Controversial rap star Eminem makes his acting debut in this hard-edged urban drama, inspired in part by incidents from the musician's own life. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), known to his friends as Rabbit, is a young man trying to make his way out of the burned-out shell of inner-city Detroit. Rabbit's entire life has been a hard climb, and it certainly hasn't gotten any easier lately; Rabbit has just been dumped by his girlfriend, forcing him to move back in with his emotionally unstable mother, Stephanie (Kim Basinger), and he's getting along especially poorly with Stephanie's new boyfriend. Rabbit has a factory job that's tough, demeaning, and doesn't pay especially well, and he's convinced his skills as a rapper are his only real hope at a better life.
UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records. The ethnic make-up of the band's original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage.
Kiseki” (“Locus”) is a welcome surprise. Released to mark the 25th anniversary of Krush’s solo career, it’s his first straight-up rap album, and features an eclectic roster of Japanese MCs. Rino Latina II, who guests on the trap-inflected “Dust Stream,” is an old collaborator from the ’90s, but most of the assembled rappers are considerably younger. They bring an undeniable energy to the proceedings, and Krush responds with some of his grittiest productions since the “Strictly Turntablized” days.