D12:
D12 World

Release Date: 27 April 2004

Reviewed By: Usman Sajjad

1. Git Up

2. Loyalty - feat. Obie Trice

3. Just Like U

4. I'll Be Damned

5. Dude (Skit)

6. My Band

7. R U The One

8. In The Morning

9. How Come

10. Leave Dat Boy Alone

12. Bizarre (Skit)

13. ****

14. Steve's Coffee House (Skit)

15. D12 World

16. 40 Oz

17. Commercial Break

18. American Psycho!! - feat. B-Real

19. Bugz 97 (Skit)

20. Good To Be Young

21. Keep Talkin (Bonus Track)

Kanye West - College Dropout
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Two years after selling a staggering 4 million copies of their debut release 'Devils Night', D12 are back on the scene to deliver a hard-hitting, street orientated album. Let me introduce you, if you don't know already, to D12. There is the 'crazy cat' Bizzare, the 'beat master' and 'soulful singing' Kon Artis, the 'laid back' Swift, the 'chilled' Kuniva, the 'free styling' Proof, and of course, Eminem. Each were connected with Eminem before he landed his record deal, and they all grew up together in Detroit.

Enough of the background, let's get to the point - can D12 maintain their well-known credibility of hard-hitting rhymes and controversial lyrics, like those found on older cuts such as 'Fight Music', or are they taking the more commercial path to become a mainstream act like Eminem?

Each member of D12 displays their talents in some form or another on various cuts. 'Just Like You' is Bizzare's moment to display his funny and unusual lyrics on a slower Hi-Tek beat (Talib Kweli 'Get By'). On another track, 'Loyalty', Em's beat is more complex and the intricate sound mixes perfectly with a guest spot from Obie Trice, who absolutely destroys this one. Kon Artis, steps up from behind the curtains, to display his phenomenal Motown-like vocals on excellent records such as 'I'll Be Dammed' and 'Ur The One'. D12 step up on the biographical record dedicated to the late former member, Bugz, on 'Good Die Young', an amazing heartfelt track produced by Proof.

Of course, the reason why many people will buy 'D12 World' is because of the hit single 'My Band'. The humorous, joke ridden but overplayed single, tells how Eminem receives all the recognition, making out like the rest of D12 are just his backup singers. The likes of Swift and Kuniva shine on '6 In The Morning', with Kuniva kicking lyrics such as: "I can see that he's just a punk/ I mean these n***** squeeze on me/ Please, I'm seeing guts."

'40 Oz', the next single released, is a brilliant rowdy, 'crunked' up record produced by Trackboyz, famous for their heavy club beats on cuts such as J-Kwon's 'Tipsy'. Proof really shows his catchy, witty, raw rhymes on this track, as well as on 'Get My Gun'. So far all the other members of D12 have impressed me more than Eminem.

For the comedy title track, 'D12 World', the group recruits the man who has been behind the producing board on everyone's work, Kanye West. On 'D12 World', Kanye does a great job, producing a track that possesses D12's usual hardcore lyrics, as shown on previous tracks from their debut LP.

I was impressed by each and every member's efforts, bar Eminem. I have heard a lot from Em in the last 6 months, and I am pleased that on this occasion, he has let Proof, Kuniva, Kon Artis, Bizzare and Swift all step out of his shadow.

Proof and Kon Artis' efforts blew me away, with Proof showing the qualities displayed on his independent 2002 release, 'Promatic'. Kon Artis is also likely to build amazing hype from his vocals, and will no doubt feature on numerous cameos for other artists. However, Kuniva and Swift really needed solo cuts like Bizzare received to strengthen their abilities. Even though Eminem may be the 'lead singer of his band', he failed to impress me, as he lacked his famous aggressive and killer rhymes.

'D12 World' is a big step up for all the group members, and this album is definitely an advanced version of 'Devils Night'. Eminem fans should be weary of buying this LP if they only want to hear Slim Shady, but if you're looking for a good, humorous hip-hop album, then this is the one for you.

Rating: 3.5 Out of 5

Top 3 Tracks:

16) 40 Oz
7) Ur The One
20) Good Die Young

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