Various Artists

Shady/Interscope

From the outset of the soundtrack, it is apparent that this is no movie; “there’s no Mekhi Phifer.” Eminem bursts over the raw ear candy in the way that only he can. A mellow piano intro coupled with raw guitar licks on “Lose Yourself” finds American’s newest icon dramatically setting up the scene for his screen debut.

With lyrics that parallel the tale of his character, Jimmy “Rabbit” Smith, Jr., and his rise to become the freestyle champion of Detroit, an almost”Rocky” feeling of triumph comes through the speakers, helping Eminem to create his biggest hit to date. The almost-addictive chorus and elusive story of dreams, success and the perils of being an artist trapped between two worlds are the makings of a tremendous song to work as an anthem for the film. Damn, this guy is good.

Making his voice heard on a handful of other tracks, Eminem doesn’t wear himself or his new material out. The sinister “Love Me” finds him with his label’s, Shady Records, first sign, the razor-sharp-tongued 50 Cent and D-12 compatriot Obie Trice wrestling with the struggles of searching for the approval of the fans, the streets, the industry and the family.

“8 Mile” is the requisite Eminem plea for the ability to leave the superstar life, and the manic screams of “Rabbit Run” follow the film’s protagonist as he overcomes his stage fright, his relationships with his girlfriend and mother and the frustration of his trailer-park life.

Careful to not make this his second solo album of the calendar year, the soundtrack more than whets the palate of Slim Shady fans without giving them an overdose. A run-of-the-mill D-12 track finds him performing 16 bars without making much of an impression, proving he was probably smart to stop there.

With 50 Cent contributing the mix-tape favorite “Wanksta” and “Places to Go,” Eminem’s trash-talking brother-in-rhyme adds to the flavor, as does the appropriate “Battle” by hip-hop royalty Gangstarr. However, a directionless Xzibit gets progressively ornery on “Spit Shine,” a supposed call-out to those who can’t match his lyrical skill. Too bad Rabbit doesn’t have that arrogance on stage for most of the film.

In another interesting move, the soundtrack sticks to its lyrical battle theme, with an impressive performance by the always-dependable Jay-Z. On “8 Miles and Runnin'” he teams up with Freeway to tell his own personal story of paying dues and building a reputation.

“But I can rewind the calendar back, back when it was now or nothin’,” Jay-Z raps. “People said I would amount to nothin’, that I had talent for nothin’ / Said I would succumb to violence or be silenced by your gunmen / I could just hear the folks now, ‘He got what he had coming.'”

And in what can be seen to the reaction to his rap, Nas provides a forgettable track and jab as he appears to obsess over his rival’s presence on “U Wanna Be Me.”

Also on the soundtrack are the oddly placed tracks “Time of My Life” by Macy Gray and “Wasting My Time,” a whiny track of a pointless relationship. Sung by Taryn Manning, it seems as almost a shameless plug for the artist, who makes a cameo appearance in the film as Rabbit’s possibly pregnant former girlfriend.

Soundtracks, particularly those with a hip-hop edge, can prove to be promotional vehicles and can often outshine the cinematic venture that they are supposed to accompany. The film sometimes outshines the soundtrack (i.e. “Any Given Sunday”), and vice versa (i.e. “Above the Rim”).

However, every once in a while the two media creations can go hand-in-hand in terms of quality, and “8 Mile” appears to be one such case. With the unbelievably catchy and aggressive “Lose Yourself” present, not to mention the fact that they don’t push the soundtrack on the viewer during the film, “8 Mile” is as solid and consistent as Eminem’s performance in the movie and on the record.