Before the Slim Shady LP, a no-name emcee named Eminem was probably ripping the mic at the Lyricist Lounge or other underground hiphop spots...back when he was an ill lyricist hungry for attention by scaring you sh**less with raw punchlines and excellent verbal battling ability.  Back when he was able to step into a rhyme cypher with Canibus, Mos Def, Last Emperor, and Chino XL and dominate...  To a hiphop standpoint, by focusing on his lyrics and comparing with his earlier efforts, this CD is the beginning of his downfall...  But with the variety of ideas it saves the CD.  And by being so creative brings it up to 5 stars...