In a recent interview, Mike 'The Streets' Skinner was caught musing on the plights of fame and, more specifically, how to retain some sort of street appeal when life is essentially a blingtastic procession of award shows, interviews and parties. How do you convince an audience you're still down with them? That, even though you're living a pretty unreal life, you're still keeping it real.
For Skinner, the solution was to create an alter ego who would act out a role in various fictitious situations. A similar tactic is presumably employed by Eminem and D-12. They might boast a life of popping pills and pimping ho's (and, on "Just Like You", raping old ladies and, "f*cking two twins with a midget on top") but their reality is probably one of mundane celebrity. The inside cover depicts Slim Shady, Bizarre, Proof, Kuniva, Mr Porter and Swift hanging outside the grimy 7 Mile Liquor Store. What it doesn't show is the reflection of the air-conditioned limousines in their gold chains.
Musically and thematically, "D-12 World" differs little from it's predecessor "Devil's Night" - ie it contains one decent single and an awful lot of filler. In fact, D-12 have truly excelled themselves. Not satisfied with shoehorning a capacity 78-minutes of sub-standard hip hop onto one CD, they've thrown in a second disc with two extra cuts. Surely it takes some sort of genius to churn out generic sh*t at such volumes?
Sadly, they're complete experts in the field. Though opening track "Git Up" offers a thrilling ride of clattering beats, horror synths and Eminem's trademark disgust, we soon descend into a cliché-filled world of male bonding rap. Weed is smoked, bitches are smacked and swearing is mostly non-inventive. These guys really have nothing new to say and - on the likes of "6 In The Morning" and "How Come", which recycles the flow of "Lose Yourself" - lack an original way in which to say it. Kanye West adds spooky fairground violins to the title track but the lyrics still involve making ho's "scream like pterodactyls".
After an hour of the macho stuff they eventually play to the gallery on "Good Die Young". A tribute to former member Bugz, it sees big men crying real tears, solemn high fives and much meaningful nodding of heads. Undoubtedly heartfelt, it's also pure Hollywood schmaltz and as subtle as a glock to the head.
D-12 might claim this is a dose of harsh reality amongst the cartoon stuff but the reality is of grown men making music for little boys. To live in their world is like being trapped at an idiot's convention and almost – but only almost - as bad as Limp Bizkit.
