With his PR machine building mad buzz, rapper Eminem [ tickets ] threw a concert/record release party at the LA House of Blues Monday night. The biggest question was whether this relatively unknown 24 year old white kid from Detroit could really hang in the world of hip-hop. Dr. Dre, who produced a number of track's from Eminem's major label debut album, Slim Shady, sure thinks he can, and you have to give the Dr. some credibility, the last kid who Dre put his energies behind like this was Snoop Doggy Dog.

First and foremost, Eminem is no Snoop Dog. His rapping style, while unique and certainly wordy, doesn't really have the initial impact that someone like Snoop or even DMX had. As tight as Eminem is on the mic, his lyrics still falter under their own stupidity. His rhymes sound as vulgar and pointless as fellow Detroit natives The Insane Clown Posse, but without the wonderful tongue in cheek attitude that the clowns throw in. When the clowns rap about stapling nut-sacks, it seems a little more in character.

Eminem's stage presence and attitude is more drunken frat guy than hip-hop. His baby-face and young appearance seem to undermine his constant trash talking. In the video for his current single, My Name Is, he parades around dressed like Bill Clinton and Marilyn Manson, which only serves to make him seem more like a gimmick and less like a real MC.

His performance certainly helped to dispel the gimmick thinking, but it didn't help to secure his reputation of the next big thing. Last time a rapper and album were pushed this hard, it was for Canibus, and we all know where that record went.

The show had it's moments, which while they lasted, did truly entertain. My Name Is and I Just Don't Give A... were certainly the standout numbers of the night, bringing both the crowd and performer to a frenzied peak. While the thirty minute set time and unfamiliar material didn't help to build much momentum, Eminem clearly proved that he is serious about hip-hop. Now the only question is, is hip-hop serious about him?