8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

Tracks include: 1. Lose Yourself - Eminem 5:20 2. Love Me - Eminem/Obie Trice/50 Cent 4:31 3. 8 Mile - Eminem 5:59 4. Adrenaline Rush - Obie Trice 3:49 5. Places To Go - 50 Cent 4:15 6. Rap Game - D-12 5:54 7. 8 Miles And Runnin' - Jay-Z featuring Freeway 4:08 8. Spitshine - Xzibit 3:39 9. Time Of My Life - Macy Gray 4:21 10. U Wanna Be Me - Nas 3:50 11. Wanksta - 50 Cent 3:38 12. Wastin' My Time - Boomkat (Taryn Manning) 3:38 13. R.A.K.I.M. - Rakim 4:23 14. That's My N**** Fo' Real - Young Zee 4:45 15. Battle - Gang Starr 2:55 16. Rabbit Run - Eminem 3:10

How Eminem was able to assemble so many credible emcees of today and yesteryear (Jay-Z, Rakim) to endorse his Holly'hood coming out party is anyone's guess. What is clear, however, is that (dare we say it) the Shady One might be growing up. On "Lose Yourself" Em abandons his callous, hardcore posturing to write thoughtful hood-centric coming-of-age lyrics that would make Melle Mel proud. On "Battle," Gang Starr's Guru tears through a sick beat from rap's most prolific producer, DJ Premier. Sadly, Nas wastes more valuable studio time dissing Jay-Z (ho hum) on "You Wanna Be Me." Interestingly, once you get past the living-legend love-in and peep the skills from Em's lesser-known Shady Records roster of underground wordsmiths, such as 50 Cent ("Wanksta") or Obie Trice ("Adrenaline Rush"), you might urge Em to consider giving up his thespian pursuits to become a full-time record executive. Not even the baffling inclusion of Macy Gray's humdrum "Time of Your Life" can sink this project. --Dalton Higgins