Say what you like about Eminem, at least he doesn't forget his mates. Having learned his trade with fellow bad boys D12 back Detroit, the blonde bombshell now re-pays the debt by producing, and occasionally fronting, his old band. It's just as well they have him around, really, since the Slim Shady's contributions to their second album are in a different league to anything the five resident MCs can come up with. In fact, D12 come across as a pretty unpleasant bunch - violent, sexist, homophobic and, crucially, without any of their protege's superb hip-hop skills. Their boorish raps focus relentlessly on how tough life is on the streets, but it's hard to feel too much sympathy for them when they're telling their children what lousy whores their mothers are. Thankfully, Eminem's appearances are just about enough to redeem the whole exercise, his savagely intelligent rants spat out against the backdrop of some excellent dance tracks. If this is the stuff he feels able to throw away on side projects, his next solo album should be well worth waiting for.
