Devil’s Night

Reviewed by:
David Peisner

We live in a mighty large glass house to be casting stones at the misogyny, homophobia, and glorification of violence that Eminem has turned into a cottage industry. That being said, the problem with Devil’s Night, the debut record from Eminem’s Motor City crew, D12, is not its politically incorrect content. Regardless of whether or not you’re offended by Eminem’s rants, there’s no denying his innovative wordplay and musical flow. But although his rhymes on Devil’s Night are up to snuff, talent like his is not often doled out in bunches. His five cronies are hardly an embarrassment on the mic, but none have Slim Shady’s lyrical gift; tracks like “Nasty Mind” and “American Psycho” seem like they’re trying to be shocking for the sake of shock alone. In a pop music world where Eminem performs at the Grammys with Elton John, mildly amusing raps about deviant sex, savage beatdowns, heavy drug use, and celebrity disses aren’t going to raise many eyebrows outside the Christian Coalition.

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