Since the hip-hop community caught wind of them around 1999, Bad Meets Evil spent a decade in the more-a-legend-than-a-band category. Members
Eminem and
Royce da 5'9" spent those years not speaking thanks to beefs and feuds, but then the 2006 murder of their mutual friend,
D12 member
Proof, brought them back together. Fast-forward to 2011 and this EP re-launches the project, although fans have already been notified that
Hell: The Sequel is “a collection of tracks” so excuse the mess. It’s not much of a mess, really, as the glossy “Lighters” feels more like a
Bruno Mars track than Detroit diesel, while “stop stealing my music” tracks like “Take from Me” rarely become fan favorites. Everything else works just fine, with
Royce displaying growth and superior skills that casual fans have slept on, while
Em puts one foot in the past where gross humor (“Tell
Lady Gaga she can quit her job at the post office/She’s still a male lady”) and scrappy rhymes reigned supreme. His other foot is in the
Relapse/
Recovery-era present with all the soul searching you’d expect, but as interesting as this career-spanning blend is, it is even more interesting when contrasted with
Royce’s more traditional brand of thugging. Throughout his career,
Mr. Mathers has given props to his Detroit hip-hop clan and spoken of his interactions, but his discography has been somewhat light on examples. Past the
Mars cut,
Hell: The Sequel helps right that wrong, providing the welcome sound of
Shady meets the streets. ~ David Jeffries