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Dec 8, 2014The wonderfully weird "Vegas" from Bad Meets Evil (Eminem and Royce Da 5'9) makes one wish the Shady label boss would find more time for the project, but he's already quite stretched behind the scenes, producing or co-producing eight of the cuts on disc one, including Skylar Grey's "Twisted," which isn't hip-hop, but glittery and goth giganto-pop. Great, grand, risky, and clever moments like this make Shady XV the worthy celebratory object that it is, but don't expect a deep roster or a cohesive game plan, because the label has always been more about close friends and family.
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Nov 25, 2014Some songs border on perfection. A few more are just solidly average. Yet, it all balances out, and the rhymes on full display make Shady XV a great compilation release.
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Nov 24, 2014Only a few tracks, like “Guts Over Fear” (with guest vocals from Sia) bore inside the rapper to show his vulnerable side. But the snarl of the rest finds him at a peak of writerly dexterity and rhyming velocity.
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Nov 26, 2014Shady's first half is, like most new Eminem material, more problematic but also more rewarding. [5 Dec 2014, p.70]
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Nov 25, 2014For the Shady diehard fans, Shady XV is enough. But for those searching for that nostalgic surge of adrenaline-inducing passion and innovative content reminiscent of the Shady reign, it's better to skip the new material and head straight to the classics.
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Jan 20, 2015The “Greatest Hits” CD is made up more of deep cuts than big hits, but with a few well known tracks included. There is substantially less Eminem than on the first side.
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Dec 15, 2014As a reminder of Eminem’s vocal showboating, ShadyXV is impressive. The problem--and it’s a persistent one--is that where once his anger was energetic, now it simply betrays lethargy.
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Dec 9, 2014Shady XV seems like it was made for: diehard fans of Marshall; and fresh kids who don't know no better. Otherwise, you'll probably have forgotten about the album by 2015, and 95% of the label's energy will soon be diverted to the next Eminem solo LP all over again.
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Nov 26, 2014The greatest-hits disc is a misnomer: It's mostly a grab-bag of Shady throwaways and deep cuts.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 257 out of 384
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Mixed: 58 out of 384
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Negative: 69 out of 384
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Nov 25, 2014
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Dec 9, 2014
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Nov 30, 2014