By Brian Balboa
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

In the midst of a heated lyrical battle, Jimmy (Eminem) grabs the mic and shows the opposition his talent at The Shelter in the movie "8 Mile."(above).
photo courtesy of www.8-mile.com

While Eminem's movie debut in "8 Mile" is making big bucks at the box office, the movie soundtrack is also doing well.

The soundtrack, which features new tracks from Eminem, is actually a good blend of hip-hop veterans and rookies, which makes for a pretty good compilation overall.

The CD features some hip-hop legends GangStarr, Nas, Jay-Z and Rakim. In fact, two of the best tracks on the "8 Mile" soundtrack are from old-timers GangStarr and Rakim.

With another classic DJ Premier beat, GangStarr rapper Guru shows that they are still Royalty in their new track Battle. As for Rakim, one of the greatest lyricist and battlemasters in hip-hop history, he also proves that his lyrics are no joke in R.A.K.I.M.

Although rookies 50 Cent, D-12 and Obie Trice are still making a name for themselves, their performances are decent, but forgettable on the soundtrack.

One surprising disappointment on the soundtrack is from hip-hop veteran Nas. In You Wanna Be Me, Nas once again proves he can flow, but it is just another Nas track that has been recycled over and over again.

Soul artist Macy Gray also has a track on the "8 Mile" soundtrack; surprising, but not bad for a CD dedicated to battle rap. Her squeaky, raspy voice once again comes across in the soft and smooth Time of Your Life.

Other artists on the "8 Mile" soundtrack are Young Zee, Xzibit and BoomKat. But, this is Eminem's soundtrack and he proves that he owns the mic with this soul-bearing anthem Lose Yourself.

This is not MTV's commercial Slim Shady. The "8 Mile" soundtrack shows that Eminem is going back to his true underground roots of hip-hop.

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