Aftermath US 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: First released in 2004, Eminem's Encore was emblematic of the ultimate white-boy rapper's tasteful blend of social commentary, humour and dejection, and for many it is the childhood-marking moment that brought songs like 'Just Lose It' and 'Mockingbird' to hungry adolescent ears. On new, blue gatefold 2xLP comes a new edition from Shady's own label Aftermath, marking a second encore and ovation for a pivotal point in Eminem's career, which took place over 20 years ago now. His alter ego, Slim Shady, had sparked furious debates at the time about freedom of speech and artistic expression, and the record came after the death of his close friend and fellow artist Proof in 2006. Especially unafraid of his anger, Eminem served as a role model for young and impressionable youth in the early noughts, urging verbal articulation over blind rage.

Review: The criticism of Anderson .Paak's last album, the glossy, big-budget "Oxnard", was so voluminous that his mum took to social media to defend it. The fast-rising rapper laughed off the haters at the time, but it must have hurt. Either way, he's changed direction again on "Ventura", a follow-up that's noticeably more refrained than its predecessor. Musically, what we're offered is stripped-back '70s soul and Prince style purple funk instrumentation fused with head-nodding hip-hop and R&B beats. Paak is lyrically on point throughout, eschewing some of his more sexually explicit lyrics in the post #MeToo era. To complete the picture of an artist going back to his roots, the assembled guests (Outkast's Andre 3000 included) are generally pushed to the background in an unobtrusive manner.