It wasn't long ago at all that Eminem presented the Slim Shady LP, a trip into the depraved mind of a madman. This time out, he's out to offend even more people. He's still seemingly afraid of criticism, seeming to rhyme for pure shock value sometimes. Still, he remains an incredible lyricist, and this time out, he has even better beats.

Production this time out is handled largely by Dr. Dre & Mel-Man with help from Mark the 45 King, Em himself, and F.B.T. They vary from crazy hype to languorous bass driven musical journey's like "Stan."

Lyrically, Em has always been absolutely sick, plus able to offend or shock at the drop of a hat. This time out though, he proves just how talented a storyteller he is. If you take the time to listen, you'll likely be surprised at just how much Em has to say, cleverly hidden among the punchlines and insults.

This album is DEFINITELY not for kids. Eminem's twisted sense of humour pokes fun at some of the strangest things. From gun control to parental irresponsibility to paralyzation, it's all nothing but fodder for Em's verbal cannon.

Check tracks like "Kill You," in which he calls out his mother (who sued him last year); "Stan," a message to and from his "biggest fan"; the first single "The Real Slim Shady;" "Remember Me," a wicked posse cut featuring RBX (remember Serial Killa off the first Snoop album?) and Sticky Fingaz of Onyx fame; and "Under The Influence" a preview of the insanity we're likely to here on the D-12 album (coming soon).

This is a GREAT album. Both production and lyrics are on point throughout which is not easy to say about a lot of albums. Worth a good listen, and a place of honour in your collection far out of the reach of children.