No, this isn’t a new Eminem album; rather it’s a slickly produced compilation of Shady Records artists masquerading as an underground/street mix-tape. Of course, not many underground mix-tapes get internationally released through Interscope/Universal, and Slim Shady himself is about as underground as Everest nowadays (I’m referring to the mountain, incidentally, not some other rapper). Suffice to say, if this is a ‘street’ mix, it’s more high street than back alley. But hey, so what?
Although compilation duties fall to The Alchemist (who DJ’d on the last Anger Management tour), 'Executive Producer' Eminem contributes a couple of his own tracks, and throws down rhymes on many of the others. Conclusively proving that there is actually an end to his talents, he also scribbled the rather amateurish ink drawing on the cover.
Obie Trice, 50 Cent and various D12 members (including the late Proof) show up and get down throughout The Re-Up’s 23 tracks, but ostensibly the album’s raison d’etre is to promote new Shady Records artists Stat Quo, Ca$his and Bobby Creekwater – all of whom very much hold their own amongst such illustrious company.
Lyrically, it’s mostly all niggas, triggers, bitches and blunts, but rap scholars will undoubtedly make much of the various alliances and cross-border cooperations between all of these angry youngish men (Stat Quo and Creekwater both hail from Atlanta, Ca$his is from Chicago).
From a less interested, more casual listener’s perspective, it’s a pretty good hip hop compilation – no more, no less. Not very much innovation going on, but this will probably ultimately become an essential piece of the jigsaw puzzle of whatever direction this particular musical genre is heading in.