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REVIEW: EMINEM ... MUSIC TO BE MURDERED BY...

Music to Be Murdered By, Cover (Courtesy of Shady/Aftermath)

Music to Be Murdered By, Cover (Courtesy of Shady/Aftermath)

Rapper Eminem has returned with his eleventh studio effort, “Music to Be Murdered By”, and by no surprise, he doesn’t disappoint. OK, let’s keep it all the way one hunnid… In the current state of hip-hop, I honestly don’t buy a lot of music anymore. In com[parison to me, I stick with the people I know are going to give me solid material. While I listen to a lot of new music as a Journalist, I do find it difficult at times, and am often forcing my hand in the matter, simply because a lot has changed with the game of music. Many are no longer putting in the effort that used to be required. Music has shifted to a state where most can do it all themselves and put their own material out, so in many cases, the standards simply are not there. Artists are literally doing what they want, and paying no mind to the consumer anymore. I think that’s something that many, if not all of us can agree on. In today’s economy, it just isn’t as beneficial to purchase full albums anymore. So I’ll be even more honest in the fact I was not necessarily expecting anything super solid out of this album. It’s no dig to Eminem either; I think he’s definitely one of the best, and I’ve always been a fan. Reality though, is I haven’t bought an album in forever, and most new music I get, it’s been out for some time before I actually hear it. Life will do that to you when you have so many things going on.

All that being said, I’m pretty hyped and excited at Em’s latest. I think it’s truly a solid effort, and shows a tremendous amount of growth for someone who’s been in this circle for more than twenty years. It’s quite easy to see a lot of work was put into the project, and in my opinion, it stands stronger than a lot of what’s dropping today. Real talk, hearing just the first track, the intro “Premonition”, I was eager to hear more. It leads right into “Unaccomodating” featuring Young MA. I’ve always felt Eminem has some the best collaborations, and this here is definitely one of them. Honestly, there’s a number of standouts throughout the album, including “Godzilla” with Juice WRLD, “You Gon’ Learn” featuring Royce Da 5’9” & White Gold, “Marsh”, and “Lock It Up” featuring Anderson.Paak. Truthfully, the entire album is to be heralded, and that says a lot, given current state of music. It may sound silly, but Em and this new effort has kinda given me the boost to listen to more new music in general. I have no problem with supporting any artist I know is giving me quality product, and this is an album I definitely will be buying.

@KellyRowland, @DJKhaled, and @RobinThicke Join @VH1's Second Annual Mother's Day Special "Dear Mama: An Event to Honor Moms"...

Photo: Courtesy of VH1

(New York, NY) April 26, 2017 — VH1 today has announced that Kelly Rowland is set to appear at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT.  Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony.  “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success. Kelly Rowland will appear alongside the previously announced Robin Thicke and DJ Khaled.

Kelly Rowland is a 4-time Grammy Award winner singer, songwriter, actress and executive producer. A global pop star since the age of 16, Kelly grew up in the spotlight as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time. The group’s awe-inspiring list of chart toppers include 4 No. 1 singles in the U.S. and more than 60 million albums sold worldwide. Kelly Rowland has blossomed into a stunning solo artist who has released four successful studio albums, which have topped music charts all over the world. Kelly’s beautiful voice and effervescent personality have not only garnered her critical and commercial success in the music arena, but her movie star good looks, unique style and limitless drive have also generated numerous opportunities in television, film and fashion. Kelly has guest starred on several hit sitcoms including “Girlfriends”, “Empire” & “Being Mary Jane” and became an Executive Producer of her very own docu-series, “Chasing Destiny” which premiered April 2016. Her undeniable on-screen presence led television impresario Simon Cowell to tap her as a judge for the immensely popular shows, The X Factor (UK 2011) and the US version of The X Factor (2013). Most recently, Kelly joined the lineup as a judge on The Voice Australia which she is currently filming down under. Kelly also added a new title to her name as published author with the release of her literary debut “Whoa, Baby!” which chronicles the trials and funny tribulations of being a new mother. Her versatility doesn’t stop with recording music and acting, in 2015 Kelly positioned herself as a national spokesperson for numerous powerhouse brands including Caress, Claritin, Cadillac and many more. Although Kelly Rowland has a long list of accomplishments and accolades she shows no signs of slowing down!

DJ Khaled will honor his fiancé at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT.   Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author LaLa Anthony.  “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success. DJ Khaled will appear alongside the previously announced Robin Thicke.

A major force in the music industry, mogul, executive, mega producer, 2017 Grammy nominated recording artist, and NY Times Best Selling Author ‪DJ Khaled, known as the “Anthem King” and commonly referred to as the “‪Quincy Jones of Hip Hop & R&B”, has made dozens of chart topping hit records featuring ‪JAY Z‪Kanye West, Drake, ‪Chris Brown‪Ludacris, T.I., French Montana, Future, Big Sean, ‪Rick Ross‪John Legend‪Nicki Minaj and ‪Lil Wayne, among others. In the past twelve months he has captivated millions of fans globally by the use of social media and has been coined the “King of Snapchat.”

In 2006, he launched innovative label deals and started We The Best Music Group. His 2010 hit song “All I Do is Win” went 3x platinum, sold over 3 million singles, and crossed over all music genres to become a mainstream hit, solidifying him as a force to be reckoned with. That same year he also released “I’m On One” feat. Drake, ‪Rick Ross and ‪Lil Wayne. Khaled went on to release the hit single “No New Friends” featuring Drake, ‪Lil Wayne and ‪Rick Ross, which reached gold status and has sold over 500,000 singles worldwide. ‪DJ Khaled has sold over 15 million singles in his career. Khaled is also committed to pro social initiatives and is the first social media ambassador of ‪Bono‘s Project Red and is the national spokesperson for Get Schooled.

Robin Thicke will honor his mother at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT. Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success.

Robin Thicke has established himself as one of the most respected singer songwriters in soul and R&B music today. Born in Los Angeles, Robin Thicke taught himself to play piano at the age of 12 and by 16 was writing and producing songs for top R&B artists. At the age of 21, he had written and produced songs on over 20 gold and platinum albums including Michael Jackson, Marc Anthony, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and others. One year later he signed with Jimmy Iovine and Interscope records. The musician and composer released his critically acclaimed debut album, A Beautiful World, in 2003 under the name Thicke. The collection was followed by a succession of five critically acclaimed gold and platinum selling album releases. Robin’s sixth studio album, Blurred Lines, was released in July on 2013. The album garnered three GRAMMY nominations. The collection debuted at #1 on Billboard Top 200 while, “Blurred Lines,” the single, continued its 12 week reign on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making Robin the first artist to take the top spot on both lists since December 2012 and only the 17th act to earn the distinction in the past ten years. “Blurred Lines” scored the highest audience ever recorded and broke records by climbing to #1 on 5 radio charts simultaneously (Top 40, Rhythm, Urban, Hot AC & Urban AC) – the first time this has ever been done by an artist. Robin’s recent singles include the undeniably danceable pop record “Back Together” featuring Nicki Minaj, emotionally charged track “Deep” featuring Nas, and a R&B classic “Morning Sun”.

Official sponsors of “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” include America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses®DOVE® ChocolateHoney Bunches of Oats®Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders, Tide PODS®, and Unilever.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” will take place at the famed Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” is being produced by Flavor Unit and Jesse Collins Entertainment.  Shakim CompereQueen LatifahJesse Collins, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are Executive Producers.  For VH1, Amy DoyleRyan Kroft, and Elena Diaz are Executive Producers, Paige Miller is Coordinating Producer, and Joe Buoye is Executive in Charge of Production.

For more updates go to DearMama.vh1.com and follow @VH1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #DearMamaVH1 to join the conversation