Overall Grade: C

Intro – A -
Very Hilarious. Dominic West as the psychiatrist is pretty funny.

3 AM – B -
His “Killed Dem” line was kind of silly and corny. And the line, “What’s on the tube maybe some boobs…?” is just kind of sub par for Em in my opinion. Still, decent production. Not great, but solid. Dre doesn’t disappoint.
Whimsical lyrics remind me of some of the stuff from the Slim Shady LP’s sillier songs. The second verse is a little more appealing than the first.

My Mom – B- -
Funny story telling as per usual with Em. Some of his lyrical skills seem to be dumbed down slightly. He is still a wordsmith, but not like he was. He will attack the mic though, let that be said. The Hook of this song is pretty annoying. I feel like he didn’t try hard enough. The whole reggae thing is just annoying.

Insane – C -
Obviously very close to home for Em. About his childhood, and you get the feeling he is exaggerating of course, but most of it is probably based in truth. Lyrically it is unimpressive. The subject matter is interesting, but Em does not push any boundaries. The hook is unimaginative and features a tired gimmick of Em singing. Most times his singing is hit or miss. It’s miss here. I feel like he is yelling to make up for his lyrical laziness. Production is pretty mediocre at best.

Bagpipes from Baghdad – D -
More of the same kind of rhymes as in the previous song. It is clearly a watered down version of what Em is capable of. Wordplay is minimal if it even exists at all. The Hook is pretty mediocre once again and the production is uninspiring. Overall, it gets my vote for worst song on the album.

Hello – D -
Another uninspired song. Just seems like a song full wordplay and references to drugs. The song is full of his attempts to pick up women. The hook is better though.

Tonya [Skit]
He kidnaps a girl….why I don’t know. It’s kind of pointless. No more shock value with Em. We expect this kind of stuff from him.

Same Song & Dance – B -
The production is pretty good on this song and it seems like the lyrics are more serious thank god. He does something strange with his voice, like a bad accent. It’s not good, but his lyrics on this song are significantly more interesting. The hook however is kind of weak at the beginning.

We Made You – C -
Again with the silly voice/accent. It’s pretty annoying. I don’t understand it. It makes it hard to hear the lyrics and not his silly voice. The Hook is nice though. It’s a relief to hear a vocalist instead of Em trying to do that singing thing he does. Production wise it is a good effort by Dre.

Medicine Ball – C+ -
At this point in the album, you are expecting a change of pace and maybe something better lyrical. You will be either disappointed or impressed. I found myself somewhere in the middle.

Paul [Skit]
Recycled disapproval from the Marshall Mathers LP. Not really creative, but when he says all the stuff Em has been talking about you kind of come out of your self and realize the album is pretty vile. We’re just used to hearing this stuff from Em so it doesn’t register until then.

Stay Wide Awake – C- -
The flow here is really weird here. The hook is decent though. The second verse is decent enough. That voice of his is really bothersome. His wordplay is nonexistent and his lyrics are not very clever. Most of this album is just sub-standard from what we know Em is capable of writing. The production is well done on this song. I don’t think the way Em performs on it gives it justice though.

Old Times Sake Ft. Dr. Dre – C+ -
Dre makes an appearance on this song. But if you remember forgot about Dre…his performance here is just as mediocre and lukewarm as Em’s. It’s like they are not trying to tire themselves out too much. We get a taste of some wordplay here and some of the lyrical spark we have been hoping for but it’s too little and too late. Dre’s second verse is a better than his first and the high point of the song.

Must Be The Ganja - D -
A song about weed….How creative…I barely listened. Maybe that says something about the song or the fact that this album is so full of drugs that it gets boring after a while.

Mr. Mathers [Skit]
A Skit about Em overdosing on drugs and being picked up by the paramedics.

Deja Vu – B -
This song seems to be a breath of fresh air. Em’s tone gets a little more serious. Thank god, because the whimsy was getting very old. The chorus is pretty decent. Overall lyrically, this is probably one of the better songs on the album.

Beautiful – A -
More of Em singing on the chorus. Not cool, but at least he doesn’t sound horrible. His tone is more stoic and serious. I would prefer the whole album be in this more serious almost monotone voice than the one he has been using thus far. The message is pretty inspirational. Overall this is probably the best song on the album. It’s not too complicated lyrically but it is very serious and Em moves away from saying things for shock value and just puts down a well written rhyme. Fewer gimmicks are better. Good job to Em and Dre again for using an actual singer when needed.

Crack a Bottle Ft. Dre and 50 Cent – B -
More singing, but it’s not so bad on this track. Em’s verse is pretty good actually. Doctor Dre does a good job as a relief between Em and 50. You get a glimpse of his greatness. His verse really is pretty good. 50 Ruins the song though. He comes in like he is reciting a nursery rhyme to a kid. You get the sense if he had something important to say, he would be a much better MC because the skill is there. He is just completely devoid of real substance. The hook is kind of annoying, not the sound, but the words are just kind of empty.

Steve Berman [Skit]
Interesting dialogue between Em and Steve Berman.

Underground – A -
Best production on the album I’d say. It comes out the gate as just a great track. The singing on this track by Em is a reminder of why he shouldn’t sing at all. He makes up for it by attacking the mic. His wordplay on this track is impressive as well. Great verses, decent enough hook and great production. I guess he saved the best for last.

Hidden Skit at the end of Underground was kind of weird but it was welcomed to hear him making doing Ken Kaniff from Connecticut again. That never gets old.