We're not sure if Eminem is getting smarter or we're getting stupider. But we do know we dug D12 World -- the sophomore CD from Marshall Mathers and his Detroit homies -- a lot more than we anticipated.

Sure, like everything Eminem touches, these hard-hitting cuts are awash in misogyny, violence, hatred and profanity -- none more so than Bizarre's repulsive parental-advice rap Just Like U.

But behind his pals' macho posturing, Eminem still has one of the most creative minds in hip-hop. And lately, one of the most playful.

Several cuts here traffic in the loopy bellydance beats and cartoon melodies he seems to like these days. Git Up has him rapping in the lickety-split banana-fana-fofana cadence of The Name Game. The intergroup-jealousy gag My Band, with its teen-pop overtones, is the funniest song Eminem has penned in years. And it's not even the catchiest one here; nearly every cut boasts neck-snapping beats, head-nodding basslines and hooks so addictive you won't even notice you're singing along with the chorus of B**** until it's way too late.

If that means we're getting dumber, we be OK with that.

Track Listing
1. Git Up
2. Loyalty
3. Just Like U
4. I'll Be Damned
5. Dude (Skit)
6. My Band
7. U R the One
8. 6 in the Morning
9. How Come
10. Leave Dat Boy Alone
11. Get My Gun
12. Bizarre (Skit)
13. Bitch
14. Steve's Coffee House
15. D-12 World
16. 40 Oz.
17. Commercial Break
18. American Psycho 2
19. Bugz 97
20. Good Die Young
21. Keep Talkin