LAT on EM

REJECTION: Writing in the L.A. Times, Jeff Weiss is less enthralled than his East Coast counterparts. “ In its quest for six-digit download numbers, the industry has reduced Eminem, Lil Wayne and highly gifted producer Just Blaze to plundering grooves for the silk-shirt and silver-suited set… Beats from his longtime collaborators the Bass Brothers and Dr. Dre are largely nonexistent… In their stead are anthemic, hackneyed hooks and big-budget producers du jour (Boi-1Da, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khalil) at their most monochromatic and monotonous. Cameos from Pink ("Won't Back Down") and Rihanna ("Love the Way You Lie") further exacerbate the disconnect from the qualities that made Eminem a star: wariness of cultural cliché, knack for storytelling and conflict, and a caustic wit… The central salvation is Mathers’ enduring virtuosity… But ultimately, until Eminem is able to restore the memory of what got him to the top in the first place, full recovery is impossible.” (6/22a)