Eminem, Alexis y Fido, Rick Ross, Asher Roth and Depeche Mode
the music press
mon 5/25/2009
- After a five-year hiatus, Eminem returns with the much-awaited Relapse. "Over 20 relentless tracks, he piles rhyme on top of rhyme till you're brain hurts trying to keep up. Funny and furious, the album is a virtuoso display to make young pretenders (like Asher Roth) sound like rank amateurs," proclaims the U.K.'s Telegraph. "If it's stronger than his last album, Encore, that's because Em's doing what he does best: cleaning out his closet. And there's more psychotic shit piled up in there than ever," observes Rolling Stone.
- Reggaetón duo Alexis y Fido are back with Down To Earth. "The duo proves reggaeton's rough edges can be smoothed over: singers can stay in tune, rapid-fire flows aren't married to recycled beats, and electronica can finally have a permanent place at the perreo dancer's dancefloor," writes Rhapsody. "Most of the songs have dembow and had some crazy production," notes Real Talk Reggaetón, adding that the two "kept their word of staying to their reggaetón roots while still keeping up with the new trends in the genre."
- Miami rapper Rick Ross releases his third album, Deeper Than Rap, on his own label, Mayback Music Group. "He may rap like he's out of touch with reality, but with bass lines this deep and synths this huge, you might forget the present era's woes yourself," suggests Entertainment Weekly. "Titular aspirations aside, Ross’ goals are actually minimal: to provide absurdist and escapist sunshine rap that sounds good in a Maybach, for people who can’t afford to drive a $344,000 car," writes The Los Angeles Times.
- Rookie MC Asher Roth releases, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, an "admirable debut from a talented young artist searching for his own voice," according to AllHipHop. Not so fast, says Spin magazine: "Roth's debut boasts a laziness that borders on contempt. Unburdened by Kanye's melancholia or Eminem's vertiginousness, Roth is perfectly likable, and perfectly bland." Vibe agrees: "[F]or all of his touted promise, Asher needs to study the game a bit longer before he’s ready to graduate."
- Veteran technopop outfit Depeche Mode release their twelfth album, Sounds Of The Universe. The Onion's A.V. Club loves it: "[E]ven in 2009, Depeche Mode’s members are masters of electronic pop, crafting an inimitable sonic atmosphere that almost never sounds dated." URB magazine says the Brits have "produced another album fit to fill headphones and stadiums." The New York Times is not impressed: [E]ven at its most imaginative, this is seamless Depeche Mode filler, music that could be made by any number of acolytes."
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