Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)

Eminem was a product in the making prior to this album. He had released his Infinite album back in 1996 to very poor reception and struggled to find critical and commercial success prior to the release of this album until he was signed onto the label of producer and Rap legend Dr. Dre, which changed everything for the Detroit based Rapper. This is widely seen as one of his best albums, and way before he sold out to a mainstream audience. Therefore, this must be looked at here, so let’s do just that.

We begin with the Public Service Announcement intro which is funny and weird, but awesome all the same. It is very humourous and different, with a voiceover intro warning people about what is to come. Which is interesting.

Next along is My Name Is which was a big hit from this album. It has a multitracked vocal based intro, before Eminem begins Rapping. Note that there is a cameo by Dr. Dre, his producer, here. It’s a confrontational, rude and profane piece of music that sounds still great today. It is so funny lyrically that you cannot take this seriously and will laugh very hard at the subject matter here. The beats and production match this piece of no doubt offensive material. An awesome track that sounds really politically incorrect and furious all the same. Excellent song, and it should not at all be taken seriously. Great piece of funky music with great lyrics to match. It has an extended outro that sounds lush, great tune which fades out gently.

Guilty Conscience is next here which begins with a mock commercial about a guy who robs a liquor store, before stopping along the way. It is a piano driven and awesome piece with an extended cameo from Dr. Dre and Eminem. It has some interesting intermission breaks with verses following with the mock TV commercial here a few times. It is very funny, original and different which is so out there lyrically that Eminem is fully raging here. Excellent song, and definitely worth hearing, with a surprise twist in the outro. Neat.

Brain Damage comes next, which begins with a mock recording of a guy on the operating table, before launching into a piece of lyrical hatred of a lifetime of reflection. It is a clever, classy and well delivered piece of music that sounds as venomous and hateful as it did in 1999. Eminem’s voice sounds very good here, sounding youthful and full of energy here. Getting revenge onto a bully and following up with some inter family banter, Eminem doesn’t hold back whatsoever. A very good piece of music.

Next here is Paul – Skit which is a weird piece, a recording of a phone call from an attorney. It’s best left as a surprise here, but is very odd listening to it. Great to hear though.

Following is If I Had which sounds like a lush 1980s styled track, but is a really excellent tune with some female singing to it as well. Eminem raps nicely over this track and sounds like he is tired of being underestimated and ignored here, and just delivers really well. This is the first popular white Rapper here, and he does excellently here. The whole thing comes across as a bit of a rant, but is a clever one at that. It just goes to show one must not be underestimating others here, and Eminem points that out. Clever, weird yet very good, this is a decent tune. Excellent track.

’97 Bonnie and Clyde is next here, beginning with some bushes rustling at night, followed by the sound of a car being unlocked. It’s another odd intro here, followed by Eminem launching into a piece of hatred, nastiness and bile against his ex who he had his daughter Hailey with. An excellent piece of the most negative sort of statement out there, it is a bit much for some people, no doubt. Still, an excellent tune and sounds very, very good. Brilliant here all the same, although pretty crazy sounding lyrically, to be fair. The whole thing sounds awesome musically though, with a very laidback sort of backing track here of which Eminem raps over. Nice tune to hear if you want a crazy laugh to a messed up story.

Bitch – Skit which is a rather weird, yet funny recording of a phone call here. Once again, it is very short and not worth spoiling too much here, it just works nicely.

Next along here is Role Model which begins with a mock piece of music indicating suicide and that Eminem wants you to join him along the way. Seriously. It’s a nasty, direct and vicious piece of lyrical music with some semi-electric guitar based backing track of which Eminem raps over. An excellent track, once again about Eminem being “the best role model” here, it is really interesting and direct music that is harsh. This is the sort of music that could incite riots and violence here, but it is fantastic listening. Excellent tune.

After that is Lounge – Skit which begins as a drunken lounge music singalong, but sounds hilarious and interesting all the same. It’s a really weird addition to this album, and goodness knows why Eminem put this onto it. Great though.

My Fault is hilarious and funny, with Eminem regretting giving a lady he is chasing some hallucinogenic mushrooms. Seriously, you read that right. It is a catchy, weird and fun listening experience which makes one listen to it and laugh. Very wonderful and funny, this is awesome listening that needs repeat listens. Very awesome listening, though not to be taken seriously. A really cool piece of music, and one of the best pieces from this album. Great song, with a funky syncopated Rap delivery from Eminem over a set of funky bass and beats. Brilliant.

Ken Kaniff – Skit is next, and has a hilarious sounding voice (probably Eminem) making a call to a stranger. It’s supposed to be directed to Eminem although it doesn’t turn out so, and all the same is real gold. Great stuff by Eminem here.

Following is the nicely titled Cum On Everybody which begins with some nice beats, Eminem and a lady singing here. It has plenty of sexual talk here, and is a really awesome and hilarious tune here. It is an underrated piece of nicely crafted music that is really out there and inciting various acts of violence. Eminem got away with all this? Very surprisingly so. An excellent tune which is Eminem rapping about the most out there sexual acts and other very illegal matters. Great to hear, a nice tune here for Eminem fans.

Next is Rock Bottom which starts off sounding like a piece by The Beach Boys. It’s actually a piece about being poor and broke, which is not the most comfortable piece of lyricism by Eminem. Still, a very decent tune that is about trying to chase money at the bottom of the money chain. A really good piece of music here, this sounds really sad and messed up in an emotional way. Sad but memorable, Eminem delivers very well here. Good but depressing.

Just Don’t Give A Fuck comes along here next, with some strange vocal sampling and 8 bit styled noises, before Eminem gets going on his agenda. It has plenty of cursing, swearing, drug references and other elements that are lively and different, Eminem was at his best in the early days of his career, and this record proves that. A really great and excellent song with some basic repeated textures here, this is a really cool piece of music here. Great stuff, with Eminem taking aim at many people and those who he has issues with. Very good listening, this sounds wonderful for Rap music, fading out nicely.

Soap – Skit is another weird piece of skit, with the sound of TV show being recorded. It has a sampling of a strange dialogue, which isn’t as good as the other skits here, but still listenable. Good for what it is.

Next along is As The World Turns which begins with some heavy bass sounds, DJ scratching and odd melodies, before launching into a decent tune which is confrontational. Eminem delivers some true and not so true statements here that are really different and dangerous sounding. A piece about life and its obstacles, it is a pretty nasty set of lyrics set to some basic beats and melodies. The track here is pretty interesting, and sounds full on. Brilliant effort though.

Following is I’m Shady which begins with some pounding beats, DJ scratches and a brilliant sounding track here. This is a great piece of music here with Eminem referencing plenty of drugs and some older songs to boot. A really excellent piece of humourous lyricism and awesome beats, this is very good Rap music to be blasted in a car, or in a residential area to disturb others. But, no matter how you hear it, it is a decent and fun listen. Eminem at this point was a wonderful talent, and this album clearly shows that. Great.

Bad Meets Evil begins with some slide guitar, some Country sounds and a mock recording of a sheriff policeman. Before long, our anti-hero Slim Shady enters in and begins Rapping about some rather nasty and horrid subject matter. This is still really awesome music, although this track sounds more like another Eminem rant than being out there funny. With a guest Rapper here (Royce Da 5’9″) and some heavy amounts of drug lyrics, Eminem does superbly well here. It concludes with the TV mock recording again and some wind rushing noises.

Still Don’t Give A Fuck is the last track here. It has Eminem talking in the rain at the start, before launching into a really fantastic piece of music to conclude this album with. A really awesome, pounding and energetic piece of music, this sounds somewhat trippy musically and very angry and direct lyrically. A very decent piece of music that sounds like a great statement lyrically and charged energy wise, Eminem succeeds on many levels. The track ends with more rain sounds, pounding tom-tom drums and a lengthy fade out. Great.

This is a superb album of an intelligent, angry young man’s kind of music. It is also a great Rap album, and one of the greatest Rap albums of all time. Definitely worth hearing, even if you don’t care much about Rap music or Eminem. Eminem succeeds top marks here in many ways, this is a classic album not to forget.

Excellence, with a touch of Tourette’s syndrome.

9/10