How Eminem was able to assemble so many credible emcees of today and yesteryear (Jay-Z, Rakim) to endorse his Holly'hood coming out party is anyone's guess. What is clear, however, is that (dare we say it) the Shady One might be growing up. On "Lose Yourself" Em abandons his callous, hardcore posturing to write thoughtful hood-centric coming-of-age lyrics that would make Melle Mel proud. On "Battle," Gang Starr's Guru tears through a sick beat from rap's most prolific producer, DJ Premier. Sadly, Nas wastes more valuable studio time dissing Jay-Z (ho hum) on "You Wanna Be Me." Interestingly, once you get past the living-legend love-in and peep the skills from Em's lesser-known Shady Records roster of underground wordsmiths, such as 50 Cent ("Wanksta") or Obie Trice ("Adrenaline Rush"), you might urge Em to consider giving up his thespian pursuits to become a full-time record executive. Not even the baffling inclusion of Macy Gray's humdrum "Time of Your Life" can sink this project. --Dalton Higgins
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For this release, Tupac Shakur adopted the pseudonym "Makaveli" in honor of the philosopher Machiavelli, author of the devious politician's handbook The Prince. Contractually his final effort for Death Row, it was recorded in seven days and was released on schedule in October 1996, despite Shakur's death a month earlier. Shakur was unparalleled at balancing the upbeat and the morbidly grim, and tracks like "Toss It Up" are such wonderfully catchy pop songs that the nasty lyrical digs at his then-current crop of enemies seem almost subliminal. Not so with album closer "Against All Odds," in which Shakur spells out very explicitly who he thinks was responsible for his ambush shooting in New York City. Overall, the Makaveli album feels so much like one man's complete exorcism of an overload of pent-up personal and professional pressures that it's hard not to believe that Shakur had all eyes on a new direction for the future. --Gregg Turkington
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The late Tupac Shakur's second album recalls the densely sampled sonic strengths of Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet, except here the bass lines are cranked and the sly samples tend to the gentler touches of Motown and Curtis Mayfield than James Brown. This contrast between hard and soft is appropriate because Shakur is as likely to sweetly honor black sisters ("Keep Ya Head Up") as he is to get angry in your face. Consequently, even with guest spots including the Ices Cube and T., 2Pac's strong raps remain this joint's real shining star. --David Cantwell
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