few solo albums haven't been nearly as good as the pantheon records that he was dropping when we were teenagers.  The Slim Shady LP was a game-changer and The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show are two of the best rap records ever released.  Remember that Eminem?  With the scathing lyrics, mind-blowing flow, and complete irreverence for social taboos?  He's back:



That's some classic Em right there.  Who else would rap about having anal sex with Nicki Minaj?  Yes, apologies to the ladies, but Slim Shady is still as misogynistic as ever and there are numerous rhymes about domestic violence.  I feel like I'm in 7th grade listening to my portable CD player with big, shitty headphones.  There are some more mature tracks on the album, where they talk about the growing gap between the rich and poor...but I'm also totally feeling this song about taking lots and lots of drugs:



Anyway, now that Lil Wayne and Drake have announced that they too will be doing a duet album, it seems like this trend of rap cross-breeding will continue to produce sexy new sounds.  I'm totally OK with it.

-DMc, West Coast Correspondent