Ever since Tupac had Thug Life, and Biggie had Junior Mafia, it�s been very popular for artists to have back-up crews. In 2000, with Nelly�s St. Lunatics, Ja Rule�s Murder Inc., and Snoop�s Eastsiderz, the trend has become almost clich�. However, D-12, Eminem�s crew is no record sales manipulation move. D-12 may be the only thing that keeps Eminem grounded.

Before the days of Dr. Dre, Shady Records, and Up In Smoke tours, it was the rough streets of Detroit. Caught up in the battle scene, Eminem made a pact with these five other cats from his area code. The first to blow, would never forget the others. Well, slowly but surely...Eminem has risen to a hip pop plateau. So enters D-12.

"Sh** On You" is the not-so-common way to enter the market. The track could almost be stamped, an "exploit". This track takes taboo and profanity to new heights. The beat is almost counter-culture pop. It�s not supposed to be accepted, yet it is...widely. Each emcee of the crew spits differently. There�s chemistry, but not everybody has similarities. Each verse has a different speed, a different rhythm, the works. Eminem, luckily doesn�t hog the spotlight. This track, which hit radio about two months ago, did not cause much controversy. It sort of fizzled. However, with a lot of inner-circle hip hop people criticizing Eminem, I definitely give the man credit for his loyalty to his roots.

Where "Sh** On You" falls short on controversy, "I Remember" triples. It seems that Eminem bumps heads with everybody. From DMX, to Evidence, people don�t always appreciate the humor and wit of the cultural critic. Former House of Pain front man, Everlast, was hardly the exception. "I Remember" is a brutal blow. Over a mocking blues track, Eminem at one point touches base with Everlast�s 1990�s life threatening heart attack. This track will certainly have repurcussions. But after 3rd Bass vs. Vanilla Ice, who would have ever guessed we�d see another white on white hip hop crime? P.S. There�s no D-12 on this cut.

From the Marshall Mathers LP, D-12 provided some of the better production. Now, they have a chance to shine on their own. With an LP soon to drop, hopefully D-12 can be the Berlin Wall that separates Eminem's pop from his hip hop. The music is too clever for top 40, so one can only hope. Nevertheless, history might have been made.