Many shades of Slim Shady

Eminem's major label debut, The Slim Shady LP, showcased Slim Shady, his manic and often twisted alter ego. His sophomore stunner, The Marshall Mathers LP, presented Marshall Mathers, a complex man with a dark past and a dysfunctional family. 2002's The Eminem Show shed light on Eminem the doting father and cynical celebrity. Em's latest, the multifaceted Encore, fully utilizes all three shades of Shady, resulting in the year's most engrossing, and best, rap record.\nA lot has happened to Eminem since his last solo record dropped. His acting skills were lauded in "8 Mile," he morphed 50 Cent and Obie Trice from unknowns into industry heavyweights, he became embroiled in a volatile feud with Source Magazine owner Benzino, as well as the entire Murder Inc. crew and he recorded and produced enough thumping, vitriolic mix tape tracks to fill up several discs of their own. Amidst all that, Eminem was piecing together the tracks that would eventually become Encore, a record that nearly equals his finest, The Marshall Mathers LP, in scope and execution.\nAs with all previous Eminem efforts, the overall flow and consistency of Encore renders all cuts first-rate and ushers no clear standout tracks to the forefront. A possible exception is "My 1st Single," on which Mr. Mathers, over a frenetic dance club beat, spits rhymes with the speed of Twista, the precision of Jay-Z and the humorous sensibility that's purely and unmistakably Eminem. "Like Toy Soldiers" samples an obscure snippet of late '80s power pop (Martika, anyone?) as it weaves a cautionary tale about the perils of the rapper lifestyle. A sort of lullaby for his daughter Hailie, "Mockingbird" proves that Em's soft side is just as potent as his thug persona. In "Rain Man," Em lampoons the Bible Belt and its innate fear of homosexuality in a mocking drawl that locks in flawlessly with his diverse rhyme scheme.\nFirst shipments of Encore include a bonus disc featuring three previously unreleased tracks. "Ricky Tick Tock" and "Love You More" are fine cuts but wisely left on the B-side, though "We As Americans" is one of Eminem's best tracks ever, and why it was left off the album is a mystery.\nEncore's final track, combined with a curtain call on the album cover, seems to hint that Eminem might be considering early retirement. If this is the case, the rap game will lose one of its very few living superstars, along with a large chunk of its sense of humor, danger and adventure. Em brings Encore to a close by stating, "I don't ever wanna leave the game without at least saying goodbye" in a track featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent that sounds more like a solid mix tape cut than a proper farewell. We get a strong sense he's just fuckin' with us. He knows full well the game still needs him.