Who is the Real Slim Shady?

This album is deep as fuck. Let’s starts with a warning…. DANGER!!!! This album is very deep, and is the single most graphic album I have ever listened too. The subject matter will include: Sex, Drugs, Rape, Incest, Incest Rape, Kidnapping, Infanticide, Terroristic threats (think Columbine), Sexual Abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Racism, Homophobia, and LITERALLY ANYTHING YOU COULD EVER GET OFFENDED ABOUT. There are more references to infanticide than any other album in the history of the world. This album is off the rails and absolutely bonkers.  I wish I could describe my feelings about this album, but there aren’t words for it in the English language. Absolutely crazy.

The lyrics behind this album may be to most graphic I have ever heard. I had never been reduced to feeling sick about a song like I did for “Kim” and “Stan”. Rarely does an artist incorporate the sounds of chocking, killing, and raping women into their songs. This is an incredibly touch subject to even consider talking about, much less is much an explicit, “rape glorifying” way.  Throughout the album, Eminem uses an unprecedented number of slurs. His vocabulary leaves no group safe, as he goes after Everyone other than straight white males.

Eminem wrote this album using cluster-fuck of different tactics. Dr. Dre has described his an eccentric and unconventional. Eminem has described himself as a “studio rat” who liked being alone in the studio brainstorming. During the production of this album, Eminem would engage in 20-hour long studio sessions. He tried to keep these secret to keep the publicity down, which distracted him from writing the song in the way and with the meaning that he intended. Dr. Dre said, “We don’t wake up at two in the morning, call each other, and say, ‘I have an idea. We gotta get to the studio.’ We just wait and see what happens when we get there.” They were both very chill when the recording process involved them both, a direct contrast from when Eminem is working by himself in the studio.  Eminem has said on multiple occasions that his favorite material on the album evolved from “fucking around” in the studio, and seeing what spun out of that. This shows Eminem’s mindset very well; IT WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. He has even gin into some detail about doing ecstasy in the studio as a sort of “Firestarter” of ideas. Having such a loaded track in “Bitch Please II” also added that talent to the production, with Dr. Dre being heavily involved with this album and Snoop Dogg helping out for the single track. Dr. Dre really helped elaborate on beats, and increase the mainstream production value. He stripped back the beats and let Eminem’s killer rapping do the talking.

It’s difficult to talk about “The Marshall Mathers LP” without mentioning the widespread commercial success of the album. This is the #1 best-selling album of ALL TIME by a solo rapper. OF ALL TIME. OVER 32 MILLION SALES. THE MAN SOLD 2 MILLION ALBUMS IN ONE WEEK. It’s hard to get my head around how insane this is. With such negative feedback on the harsher than harsh subject matter, that there are still enough people willing to pay for this album that it floats such a lofty sales margin. The album spent eight weeks at #1 on the charts. EIGHT WEEKS! TWO FUCKING MONTHS! Those are unfathomable results. It won the Grammy and MTV award for “Best Rap Album” of the year, and was the runner up for the Grammy’s “Album of the Year”. The album is unequivocally in anyone’s publications of the “500 Best Albums Ever” or “100 Best Rap Albums Ever”. The reception of this album is, In my opinion, the most intriguing in the history of music. The ungodly amount of record sales mixed with the ungodly backlash from disturbed families made for some great communal entertainment.

The backlash received from the Marshall Mathers LP was immediate and ferocious. With people as high up as Lynne Cheney, in the United States Senate, accuse this album to be the sole cause of the Columbine shooting during a hearing to try to impose age restrictions on his album. A similar case came out of Canada when Eminem was scheduled to play a gig in Toronto. Ontario’s Attorney General attempted to have Eminem stopped at the border, as he didn’t believe that it would look good for Canada to have him preform there. He was specifically wanted him arrested for violating hate crime laws with the way he talked about women, which is ironic because women aren’t covered under Canada’s hate crime laws. A study conducted by Edward Armstrong found that Eminem lyrics contain way above even the normal rap average for violent misogyny. With normal “Gangsta Rap” scoring around a 22/100, while Eminem scored a whopping 78/100. The LGBT community was another group that felt alienated by his music.  This climaxed at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Eminem performed “Stan” with openly gay singer Elton John. Eminem was using the fact the Elton John was gay to counter claims by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) that his lyrics were homophobic. Despite massive protests and debates, the performance went on and the album won “Best Rap Album”. With this level of dissent for his music, there were bound to be extremists on the other side of things. He had fiercely loyal fans that were willing to do just about anything to clear his name. They would counter-protest when groups tried not to allow Eminem to tour through their city, claiming freedom of speech among other things.  

Public Service Announcement 2000

Eminem’s alter ego, “Slim Shady” is an absolute pile of horse shit and doesn’t deserve to reproduce. He is the most racist, sexist, flaming sack of garbage, person. But that is the point. He is meant to piss you off. It very quickly becomes an emotional response to the album, even if that emotion is very, very negative.

Kill You

This song has an incredibly catchy beat, great rhyming schemes, and is once of Eminem’s most popular non-single tracks to this day. Opening with this was definitely a good idea, as it is an introduction to the mindset of this album. It does, whoever, lack the bigotry and hate of the rest of the album. It’s like dipping your toes in the water and not expecting much, just to have a 50-foot Great White leap out and bite your dick off. Graphic enough yet?

Stan

This song will give you chills. It is rapped very well, and the vocal samples from Dido fit with the song remarkably well. The holds relevant to this day, as fans can be closer to their idols to the point where they follow their every move, thanks to social media. This is the cult classic of the album, and I have seen this song appear on some “Best Songs of the Decade” lists. The way Eminem puts this song together is awe-inspiring. It will take you from borderline orchestral at times, then “serenade” you with the blood-cuddling screams of a woman drowning in the trunk of a car. It runs down both end of the spectrum, and will fuck up your emotions.

Paul (Skit)

10 second phone call. Disgruntled fan can’t get his hands on the “new album”

Who Knew?

This song is about Eminem’s newfound fame and how that has had an effect on him. It is one of the more “middle-of-the-pack” tunes on this album. He pulls off solid rhymes while adding his signature touch of profane humor. This is one of my personal least favorite tracks, but it goes to show how deep the album is that it’s still worth the listen. There just isn’t too much that helps it stand out from the pack, and it leads to a lukewarm tape.

Steve Berman (Skit)

This skit is about the pressure that record labels put on artists to create. Specifically, on Eminem to put out new, best-selling material. The skit goes hand-in-hand with “The Way I Am” I love the concept of skits in the middle of albums. They can introduce characters, and we can watch them tell the story and fill in any blanks left by the songs.

The Way I Am

Eminem’s first serious single. Produced by the man himself, the beat is an eerie sounding piano loop with church bells complementing the chorus. You can definitely feel Eminem’s anger in this track about the media blaming him for the Columbine Massacre. I love this song, and it feels like the most genuine look you get at Eminem all album. He tends to hide behind other aliases, but this is Eminem, as a man, and he has all that pint up rage that makes him the powerful figure everyone views him to be. This also elicits plenty of emotion from fans of Eminem, specifically the ones that have followed him beyond music for a while.

The Real Slim Shady

This is the albums biggest hit. Essentially the sequel to “My Name Is”, it employs the same comedic voicing and mantra. This is just a killer song. It has been towards the top of my rap Spotify playlist for the entirety of my life. There are a lot of (at the time) pop culture references that flow really well and show that Eminem, while famous, still had his finger on the pulse. Just a really fun song.

Remember Me?

Coming in with the first guest appearance on the album, featuring Sticky Fingaz and RBX, packs a mean punch. Eminem convinced Sticky Fingaz to put his verse on his album (it was supposed to go on ‘2001’) because he fell in love with it. No surprise, Eminem was correct and the verse is fire. The beat is very dark, and fits well. Check this one out.

I’m Back

“Who Knew” 2.0, most of the content of the song is the exact same as “Who Knew”. A track about his own career. Skippable.

Marshall Mathers

The title track of this album, and surprisingly nothing like most of the album. This was produced by the Bass Brothers, who obviously took a different approach to their tracks. It is a nice respite for the “in your face” stylings we’ve been bombarded with other songs in this album. Nice guitar plucking.

Ken Kaniff (Skit)

Random. Reaffirms in people’s minds the immaturity of Eminem. Cringeworthy.

Drug Ballad

Solid beat with good verses rapped over them. One of my favorites. I enjoy this song partially for its introspective views on drug use. It gives us a different point of view than we’re used to; even if it is Eminem’s, who’s drug opinion you should take with a grain of salt.

Amityville

WHY DOES EVERYONE LOVE THIS SONG?! I don’t understand. The beat is fine I guess, kinda reminds me of Scooby Doo, and Eminem is ok… BUT GOD DAMN BIZARRE SUCKS. He just can’t rap well. He’s a wannabe Eminem with none of the actual talent, so he relies on shocking people with the subject matter that comes out of his mouth. Like he sounds so bad on this track it drags everything else down with him.

Bitch Please II

I like this song, as it tied Eminem back in with what every other rap artist was doing at the time. Dr. Dre knew how to rap it because he largely produced the rest of the album, and Snoop Dogg pulled his usual “Doggy Dog” charm. The other features make it look like Eminem walked into Dr. Dre’s hood and started spitting bars with him and all his buddies. My one criticism would be that it does feel kinda out of place in an Eminem album.

Kim

Wow. This song killed me. I don’t have the correct words needed to review this song. You have to listen to it for yourself.

Under the Influence

Copied “Bitch Please II” just like “I’m Back” copied “Who Knew”. Just this time the later was the better.

Criminal

A great conclusion to the album, solving its downward spiral since the “Ken Kaniff” skit. Super catchy, nice soothing tone to contrast the deranged lyrics. Perfect climax to a perfect album.