DJ Khalil, the track’s producer, has a significant presence – he claims the most tracks from a single producer with four – and while one may wish that Blaze had filled a few of his spots, most of his contributions are strong. Next up is “Won’t Back Down,” which despite a slightly jarring beat and the odd presence of Pink, offers up Slim at his Shadiest, flowing with angry speed. Another of the record’s strengths is Marshall’s newfound trust in an expanded producer list – there’s only one Dre track and everyone from Just Blaze to Boi-1da to Havoc offer up beats. “On Fire” offers one of the disc’s strongest beats, produced by D12’s Kon Artis. Front to back, Recovery voraciously showcases Em’s level of pure lyrical ability. It may be hard for music snobs, but it’s time to take Eminem seriously again. He allows some insight into his depression, bluntly rapping about thoughts he had about dissing Lil Wayne and Kanye West out of jealousy. He confronts his slump quickly on “Talking to Myself”: “The last two albums didn’t count / Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushin’ ’em out,” announcing to fans new and old, “The new me’s back to the old me,” and even apologizes for his last few efforts. Perhaps more successfully than any other veteran artist in this genre of late ( Kingdom Come, anyone?), Eminem is putting himself in both a relevant and domineering position in rap. From the get-go he’s clearly hungry again, barraging the listener viciously on the Just Blaze-produced opener “Cold Wind Blows.” Shady as we knew him has been essentially MIA since 2002’s The Eminem Show, so herein lies the first time you’ve heard a powerful Slim spit from a more mature perspective. Recovery finds Eminem at the top of his game, roaring back to life. Now it’s 2010, and somehow, “I told you so” just doesn’t quite say it. While his rhymes were more on point than his previous misstep, the whole affair was grim, almost entirely focused on Em’s twisted side, largely devoid of his signature comical bloodlust. 2009 hit and studio album number five, Relapse, finally dropped. There was talk of a new album every year, and those still faithful to Shady waited. We knew that Eminem’s best friend and former D12 bandmate Proof had been murdered, but not much else. Then, he more or less disappeared for four years. Then 2004’s Encore came around, and in moments, Marshall Mathers crashed from subversive genius to a comedic caricature. Remember Eminem? Well, of course you do – but what about the sick (in several meanings of the word), clever, and dominant presence he used to carry? The man’s first three albums ranked undeniably amongst the best records hip hop’s ever produced.