Curtain Call: The Hits

"I have some songs that a lot of people like, I have some songs that only I like. This album is obviously for the 'lot' of people." Eminem

Eminem finally dishes out the obligatory greatest hits

One of the hugest selling artists of all time with over 65 millions albums sold worldwide, Eminem finally dishes out the obligatory greatest hits – and unlike many rehashed ‘best of’ collections, this one is actually worth it. Curtain Call: The Hits is an album that takes you from 1999-2005, and gives you a little taste of what’s to come. It spans contributions from all four of Eminem's major-label solo albums: 1999's quadruple-platinum The Slim Shady LP, 2000's nine-times-platinum The Marshall Mathers, 2002's eight-times-platinum The Eminem Show, and 2004's Encore, which is almost five times platinum. Each of his first three albums also won the Best Rap Album Grammy (Encore will be eligible for the 2006 presentation). It's only six years since Eminem launched himself on the world's consciousness, but it seems like so much longer. Back in the mists of 1999, his producer and mentor Dr. Dre was in the middle of ensuring that hip-hop was still the most adventurous music in the world. American music was polarized by the pre-teen brigade led by Britney and Backstreet Boys and angry men in shorts like Korn and Limp Bizkit. Eminem's genius was to distill this millennial pop culture into something as powerful as a force of nature.

Curtain Call: The Hits – if indeed Eminem has retired, remember him this way

Rappers use up far more words in a song than your average rock star does – by the time Eminem appeared ready for retirement this year, it looked as though he'd simply said all he had to say. If indeed he has retired (and that's by no means a certainty), remember him this way – the thrilling self-reflexivity of Guilty Conscience, the knife-edge emotional switchbacks of Kill You. This collection is arranged out of chronological order. The highlights are nearly all from Eminem's first two albums. My Name Is's cultural references may have dated but its mix of fizzing humor and menace still sound startling. There's also the clanging The Way I Am. Best of all is 2003's Lose Yourself, from his surprisingly good film 8 Mile. The album also includes three new songs FACK, Shake That (featuring Nate Dogg) and When I'm Gone, each written and produced by Eminem. FACK again showcases Eminem's comic side and his willingness to push all boundaries, while When I'm Gone is a bittersweet goodbye letter. In addition, the Curtain Call: The Hits bonus track marks the album premiere of the controversial Eminem-Elton John live duet of Stan from the 2001 Grammy Awards presentation. The one omission that comes to mind is Superman, and also maybe Encore, but there are enough hits to make most people very happy.

Perfect opportunity to have another look at the life of Marshall Mathers

However you want to label him, Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers or Eminem, this rap artist has certainly been one of the most important influences on popular culture in our generation. The 17 tracks presented are a reminder as to exactly why, should he retire, a great hole would be left in urban music. Eminem's four studio albums shattered so many sales records that you might think just about every man, woman and gerbil on the planet already owns a bulk of the songs that make up this greatest hits collection. But Curtain Call: The Hits presents the perfect opportunity to have another look at the life of Marshall Mathers. If this is indeed the finale to Eminem's career, Curtain Call: The Hits does act as a good representation of what he was all about. Eminem's best songs still have the power to disconcert and set a standard that all rock stars will struggle to match. Let’s all hope that this isn’t really the final curtain call for the multi-talented rapper Marshall Bruce Mathers III.