Search - Eminem :: The Slim Shady LP (Limited Edition)

A debut to top all debuts; or at least most of them...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 07/08/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember quite vividly the first time I heard `My Name Is'. I was at my best friend's house and we were watching MTV (you know, back when they still showed music videos) and I saw this blond rapper spouting off some of the funniest, catchiest lyrics I had ever heard. I think I had memorized the song within a week and had rushed out to buy the album (which I instinctively hid under my mattress) the minute it was released. All these years later, this is still Eminem's best album. He has since become a global phenomenon, an artist known as much for his sheer talent as he is for his outlandishness and controversial personal life. His lyrics shock and offend, but that is their purpose, and for that I respect him. Despite what you think about the message he delivers, one cannot refute the fact that in his prime, there was not a more polished lyricist working the scene. While he has subsequently idled himself with a few flukes (both `Encore' and `Relapse' were ill received albums) he is in the midst of a resurgence (`Recovery' is not perfect, but I smell redemption) and thanks to a few hits under his belt (`Love the Way You Lie' may be the best track he's ever penned) I think he is about to land on his feet once again.



With all this in mind I decided to revisit his albums and give them my personal rundown.



`The Slim Shady LP' was a great way to introduce us to the madman that is Marshall Mathers. It is twisted, funny, off-color, controversial and highly memorable. Like he says himself, he sticks out like a green hat with an orange veil.



For a 20-track album (littered with six interludes), this album is surprisingly strong, and while not every track delivers as strongly as the one that came before or after it, I cannot say that there is a single `bad' track on the list. In fact, only `I'm Shady' peeks out at me as a `filler' track, and no matter how uncomfortable '97 Bonnie & Clyde' makes me (no where near as disturbing as `Kim' off of his sophomore album), there is no denying that it is a brilliantly constructed song.



The album can be broken up in a few categories. First we have the loose, comical side of Eminem. The album's debut single is a great advocate for the many ways that Eminem can strike the funny bone. `Brain Damage' is one of my favorite tracks on the album. As Marshall spits off about bring bullied at school and the symbolic `monster' it transformed him into, we can see the harsh side to his humor. While there is not really a single song here to be taken literally (aside from maybe `Rock Bottom' and `If I Had') there are obvious slivers of reality laced into every outlandish `offence' uttered by Eminem. These insults and `fantastical' spoutings of debauchery stem from something internal, and it shows.



Eminem raps with heart, which is more than can be said for a lot of rappers today.



`Guilty Conscience' may go a little too far at times (and may make some squeamish) but there is no real debate as to the lyrical intent of songs like `My Fault' and `As the World Turns'. Rapping about naïve girls overdosing at parties or fat chicks eating your leg (before you kill her) may seem harsh and or ever unappetizing, but Eminem crafts much of his humor around these elements creating something sharp, witty and unforgettable.



His more serious tone can be heard on tracks like `If I Had' and `Rock Bottom', which give Eminem a way to expose his life pre-rap, where he struggled like so many to remain grounded while juggling a baby, a job and a wife who didn't always seem to care. `Rock Bottom' (the better of the two) is truly heartbreaking and stirring to the soul. For anyone who says this man lacks depth, listen to the earnestness with which he weaves these tales of pain.



Songs like `Bad Meets Evil' blend the comical with the dramatic, taking a darker more malicious tone. Both the `I Don't Give...' and `I Still Don't Give...' tracks show sharp lyrics and refined delivery amidst an edgy and calculated backdrop.



Eminem, the rapper, struggled in the center of his fame to top what he came out with. This is a shockingly strong debut album that would be hard for any rapper to transcend. While he faltered at moments, it is apparent that Eminem has matured as a lyricist (his latest album may not be as universally strong as `The Slim Shady LP', but it shows a real maturity in his subject matter and lyrical structure) and I am eager to see where he goes from here."