Eminem/Various: 8 Mile soundtrack

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

The movie isn't here until the New Year but there's already a buzz about 8 Mile, the quasi-biopic of Eminem's early days which is being hyped as a hip-hop A Hard Day's Night. The soundtrack, released to catch the end-of-year rush, isn't all him. As well as tracks from a dream-team of Jay-Z, Xibit, Nas, Gangstarr and the curious inclusion of a song from Macy Gray, it's got a sideline purpose to showcase artists like 50 Cent and Obie Trice on his Shady Records label. But what Eminem there is, just four tracks, is really very good.

And that just may be because he's not writing in his woe-is-me rap superstar persona, but that of his screen character "Rabbit". And on the equally gripping opener Lose Yourself and closing Rabbit Run as well as the infectious 8 Mile, he comes on sounding like Slim Shady, only hungrier.

Label: Shady Interscope