Reviews (page 7 of 11)
Eminem will always be an icon..not my fav but he’s a legend
In the 90s, when My Name Is first came out, I remember the buzz around Eminem and it genuinely felt like he was doing something massively groundbreaking. Then again, I was 15 and associated with mainly other 15 year-olds. 15 year-olds are generally impressed with bad language and crass topics appearing in music and that's probably a lot of what drove the interest. Listening back nearly 30 years on and the shock factor is gone. The tunes are still pretty good but lyrically it's not aged too well.
Eminem is one of those artists that’s respected, influential, and had a huge peak in terms of success, but that people don’t really listen to or acknowledge all that much these days. Kendrick sites him as one of his biggest influences and the influence stylistically is clear. Obviously Eminem is one of the best technical rappers of all time, but to me he’s never really saying much. It’s a lot of shock factor without any real content. Some songs are very conceptual and interesting like “guilty conscious”, but many of the others come off as stream of consciousness. The protagonist feels like a potential school shooter who’s in therapy, and the listener is left trying to determine if he is serious and dangerous or just talking shit. I’m giving this a 2.8. It’s not my favorite from Eminem and I feel he’s more important to rap than he is actually fun to listen to
Edgy.
I had forgotten how angry he is in this album.
Fine. Eminem.
eminem, I like it but I don't love it, there are some iconic songs but I wouldn't recreationally listen
Same thing, over and over
Much respect to Eminem and I even think that Marshall Bruce Mathers III is an actual quite alright dude, but this is immature edgelord bollocks. Very skilled bollocks, but still.
Sometimes it's better if you don't automatically understand the lyrics because it's not your native language. Then you can listen to the music and the singing without asking yourself why the lyrics have this content.
Not my jam but interesting album
Cool
I was in college when this came out, and it blew people away. They were shocked and appalled and then he was White on top of that. Eminem changed rap forever with this album. Love him or hate him, he is an innovator and belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of rappers. For me, he’s too much.
Solid rhymes and cadence, content is hard to listen to.
This was quite the listen. This is the second Eminem Album I have gotten, the first one was the Marshall Mathers LP back on day 3 of this challenge. I would stay the same rating, probably a 6-7/10 because Eminem as always is absolutely hilarious.
Cruel irony thst I got this right after Marshall Mathers LP, which is superior. This is still good stuff.
Listened to. First time listening to an Eminem album.
5/10.
I enjoyed it and glad I listened to it. It’s a silly raunchy album
Eminem really is a lyrical genius. But in my older age, his songs are super aggressive. I like it but definitely don’t love it.
some of the lyrics on this shit are crazy man they did NOT hold up.. to be fair this shit like mozart compared to modern day eminem never really been a fan though but the album is undeniably solid 3.3/5
Expected this to rate higher given I know a fair few Eminem songs and used to listen to his greatest hits album back in the day. The couple of songs that made that album were good, the rest were just fine.
Man, what the fuck. Slim's anger can really hit that beaten down, lower class rage mood, with engaging storytelling and masterful picture painting. But then there's the lines about date raping a 15 year old (Stan is an adult), and in another song, raping a middle school swim team (Slim is in middle school in this situation). In the first case, the song is explicitly about how various individuals ignore or outright rejects their moral conscience in favor of Slim's over the top violence, across a few situations. The latter case is claimed by Slim himself, as part of "Just don't give a fuck". The song " '97 Bonnie and Clyde" is infamous for its story of Slim taking his daughter with him to sink his baby mama's body to the bottom of the lake, weaving a tale to hide the reality of it from his daughter. Every song has this level of over the top violence and anger to it, that frequently reeks of middle school edgelord "the world doesn't understand me" verses. At the same time, when Slim describes his life experiences, he frequently succeeds in humanizes himself in his actions somehow, despite their violence. Often I felt that this album was like listening to someone's violent fantasies they came up with to cope with a shitty, uncaring upbringing. Refraining this album this way helped me enjoy even the lyrics a lot more than I anticipated. I'm still really unsure as to how to rank this though. It gets its points for its golden storytelling and unparalleled rapping, but even with the reframed lyrics, I'm skeptical the lyrical content is something to celebrate and acclaim. I've met multiple people who explicitly name Eminem and specifically the Slim Shady character as being relatable to them and their upbringing. They also continued to act like pieces of shit, and I frankly feel like they felt emboldened by that type of work to continue to act that way and blame the world for the problems. I know including a fan base in a review seems rather dubious at best, but I can't shake this feeling that Em is in some ways trying to claim the Shady lifestyle as being a valid way to respond to things. For every line expressing contrition over his addictions, anger, violence, etc., there's ten about doing all of those things, making jokes about it and imagining even more fucked up scenarios. This is more rambley than I would like, but I honestly find transgression work like this hard to evaluate. It gets a three to reflect these mixed feelings overall. If the lyrics were as impeccably constructed and told about non/less transgressive topics, I would more easily give this a four.
Eminem is just angry on this album. He's angry at the world around him, his socioeconomic situation, his family. The imagery he draws in this album is genuinely terrifying at times.
3,5
As background music I think it's fine, but man did this NOT age well once you start paying only a little bit of attention to the lyrics. Musically it's probably a 4/5, the lyrics are more like a 2/5 though.. 3/5
Some good songs on here. Kind of held up but most of it seemed like it’s just shock value and offensive
I really struggled with how to rate this album. There's what I heard about it growing up, there's the lyrics themselves, and then there's the concept of the character Slim Shady. Eminem is clearly a very gifted musician--the beats and flow were great. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
It's a good listen!
I understand what he was going for here but I really didn't like the album as a whole. It's hard for me to get over my dislike of Eminem's voice as well. I understand that this is very much from the 90s, but I don't think it ages well. His storytelling is incredible and the characters he creates are interesting and fleshed out, which gives this extra points for me. However, it feels very much like a first album. Favorites were Rock Bottom, My Fault, and Still Don't Give a Shit.
not a disaster but i just don't like that kinda music.
I hadn't listened to this album in years (except for "My Fault", which I still find somewhat darkly funny). Honestly, if my mom had caught teenage me listening to this, she may have kicked my ass. As an adult, it's pretty crazy to think of the stuff that I occasionally rapped along to. Like Nirvana's "In Bloom", I mostly listened and sang along, but never really considered the deeper meaning. As many of the other reviews have pointed out, it's a deeeeeeply fucked up album. Rape, drugging, sex with minors, violence... All topics on multiple songs on this record. They don't call it "horrorcore" for nothing, I guess. It's an insanely uncomfortable listen now, especially "97 Bonnie and Clyde", which I did understand, but didn't think about how insanely screwed it is: a murder ballad sung like a children's song. Insanity. At the end of the day, it's a fucked up record by a fucked up, what, 18-year-old? You can do with that information what you will. The technical skill is insane on here, and the beats are still pretty solid (though some of the weaker ones haven't aged well), but if the subject matter makes you turn that off, I don't think anyone in their right mind would blame you. Favorite tracks: "My Fault", "Brain Damage", "My Name Is"
I totally understand it/him not being everyone’s thing. I don’t think it’s a spectacular record by any means; the first two tracks are easily the best in my opinion, and the last half of the album drags a bit. I also fully understand why anyone would be turned off by Em’s lyrics/delivery, and truth be told, I don’t think he nails it on every song. But when he’s at the top of his game, I think his depravity is extremely effective, be it humorous or unnerving. And I’ll be damned if “My Name Is” (and it’s beyond tasty Labi Siffre sample) doesn’t hit hard for me every single time. 3.5/5
character/concept albums are always interesting, the opening right away is ear catching and "my name is" became widely known outside of the rap/hip-hop scenes for a reason. its so out there with insane lyrics and a catchy beat. you just have to keep listening to all the songs because you cant predict whats going to be said next. white guy saying the n word L tho. the disclaimer at the beginning and "role model" is a hilarious parallel
3.5
Kind of okay. Great flow, clean prod, not sure about the rest.
- brings me tons of nostalgia - VERY questionable lyrics that obviously do not age well once you're not an edgy 13 year old - production is great of course - 3.5
That was better then expected. It’s still not my music but the flow is good and some lyrics are very good here.
My Name Is // If I Had // Just Don’t Give A Fuck //
Although I think Eminem is one of the greats in his field, I did find this a bit more patchy on re-listening than I thought I would.
Even acknowledging Eminem's master flow and undeniable impact on the rap industry, it's pretty hard to get past the puerile and violent humor. On a personal level, I just can't really listen to and enjoy this.
Definitely an essential listen. I (like many millennials) listened to this album way too much as a kid. However, I don't have a particular nostalgia or soft spot for this record. Eminem is a cultural touchstone, so the inclusion of this album makes sense. Honestly, while the lyrics haven't agred well, they weren't as bad as I remember. Sure, there is some fucked up shit, but that was kind of the point.
This reminds me of my minidisk player
Primer disco de un, entonces 1999, polémico y demonizado Eminem. Seguramente algo tenía que ver la aparente facilidad con la que encadenaba sátiras, mentiras, verdades incómodas y reflexiones hirientes aderezadas con vigor y veneno. Parodia y realidad se confunden en las letras de The Slim Shady LP y alcanzan un punto culminante en el perturbador tema "97 Bonnie and Clyde", en el que se imagina matando a su mujer y deshaciéndose del cadáver con su hija pequeña en brazos. Horror y humor negro en un fraseo perfectamente calculado que lo hace más provocador, si cabe. Caben destacar "My Name Is", "Guilty Conscience", "Role Model" y "Just Don't Give A Fuck".
when you think about this album coming out in 1999 it's no wonder eminem got as popular as he did
Decent album. The lyrics are bullshit but the hooks are great.
lo recordaba mas interesante, no envejeció nada bien este proyecto. Sumamente edgy y nada realmente interesante que aportar. Mr. Controversy here simplemente juega q use cosas horribles puede decir mas rapido en el menor tiempo posible en un album que realmente es meh. Impactful para la epoca pero era un Eminem que empezaba, después si se consolidó mejor como showman. 5/10
Envejeció como la leche. Un buen par siguen siendo bangers tho.
Nice debut—Eminem is a beast, dropping line after line. He's been a beast since day 1—full of anger and cynicism. However, this album tends to be a little long, which is a common trait throughout his discography.
Loved this album as a teenager. 25 years later I see why it was so polarizing. However, I don’t think the sound aged very well, and I find it pretty corny.
Hard to rate anything from Eminem. I don't really like the sound of his voice, but the flow is pretty good. I don't typically listen to much rap, but I generally find the beats catchy. The lyrical content is generally abhorrent, but they're also intentionally subversive and offensive. I can (and very often do) enjoy intentionally offensive stuff in the realm of comedy; I love a good irreverent TV show or stand-up comic. Not much of what Eminem does is played for laughs, yet I also don't take most of it seriously. I dunno. I can't help but enjoy much of his stuff even while thinking "man, that guy's fucked up." There are a million songs I enjoy with lyrics that I can't relate to and don't endorse, and this entire album falls into that bucket. That's art. Overall this doesn't quite get a 4 for me, but still pretty good. 3.5.
Some of his best songs are on this lp, but also some of his worst moments are present. Has not aged like fine wine.
A little too vulgar for my taste but you can recognize the talent.
Stor 3
I really like "Rock Bottom" - this was the first time I've heard it. It's like the only song on the album that follows a standard song format. The rest of the album is a mess of crude and violent imagery, unconventional story-telling, and immature characters. While I respect Eminem's massive talent and how he carried rap into a different corner, I found most of the songs difficult to listen to. So how do I rate this? Based on talent (5 stars) or enjoyability (1.5 stars)?
Super good at what he does, it seems like hyperactive comedy that is being served up with high degree of difficulty rhyming. I'm impressed with the talent evident early on while admitting that some other hiphop (90s-2000s New York stuff mainly) is really the stuff I like.
I know that being shocking, misanthropic and indulging in the unbounded id is sort of the whole point of this album, but listening to it now, as a 48-year-old it's just sort of exhausting. Especially with so much of it directed toward women. Still he is an amazing lyricist and there are a lot of moments where he is self-deprecating and/or winks knowingly at the camera that help mellow an otherwise bitter pill.
Great, evocative storytelling ('Brain Damange' especially) that at times brings to mind rappers like the Streets or even his Dr. Dre protege successor, Kendrick Lamar. But most of this is spoiled by how dated and deeply juvenile a lot of the songs and pointless skits are,*or* the dated 90s stylings ('If I Had' might have been a poignant lament about poverty but for that warbly lady singing in the background.) & I couldn't even get through '97 Bonnie & Clyde.'
If I don't listen to the lyrics too closely, this would be pretty good! Unfortunately, I had to listen to Eminem's thoughts about women and sex a little too much for my taste.
Eminem writes some sharp song and has a distinctive style. His hits are great, but his non-hits are only so-so
Another album by Eminem. Again rap is not something that I would ordinarily listen to but I have to admit the songwriting and lyrics are excellent and at times chilling.
By the time The Marshall Mathers LP was out, Eminem had gained himself a reputation as one of the most controversial, but also one of the biggest growing successes, in modern rap history. And a lot of that album was spent addressing said reputation, mostly with the same aggressiveness and violence-induced rapping he was known for. Truthfully I’ve never been a big fan of his music. It’s the one artist people give so much credit to who I’ve just never been able to get behind and really defend in the same way his most devoted fans do. And I found most of the discourse surrounding his second album felt superficial. People just love to always be mad at something. But after hearing this record, it sort of started to click for me. The material here is vulgar, and borderline irate, to say the least. Nothing I can’t stomach. But I can admit it goes pretty far in some places. The best aspect of this album, as it is with his next album, is the production. Dr. Dre just doesn’t miss on the beats, and they are just as good on here as on any other record produced by him. This album has a very sick and twisted sense of horrific comedy. Like for example, the ad-libs on the songs won’t be like normal ad-libs, but more like weird screams and yelps, along with Em doing lots of dumb voices. There is also a concept with each song. And some of them aren’t done terribly. Like Guilty Conscience, where Em and Dre are like the angel and devil on people’s shoulders. Em is the devil, and Dre tries to be the angel. Or My Fault, which is about a girl taking way too many shrooms and getting really fucked up. I enjoy parts of this, but I think his next album beats this out slightly because the material of the songs is more serious, and doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be really outrageous just because. Rating: 5/10
72/100
Album 374 of 1001 Eminem - The Slim Shady LP Rating : 3.5 / 5 Atrocious language. Some subject matters just as bad. Doesn't declare war against society and encourage others to do the same...which many in the genre do. Has some comic relief elements. Regardless of one's opinion, it is a very well produced album. Nothing greatly positive here, for sure, but can't offer an opinion if you don't listen to it. I do like the album, just don't fully embrace it.... After this ended, my 1001 Album playlist picked up where I had left off with Drive By Truckers album Southern Rock Opera. Great album.
While ambitious, this is also very immature and embarrasingly juvenile. I wish the humor were more incisive and clever.
Hit and miss
B Public Service Announcement 3 My Name Is 4 Guilty Conscience 5 Brain Damage 3 Paul 3 If I Had 3 97' Bonnie & Clyde 3 Bitch 3 Role Model 3 Lounge 3 My Fault 3 Ken Kaniff 4 Cum On Everybody 3 Rock Bottom 5 Just Don't Give A Fuck 5 Soap 3 As The World Turns 3 I'm Shady 3 Bad Meets Evil 3 Still Don't Give A Fuck 3 Eminem is a King. This album has some all-time Eminem songs but too much filler. Ken Kaniff is a top-tier skit.
I have not heard the whole album in a while. I think I still have the CD somewhere. Decent album but not as big of a fan of his early stuff as I was. Still I believe it's worthy of being included on this list.
Eesh
I must have listened through in the 2000s bc I recognize most songs. Not as good as I remember though.
Love Eminem, and I grew up to a lot of his music so I had already listened to this album. I am not really too sure how to rate it, I think for a first album it is super impressive I mean his story is so impressive and he has proven himself. My only issue is I am not a huge fan of the really weird voices and lyrics, sometimes it can be good but most the time it is just a little bit much. I mean I certainly can not relate to the lyrics and some of them are pretty weird although I think that is the point. I think the album really does what it is aiming to do and is great but in relation to some of his later work and what I would rather listen to I think the upper end of 3/5 is good. Stand Out Songs: My Name Is Role Model Rock Bottom
3,2
La version censurée est sans doute plus drôle que l’original grâce aux effets de time warp pis de beatbox, faque je lui donne un point de plus, même si c’est de la musique assez médiocre à la base
Not my favorite of Eminem’s albums. 3 stars just because it’s Eminem.
Может в то время это было "О ДА!!", сейчас это "ну да, ну ничего так".
Yes the lyrics are at times misogynistic and at times quite violent. But, I find that whilst the Marshall Mathers LP was angry, bleak and almost uncomfortable to listen to, The Slim Shady LP has a more cartoonish tongue in cheekness to its lyrics. I also like the production better on this one, I fint that it leans more towards classic 90's rap, which to my ears are a good thing.
Props for distinctive sound and vision. It was groundbreaking at the time and for Eminem.
eminem undeniably creates catchy songs. even 25 years later, these songs are quite enjoyable. the slim shady lp allows eminem's alter ego to make a return appearance, which ties the songs and skits together into a concept album. to say that this album is crass is an understatement. that's how hip hop was, particularly in the eighties and nineties; i'm not singling out eminem. the misogyny isn't exactly fun to listen to. the lyrics and celebrity references are made to shock you, because any attention is good. eminem is using his slim shady persona, so i guess that's how he reasons it? i suppose i'm too uptight. but hey, the sick beats help distract you.
While it's not his first album, "The Slim Shady LP" really stands as Eminem's breakout point. A fitting coincidence, this album opens with the iconic "My Name Is", which not only serves as an introduction to Eminem but also an introduction to his particular brand of hip-hop that he would become so very known for. And while this album is reflective of Eminem's breakout style and was considered iconic at the time, it has been long enough since this album came out that I think when compared to much of his catalog, this album seems weak by comparison and is eclipsed by much of his later work. It's ultimately less polished and less realized. That said, this album definitely started a revolution of sorts. It made rap and hip-hop accessible for white folks, and in turn, caused a lot of pearl clutching from parents of young white kids. I can distinctly remember the very mention of Eminem by any white kid to be synonymous with the assumption that said kid was on an irredeemable delinquent path of drugs, sex, crime, and gang activity. White people literally didn't know what to do with themselves or with Eminem. So again, we have an album included on this project that is significant in terms of music history, but nonetheless an album that likely could have been replaced with another by the same artist that is more MUSICALLY significant ("The Eminem Show" comes to mind).
3 stars for youth sentiment
Rappy McRap face
Hindsight has made this album the slightly more acceptable version of insane clown posse. My absolute favorite part about D12 era eminem is easily the courage the cowardly dog type of sounds in the instrumentals. A whirling theramin, the circus-style bouncy keys. It’s like a dumb carnival/haunted mansion. I don’t have anything to add to the shitty lyrics discourse that hasn’t already been said. I will have to say that once you hear a few songs on here you kinda hear them all. I wonder if people see earlier Eminem like I do too, as a tandem project with Dr. Dre just as important to the whole project. Not taking anything away from mr. Venommmm himself, but Dre was in the right to put himself in the picture as much as he did.
The talent is there. I was the prime audience for this so while I didn’t own this CD nearly all my friends did. It’s just the most hateful shit to listen to though
irritating
It's pretty good but not something I see myself going back to often
Muito doido mas, ao mesmo tempo umas letras Edgelord
Kind of a bananas debut album, and it came out later than I thought. I was under the impression Eminem had been doing This since the early 90s, but this thing came out at the turn of the millennium. Everything that makes Eminem compelling is here, right alongside everything that makes Eminem inaccessible for many. Most of the skits are like, fine, but there could be fewer of them. Him beating critics to the punch about how disgusting his subject matter can be doesn't make any of those objections less "valid," but it does give me a preview into his future petulance about his place in the current rap scene. Let me be clear: I'm not personally incensed by what Eminem raps about or how he raps about it. I can deal with 90s/00s misogyny and violence and homophobia just fine, especially with great beats, fun performances, and cultural context (which are all present here). It's harder for me to tolerate those things when I have someone poking me saying "Hey, are you mad? Are you offended? Aren't you offended? Are you mad? Look how much I don't give a fuck. I don't give a FUCK." If you say so, Em. Highlights: My Name Is, Guilty Conscience, '97 Bonnie & Clyde, My Fault, Bad Meets Evil
Unhinged 3/5
Un album qui ne mâche pas ses paroles, c'est pour le moins dire.
Otro disco de Eminem que desconocía. Bien para levantar una mañana y mantenerla en andas. Hoy sin mucho más para decir
The thing about Eminem is that he wasn't afraid the vocalize some of the worst thoughts that people have. In doing so, he prompted national discussion about important topics. And he did it in a way that made people listen cuz he's a skilled rapper.
In comparison to the Marshall Mathers LP, the Slim Shady LP seems rather infantile and immature. Which is not surprising ...actually quite poetic. About as poetic as these lyrics.
“Don’t do drugs” One of the hardest intros to an album and blends perfectly into the iconic opening track “My name is”. Eminem is undeniably one of the greats and this album shows that. 🥇Role Model 🥈My Name Is 🥉Still don’t give a F**k HM: Rock Bottom
Not an eminem fan
First couple of songs were classics - I do think the rest of the album is weaker than the Marshall Mathers LP but still a good album. Rock Bottom is also an excellent song - side note: really wish Apple Music would stop offering Expanded Editions of music....
Insane album. Love some of it, like the rest of it. Solid.
Too long but some incredible moments. Hope to see the Marshall Mathers LP on here
Some bangers, and some absolutely awful lyrics
I really like Eminem. I also find it difficult to enjoy rap songs one after the other.
Impressive lyrics and rhythm. I have to respect Eminem’s rapping ability, as well as his commitment to this concept album. I enjoy some morbid humor, but this was altogether too dark and deranged for me to enjoy it much. Respect, but won’t be returning for another listen.
Amazing with the words. Early work. I like it but not as developed.
Eminem is truly a unique lyricist. Incredible flow and rhyming capabilities, but he chooses to rap about some weird shit. All time intro song. Other than that, it's not really my cup of tea from a music perspective. It is definitely an interesting way to go about the album with the skits and the storyline that is followed throughout. Wanted to like this one more.
Enjoyed the album a lot. I've heard it before but I really listened to the lyrics and "The PowerPoint of Equality" might be one of my favorites tracks.
I didn't have a positive image of Eminem before listening to the album. It wasn't bad though. Creative lyrics even if they were crass. Still worth a listen.
Not better than the Marshall Mathers LP thing. But not really worse. Once again, he has talent but is clearly unhinged. I kind of hate it, but can appreciate some parts of it. Way to violent.
Pretty classic, well made, well rapped, but corny and dated. The content did not age well. As an LP it's not there for me.
Curates egg...
This album is very divisive for many reasons. Firstly, is this Eminem’s best? No. Is this a great album though? 100%. Does it deserve a spot on this list? 100%. HOWEVER, I understand why many people might not like it. The actual raw lyrics on this album are gross for sure and definitely are dated. However, if you focus on Em’s rhyming schemes, his production, his amazing lyricism, you will like this album much more. He hones this stuff on later albums and removes a lot of the shock core stuff prevalent on his super early albums. Always a fun listen.
Angry is the first word that comes to mind. Yet, there is talent...
Produção mt boa, letras que vão de 8 a 80 muito rápido variando entre histórias envolventes e vergonhosas, mas com refrões geralmente muito fracos. Tem poucas músicas muito boas mas no geral não é um péssimo album, da pra ver o potencial do Eminem já Fav tracks: My Name Is, Guilty Conscience, '97 Bonnie & Clyde Least fav track: Cum On Everybody
i'm 50/50 on this album, it was a game changer, rhymes were pretty good considering the times and mainstream music, i don't think i liked the beats as much. as for the lyrics, 1 it's a product of it's time and 2 we can't act like in those days people had the same sensibility of today when saying certain shit. i don't know, i just feel like even with tyler the creator for example people wouldn't be so judgmental about past stuff (different case i know, but you get the gist). whether or not we like an artist shouldn't get in the way when listening to music, because it makes us not objective of the actual product then you can be subjective and find a middle ground between the two.
This album reminds me of hanging out with Austin Cook in our room at Padre. Specifically the PlayStation 1 menu that it would go to when you put in a CD instead of a game. And our Digimon blankets. Time warp.
It’s not his best. There are good songs. I don’t get the hype.
I didn't expect to see Eminem here, but that was a pleasant surprise. I used to listen to him when I was young but now I just give him a little listen every now and then. I have to admit that I hadn't listened to most of the songs from this album, but enjoyed listening to some of the songs. No wonder Eminem is so popular, some songs are very nice.
Never listened to this when it first came out, and can definitely see why it attracted a lot of attention, both positive and negative. It's genuinely funny in places, clever in others, and deep in parts too. But so much of it is so immature, shock jockey stuff - I guess it worked, it really catapulted him further into mainstream awareness, but it's pretty painful to listen to in places (even if it is being rapped knowingly and ironically). Don't know how much Eminem we're due to get on the list, but this shouldn't be the only one we have, I hope. 3/5.
well, I guess I'm 25 years too late to appreciate this album. M&M Fans - did this age well? I don't know... I guess of the time it was ground breaking, but I'm not hearing anything special.
diosssss!!!!! 6/10
Sigo sin creer que su hija escuche su música.
Good. Somewhat dated
One of Eminem's best albums featuring some undeniable great tracks and top tier beats. However, particularly in the first half, I can't help but cringe at some of the lyrics. Some of the tongue in cheek stuff just doesn't hold up today. There's nothing else quite like this album and that might be a good thing
few really hooking songs and the rest is incredibly boring
Knew a few songs when I was younger but never listened to an album. Quite impressively offensive, don't know how he managed to get away with this stuff when it was released. Takes a lot of imagination to come up with some of this mind. Some of the lyrics are very clever but it really got on my nerves how most lines had to end with a relevant soundbite, almost like some American comedy that cant trust you to get the joke and has to hit you in the face with it. Don't think I would listen to anything that wasn't a single from this again. Completely groundbreaking album but wouldn't come back, 2.5.
I always preferred "The Marshall Mathers LP" so this album doesn't hold the same nostalgia for me. It's a decent rap album but it really doesn't hold up, like a lot of other rap on this list. It sounds very cringy now, "97' Bonnie & Clyde" was especially bad. Come to think of it "Kim" is probably going to be worse if that album comes up. If any musician has ever made a good skit I've yet to hear it, they're all god awful here as well. Highlights: My Names Is Guilty Conscience Rock Bottom
Eh
Not my thing but a great artist.
Lyrically he’s talented, but the subject matter doesn’t appeal anymore, after the shock value wears off. I do like that intro a lot, a reminder that this is made up, art, for entertainment, and for specific audiences, not everyone.
Beats and some of Eminem's rapping are great, all of the other stuff not so much...
I didn't actually listen through the whole thing. I know the album well enough, though it's been many years since I listened. It's a wild ride and I can definitely see why this put Eminem on the map. Now I'm dealing with my 10 year old wanting to listen to this and I'm like "uhhh.... I don't think so..."
Tiene Buenos beats pero no impresiona.
Some nice Hip-Hop songs but some boring tracks
Not my thing. Not keen on Eminem's voice
Not as good as I remembering
produkt seiner zeit
Straight Hip-Hop
Undeniably inventive word artistry. But the topics... utterly immature.
A few amusing lyrics. Most of the album feels like the purpose is to shock and it feels forced and overdone. Some of the sound effects are annoying.
Kinda iconic, felt like causing controversy to prove a point... Vibe with that shit but it does spark conversation about if it's acceptable to enjoy content which exploits disturbing themes.
Gut, kam mir nicht wie eine halbe Stunde vor, aber hab die Texte nicht mitgelesen, was wahrscheinlich besser wäre bei HipHop... oh well, 3.5
Didn't age well.
After unintentionally listening to a semi-censored version of this, I've gotten a hold of the album as envisioned. This is a bit of a rough one, honestly. Eminem is clearly possessed with talent here but, in plenty of instances, he is bogged down by rather strange and off-kilter songs that may never be considered as anything worth merit regardless of how they may stick to one's head. It is appropriate that The Slim Shady LP is a proper debut, for he clearly needed to flesh things out further and work out the kinks of his topics and his approach to them. The potential is there, though, that's for sure. Favorites: My Name Is, Guilty Conscience, Brain Damage, Role Model, Just Don't Give a Fuck, Bad Meets Evil, Still Don't Give a Fuck.
It's okay. One of the skits made me laugh
2-3 bra sanger. Skitsa trekker godt ned. En del medium/minus sanger. Marshal Mathers albumet er vesentlig bedre, men lider litt av det samme.
Edge lord-stemning. De skit'ene skal du få billig av meg. Ålreit ellers
I don't really like the skits.
Låååångt album, blev lite uttråkad mot slutet. Helt ärligt smälter låtarna ihop, man faktiskt inte riktigt komma ihåg hur någon går. Men, "my name is" är en certifierad slim shady classic, och alla skits i albumet är lite roliga. Eminem har sin legendariska rytm och rim förmåga, men tycker att de senare albumen är bättre.
Classic Em. It didn’t grow up very well but it’s easy to understand why it change the hip hop scene. 3 stars
A talent for sure. Definitely shock factor involved and pretty juvenile at times but overall a good listen
I don’t mind this, he does bring something different. Though this is clearly juvenile and he himself probably cringes st the lyrics too. It reminds me of the 50 Cent game that had loads of cameos from other rappers and they were all badasses except for Eminem who was a tweaking corrupt coward cop who looked like an idiot through the plot.
Much better than I had expected if to be, lyrically it has a story and context, it's not something I would rush to listen to again
The beats are inventive and lots of fun. Eminem's delivery is totally distinctive with his unique cadence, internal rhyme schemes, clever word play, and poly-vocal bits. It's a nasty artifact of late 90s shithead suburban white guy culture from the Kidrock and South Park era. He's rapping in character doing misogynist fantasy, but it's not like he has anything interesting to say about that other than repeating and performing it apart from the knowing patheticness of the character. But instead of really developing that he just inserts skits that voice the stupidest possible strawman moral majority critique of his work which he then gets defensive about. But damn he such an annoyigly good rapper and Dr Dre really killed the production on this one.
Call it a guilty habit. Like his sound, but not always the lyrics.
A very important recording in the "horrorcore" rap genre. Very over-the-top lyrics that are very juvenile at times. I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of some of the lyrics. That being said, it's obvious that Em is an extremely skilled rapper.
It's weird that this album comes right after Common's "Be." They explicit lyrics in both are one thing, and both have great lyrical skill. Eminem's lyrical and structural skill is definitely beyond compare. But... horrorcore is just not something I am into. It's hard to be a fan of rapping about killing women, even if it's not "serious." "Don't Give A F**k" is definitely a good one, along with "My Fault" even with the comical feel of it. "My Name Is..." is (of course) THE song from the album, the one everyone knows. And then there's the skits, at least two too many. That does make the re-listenability difficult. As good as some of the songs are, the songs feel ... a bit TOO dark. It's hard to be like "Yeah, 97 Bonnie & Clyde is my jam." That doesn't make you sound like that good of a person, you know? Listening to this right after Common's "Be" gives you a bit of light and shade-y (pun intended), and hearing it makes you really hear the contrast. And I just found Common's album more entertaining and didn't make me feel as... dirty hearing it.
I've never been all that much of a fan of eminim, but he undeniably put out some very good records, this being one of them. Some of the tracks definitely haven't aged great content wise, but they mostly all sound pretty good with the Dr dre + bass brothers production. Skits are a little half baked
Talent, juvenile talent. Even in high school I could tell that Eminem is a toolbag.
I don’t know what to think about this album. Now, I don’t like rap. However, if I had to listen to one, it’d probably be Eminem. I can tell he’s good. His rhymes are amazing. But I’m really not into all the album’s themes. They’re all pretty terrible, and are so full of language that I had to look for the uncensored version, because I could barely understand the times he *wasn’t* swearing with all the censoring that had to be done. That’s not to say I can’t take some swearing, but I’m really not into the amount used in most rap. There were quite a few tracks that I liked though. Typically in my reviews, I’ll choose a top three, a top one if it’s not very good, or a top five if it’s exceptionally good. Not in this case, though. I just don’t think I can quite narrow it down to a top three. I’ve also just got to point out one of the stupidest lyrics in any song I’ve ever heard, just burst out laughing as soon as I heard it (As The World Turns): “Then I remembered this magic trick, duh-dah-duh-dah-duh-duh go-go gadget dick”. Poetry. 6.5/10 Top 5: 1. My Name Is 2. ‘97 Bonnie & Clyde 3. Still Don’t Give A Fuck 4. Role Model 5. Bad Meets Evil
Es ok, aunque no es lo que escucho en este género. eso sí, como pocos, representa una real cámara del tiempo.
OG Eminem is a little too rank for me
This was a great album when it came out. He has undeniable talent, it would have been a 5 star album except for the Bonnie and Clyde track. Now that I listen to it, it has not aged well. The talent is still evident, but the themes are tough. Too much misogyny and homophobia to begin with. I don't mind the darker themes dark humor, but some of the stuff doesn't seem like humor and is just hateful.
I do like Eminem, however I don't think I had listened to an entire album of his all in one go. I found it quite jarring and some of the lyrics were unsettling...
I love the concept that slim shady is like the devil on his shoulder and I want to like it more but some of the songs were just too dark and gruesome. Talented rapper though
Solid hip hop album, skits that I could go either way on. Good first episode. 3.5 Repeats: my name is, cum on everybody, bad meets evil, still don't give a fuck Skips: most of the skits, my fault,
Fascinating album. I couldn’t tell why the “hits” on this album were the hits. Most of the album sounds catchy in a similar fashion, but not a lot of distinction from the other songs. Good all around.
funny
What can I say, it's Eminem I can recognize the cultural relivance of the artist. But I tend to not feel mush from his music. I've been listening to this album on and off today. Lots of nostalgia.... Kinda mid
Me ha gustado más que el Marshall Mathers LP, es un poco más gracioso y entretenido. Los estribillos no dan tanto cringe.
2/3
Have to admire the craft, however this really does not age well.
Misogyny abounds, I'm glad he's grown up
Dark and shady as it said. Later songs sound eminemish, the first couple of ones have totally different sound and direction
Meh
Nice songs, some bangers but also some annoying songs in there
Buen disco pero letras que hoy me parecen inmaduras
Best song - Rock Bottom
Se siente como el jóven eminem, letras polémicas, grandes rimas y comédia en algunas canciones
I don't like this album as much as when i was a kid, to me it sounds like dr dre deliberately made eminem go in a more mainstream poopy direction which kind of bothers me now. But without this album would i even have heard of eminem? The Slim Shady Ep to me if the pinnacle of Enimems output and its pretty much a demo of this album. But it feels honest and raw in a way this just doesn't, its too slick to me. Btw if you want to hear a raw performance of my name is check out paste magazine 'watch a pre slim shady perform my name is' article.
Wowee, this thing aged like milk. The parts of misogyny makes this uncomfortable to listen to when you get to them. Plus there’s a bunch of whack ass bars in this album. It has good moments and wasn’t boring anyway. I had fun with most of it. The highs were fun, the lows were annoying and corny. It’s ok, has some ok tracks.
Actually quite good booming beats and music. Outrageous violent black humour, but humourous nonetheless.
3.4/5 Not my thing but i liked it
October 7, 2023 As I may have noted before, a 3 star can mean very different things to me. Yesterday, Fun Lovin' Criminals' debut didn't move the needle too much in either direction, whereas this debut has soaring highs & outrageous lows. Take "Bonnie & Clyde", whose subject matter is depicted on the album cover. Would I still enjoy it if the humour of the Will Smith interpolation wasn't explained to me years earlier? Or would I be more shocked if I didn't hear arguments from supporters and detractors of Eminem's music my whole life essentially (I was 2 when this LP was released). Of course, the tastelessness did get to me after 60 minutes. "Guilty Conscience" is a perfect example of the artisanship on display, where Dre & Slim Shady duet in a twisted game of angel/devil, yet the vileness of the 2nd verse undermines the humour. Occasionally, in songs like "Rock Bottom" Eminem accidentally comes across as a real person. 3.5 HL: "My Name Is", "Bonnie & Clyde '97", "Cum on Everybody", "Rock Bottom", "Bad Meets Evil"
6/10 Eminem has seen better days.
This is going to be a very quick review today because I’m about to go to bed. I hadn’t heard this album in full before today. I’m hoping it will be good because I believe this was Eminem’s big album that shot him to stardom. Songs I already knew: My Name Is Favourites: My Name Is Honestly, this was quite a disappointment. My Name Is is still a great and catchy song, but there wasn’t really anything else that jumped out at me. I’ve previously listened to The Marshall Mathers LP which I enjoyed quite a lot, but this one just didn’t really do much for me. Ah well. Never mind.
3+
Beats and serious songs were good, but the only joke is that he wants to rape and kill women
Not my favourite of his albums, this is very much the edgy look at me phase. Still he is already so funny!
There’s a lot of hip hop albums I’d rather be hearing but none of them evoke to me the image of an angry pastor’s wife who grounded their kids for owning this album, furiously jotting down every swear and suggestive lyric in a notebook to bring to a church group. This made so many people mad who also tried to blame videogames, dnd, comedians, and rock and roll for their failures as parents; and that’s awesome. This album emboldened a lot of weak minded people to never mature, but it also gave my generation a chance to see the hypocrisy of those before us, because now we know eminem isn’t really a dangerous guy, he’s just a talented lyricist with a violent character he likes to rap as. No more dangerous than Joe pesci irl bc of who he portrayed in good fellas.
This album is not actually that good, an average 2.5 feels fair to me but I’ll bump it up to a 3 because… well, nostalgia
So this brings me back to being 16-17 years old in the late 90s when I acted like I enjoyed this kind of shit way more then I actually did. As mentioned this has aged really poorly and yeah Eminem may be joking around but allot of the impressionable morons who listen to it don't get the joke. Em can rap that's for sure and I guess the terribleness is the point and Dr. Dre's production is good so there's that. I'll be nice and give it a 3
Familiarly grimly ironic lyrics. Brings a smile but such a grim world view
Dre is a master. What a debut. This dude hit em with so much energy right off the bat. Crazy.
4 for impact and nascent talent. Not my style, perhaps, but his talent for rhyming is undeniable. 2 for artistic merit.
Interesting, I liked the story style but not necessarily the stories.
First full Eminem album I've listened to. Brain Damage, If I Had and Role Model are the best songs. Solid rapping and production. I can think of 4-5 rap albums from 1999 better than this though.
Dave Chappelle was right about Enima.
Eminem is really a great rapper but the amount of femicide makes sure I won't listen to this album again.
I hate how much I enjoy listening to Eminem
Mega
Eminem at his least filtered. Not his best album by a long shot but it's still a classic.
Not my favourite Eminem
Eminem, de grappenmaker onder de rappers, soort Amerikaanse Extince. De beats en de baslijntjes zijn echt top op dit album. Maar een uur lang een beetje puberale (g)rapjes er over heen, tja, een half uurtje was dan lang zat geweest. En als ik het dan afzet tegen wat relaxtere muzikalere hiphop, zoals a tribe of de arrested development van de dag hiervoor, die ik allebei een 4 geef, dan kan ik M&M slechts een 3 geven. Geef mij maar de greatest hits of af en toe een nummertje tussendoor.
One of the good eminem albums
Not my favourite Eminem album but some great songs
Normally not a fan hip hop but Eminem seems to be different which is probably why he commands so much respect in the genre. His lyrics tell stories that are often hilarious with tongue-in-cheek mixed with a dark double entendre. The Good My Name Is '97 Bonnie & Clyde My Fault The Bad
Don’t mind it 3
This was the start of something really great for Eminem. But this album is still full of tracks that are raw and the title track is a top all time rap song. But mid way through it can get repetitive and monotonous for a bit.
Some high school classics. Sketches are gimmicky and don’t really age well.
Album #: 197 first impressions: I'm finally listening to the quintessential Bad Kid (TM) album. This album came out when I was in elementary school and I remember my popular friends' older brothers being big fans. To the inverse degree, my parents, the "Dr." Dobson devotees, were horrified by this album. So it was weird to go back and actually listen to it now that I'm the age some of those kids' parents must have been. It's also weird to think about how Hailey was kind of always a baby to me but she's like, married now and was always closer to my age than Eminem was. Also, Eminem's sound hasn't actually evolved as much as I thought it would have, but his influence is all over so much of music that I enjoy. after listening through: In some ways, I'm horrified and I can totally see why people were upset by this album and wouldn't want kids to listen to it. But in others, I can see how this was groundbreaking, and I respect Em's artistry and creativity. I don't think anyone could listen to this and think he wasn't imaginative, bold, and provocative as hell. Is some of the violence and misogyny gratuitous? Of course. Is it so offensive that I can see it hynotizing children into committing crimes? No. post-reading reviews/wiki: yeah reactions are exactly what I expected them to be -- adulatory + disgusted. Seems like a fitting legacy. relisten?: I mean, as someone who is pretty sensitive and not a hip hop head, probably not aside from the classic My Name Is.
Being so familiar with his work since this album, it's easy to say this album is not anywhere near his best work. He's definitely finding his voice/style a little bit on this one. Honestly, it's probably the "least good" album of his. But, in context, this was such a huge deal when it came out. It was so different - not just stylistically, but even content-wise. Other rappers were talking about how bad ass they are, and Eminem came out and really just rapped about how much it sucks growing up urban-poor. He talks about everything he doesn't have, what he can't do, what's hard about life, and how he struggles with it. That kinda flipped the script. Definitely a must listen contextually, but still early Eminem.
Listening to this is wild after living through it so long ago. It's hard to remember just how much by storm Eminem took the world when this came out. I never listened to it then but the singles and his presence were just ubiquitous. Obviously Eminem is a great rapper, one of the best ever, and these rhymes hit hard, but it's hard to get past the nostalgic punch from hearing this and listening to it in that context. It's not bad by any means, it's just not for me.
Maybe hasn't aged as well as some of the 1001, but no denying this guy knows rhythm and rhyme.
3.5
Si que le gusta eminem
AJ: So smart. So violent. One of the best to ever do it. Not my favorite of his, but man he’s so good.
This was fine.
impressive poetry, cool voice, def plusses On the con side though, kind of weird beats, all of the ‘acting’ and ‘exposition’ in the background Is really distracting I dig the ‘art’ aspect of this being the “horror movie flex by the imagined mischief-maker alter ego (Slim Shady) of the stage persona (Eminem) of a person (Marshal Mathers) who trying to work out the giant (mostly ethnic?) chip on his shoulder” His voice is rad though and (speaking as someone who’s tried his hand at writing some poetry) his rhymes are so interesting. Like infectious earworm I also dig that in this Slim Shady period when ‘reality’ poked it head out from the ‘horror’ aesthetic it’s usually in the form of 1-st person commentary on being poor, which is something I think was/is important
"My Name Is" is written in the key of F major." - wikipedia lol what is this the pastoral symphony its hard not to have my memory of this record coloured by how iconic the intro skit leads into 'my name is'. much of the tracks are poor and just serve as vehicles for eminems rapping skill. this is the very high end of 3 but i cant give it a 4. classic though.
Solid. Not what I would listen to on a regular basis, but a reminder that Eminem was one of the more prominent artists in the early 2000s
Not usually my style of music. Thought it was interesting, although crude.
God sent him to piss the world off. Lyrics are messed up but creative. Dre is one of the top producers of all time, but in my opinion this isn’t his finest work. I like some Eminem, but this is probably not an album I will return to
Did not age as well as i thought... still a classic
Eminem is one of the most skilled rappers ever and Dr. Dre's beats are perfect for him. Unfortunately, the edgiest teenager you've ever met wrote all the lyrics on this album.
An album of it's time, but certainly not one I'd listen to now.
It had good beats but was too long and had dodgy lyrics
Real trip down memory lane, but now that my kid is the age I was when it came out it really made me cringe a bit to listen to together. He really does have a way with words and I still respect his flow, but sometimes even biting satire can go a little far.
Not his best work, but better than lots of music in this genre.
Not my style
I prefer the radio edits...
Not sure it’s his best, but it is classic
Kinda fun but also kinda dated. Can definitely see how this took off.
I'm a bit too old now to appreciate much rap/hip hop these days, but man was 8 Mile a great movie back in 2002!
Definitely a dope proof of concept for the slim shady era. Em is a word play god but most of these tracks are forgettable.
Never been the biggest Eminem guy; I liked this more than i thought I would. Would I listen to this again? Probably not. But it was a relatively enjoyable listen. That being said, if you listen to this shit in public you’re still an incel.
Did not age well at all. My name is, guilty conscience and role model are fire. The rest are either just alright (97 bonnie & clyde) or embarrassingly bad (my fault).
Big fan of Eminem, so I'm sorry to give this a 3🌟 ,but this album just ain't really it. It aged very badly, although it helps if you can somehow listen to it with a different mood treating it like it's a cartoon or something. The rhymes and the mind-blowing lyrics are there as always, but the songs are just not that great yet with the exception of a few.
This album is an exercise in being provocative and offensive, just for the sake of doing it. I would like to think that Eminem's talent and this album became huge despite his dark sense of humor, instead of because of it. This album sounds like nothing else that came before it. The tone, the cadence, the flow, the rhymes are original and genius. Just wrapped in a sharp, crass package.
Like with most rap albums, it’s really only a matter if whether I like the songs (or just a song) or not. I like “My Name Is”, but not a lot, so it’s a 3. I can appreciate the production and rapping skill but none of it really appeals to me. I could say similar things about most albums on this list, though.
Not a hip hop fan, but surprisingly I didn't mind this too much. Maybe it's because Eminem is a fellow Detroiter, but this was alright. That '97 Bonnie & Clyde song though, WTF? 3 stars.
meh
Slim Shady knows
Very different from the other Eminem songs I had heard previously. Full of dramatic stories of violence and attitude
I appreciate how different this album was from pretty much every previous rap album. I like the dark humor, too, but the vulgarity gets to be a bit much. For me, about halfway through I found myself getting tired of the incessant swearing (not that I normally consider myself prudish, but still). It's a very good album, though, and certainly worth at least one listen.
I respect the lyrical talent, Eminem has never been short in that area. Horrorcore just isn't my cup of tea. It's like an exaggerated journal of someone with lots of issues. This could apply to most people, but this is a specific type and caricature. The beats are average to above average, and the songs have a good flow. But the lyrics leave more to be desired personally, and maybe this is just the album showing its age. 3/5
When I was a kid I printed out the lyrics to 'Guilty Conscience' and learnt it with a mate of mine, taking a part each. My parents found the lyric sheet and freaked out, which I thought was a bit over the top, but looking back now I'm not fucking surprised! I think the main thing I find re-visiting this album now as an adult is just how immature the whole thing is. And needlessly 'edgy'. That said there are some good tunes in here. The production is really good, and all the samples and sound effects work well. And yes, I did rap along to Guilty Conscience with full gusto when it came on, regardless.
Hilarious, irreverent and uncomfortable
Interesting introduction to Eminem. I had not bothered to listen before but as I bought into the concept of trying music I may not like, I was ok with it. Not my thing but the presentation was good and the story was good
Disc inaugural que presenta tota la imagineria que farien famós al personatge. Atacs aquí i allà, autoindulgència a dolls, ego exacerbat i sessió terapèutica tot en un amb unes rimes d'alt octanatge i un rapejat a nivell dels millors. El següent disc el catapultaria, i de fet seria bastant millor, però aquí trobem el bressol de tot el que hauria de venir
Loved this album growing up. Lyrics in the genre have improved over 20 years, but it's without a doubt that Eminem has strongly influenced the genre. I'm still partial rather to the Marshall Mathers LP.
Eminem is an accomplished artist, and storyteller, and his talent really shows on this album. Too bad his stories are all really messed up.
This went crazy when I was 12. As an adult, Em’s early shock and awe horror style just doesn’t hit the same way as it did in the early 2000s. It’s not shocking and it’s not interesting, it’s just kinda weird. Rhymes filled with murder and sexual assault, farts and piss. Some greats songs and rhymes are held back by how awful the subject matter is. Feels like it’s specifically aimed at 12 year old boys. Only so many times I can hear someone say they’re gonna sleep with a teenager and kill their wife
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: I can’t deny this is good, very solid and consistent flows and undeniably good wordplay and songwriting but not my cup of tea personally to say I enjoy this and would listen on my own accord Favourite song: Track 2 - My Name Is
Cool!
Dada-esk in it's stream of conscious surrealist rap, a teething ring for millennials to be desensitised to the world , good thing too as the years since then the world has seen some shit and no way we could raw dog life like that without some sort of mind deadening. Liked but would have to be a while before I would listen to again. Favourite track - If I had
Appreciate, probably won't listen again. Followed along with lyrics for the full album. Effective presentation of pain and anger.
This one defies a satisfactory global rating for me. This album deserves to be on this list. It sounds incredible. Eminem uses his voice to create a different sound and mood in each song, which, to me, sets him apart from other rap artists. I appreciate much of the raw emotion that came from a not very distant life of hardship. He is creative and skilled. That said, the constant violence feels poisonous to me. I realize that much of it is fantasy, and it's explained that this is meant to shock and provoke as though it were a horror movie rather than reality. I just don't like violent horror movies myself, and that's the same feeling I get when I see one. I also realize that my repulsed reaction (and those of my ilk) is exactly what he was going for. I would say Eminem achieved the goal he set in creating this album, but it just wasn't created for me.
Hoewel ik een uur veel te lang vind om naar die schreeuwlelijk te luisteren, moet ik toegeven dat zijn raps en de beats van Dre wel echt goed in elkaar zitten. Daarom toch 3 sterren.
3 Growing up this has never been my favorite Eminem album but as I’ve aged I’ve come to appreciate a few more tracks on this one. It’s one of those “why don’t I listen to this more?” kind of album for me. “My Name Is” and “Guilty Conscience” are all time Shady classics but there are also songs like “As The World Turns” and “Bad Meets Evil” which are very nostalgic for me. I think this is the first Eminem album with Dr. Dre producing and you can feel his style all over the place here. Classic and aggressive, this is really only a taste of what’s to cum (get it? It’s on theme.)
3.5 I’ve never actually listened to this one, but I was pretty interested to check it out for contextual purposes at the very least after listening to The Marshall Mathers LP. In some ways, it’s a contrast to the follow-up - whereas MMLP feels like a reactionary response to sudden fame and the criticism that comes alongside it, SSLP feels more like a reflection of living in poverty and culture surrounding it. In other ways, it’s a lot of the same - violent, misogynist, and shocking… but hey, he did give us a warning. That being said, I’m able to acknowledge Em is playing a character here. That’s not to say that he’s any kind of moral inspiration outside of the studio, but the album is clearly trying to be provocative to get a reaction out of people… and it succeeded. Anyway, musically, the album is pretty solid. I was surprised by how much I hadn’t heard before (the only song I recognized was My Name Is), but Dre’s production is great on every track - as it always is. Not as many standouts on this one for me as MMLP, but as a whole it’s a clear sign of what was ahead. I’ll end with this Wikipedia quotation: “‘97 Bonnie & Clyde’, which was formerly featured on the Slim Shady EP as ‘Just the Two of Us’, was re-recorded for The Slim Shady LP to feature his daughter Hailie's vocals. Because the song focuses on disposing of his girlfriend's corpse, Eminem was not comfortable with explaining the situation to Kim, and instead told her that he would be taking Hailie to Chuck E. Cheese's.” Favorite songs: My Name Is, Role Model, My Fault
not his best
Lyrics aged like milk
Well it doesn't really work for a 50 year old - but there are some clever rhymes there
The voices in My Name Is are annoying
Hyvä debyytti, jota joskus tuli luukuteltua enemmänkin, mut ei ehkä oo aikaa kestäny, niinku siitä seuraavat klassikot
The thing I was most surprised about here was the humour. Right from the directive “Don’t do drugs”in the opening Public Service Announcement, there’s some funny stuff here. My favourites : “This is Paul Rosenberg, your faithful attorney at law Listen, I listened to the rough copy of your album And uh... you know I've just got to be honest with you Can you tone it down a little bit?”( Paul-Skit); “Look at the store clerk, she’s older than George Burns” (Guilty Conscience). Unfortunately there’s also a lot of misogyny (My Name Is ; 97 Bonnie & Clyde; As The World Turns)and a lot of violence (Role Model ; & particularly 97 Bonnie & Clyde). Musically I find it a bit repetitive. I liked the 3 tracks produced by Dre, especially Role Model. And I loved the sampling of Big Brother & the Holding Company’s version of Summertime at the beginning of Rock Bottom. I guess he had a hard life. I guess it paid off for him later on.
I find there’s something charming about Eminem’s edginess on this album. Other than that it’s, ironcally, mostly inoffensive
Oh Eminem. When “The Marshall Matters LP” came out I was 14 and it blew me away; I spoke very little English at the time but knew enough to be both scandalized and fascinated by this skinny dude rapping about not being like everyone else and killing his wife 😬. I loved the album but didn’t go looking for his previous work, so I’m coming to this only knowing “My Name Is”, which still makes me laugh. This album is so… over the top, so committed to be both funny and horrific, that is impossible for me to take offense at the worst parts (it feels like listening to the music version of Scream, or Rob Zombie’s horror movies). But there is real anger underneath, a very real sense of desperation and a weird vulnerability, and that I think sets it apart from other stuff of the late 90’s. Eminem doesn’t brag about being handsome or rich or a badass, instead he raps about how pathetic his life is, how he was bullied into an almost coma, how much working a low-wage job sucks and how much this is pretty much is only chance at making it. The urgency is compelling, present everywhere but specially in tracks like “Rock Bottom”; it really reminds me of why growing up Eminem felt so relatable despite the. misogyny. This was truly an end-of-century anthem.
I understand this was a big deal at the time, but the way his music has evolved over the past 20+ years, this early work just comes off as fairly juvenile. Guilty Conscience is still pretty great though.
I enjoy Eminem's music but this is definitely not my favorite. Still a pretty ok album but prefer some of his later Work
The genius shines through, absolutely; his facility with words and language and imagery is stunning, enhanced by crisp clear enunciation. The beats and music and backing vocals are interesting and the production couldn't be more solid. But wow. Clever but so so dark. Reminds me of the TV show The Boys. I mean, I get it, but there is such a thing as too much.
Tough one to rate because it was a tough one to listen to. This didn't age well. His lyrical genius is on display, and all his creativity, and unique approach, and the production was great. But the content which seemed jokey and fictitious 20 years ago was really hard to get through.
Early Eminem is a bit much
classic slim
I never really got the M&M thing
Oh so puerile and misanthropic and crude and silly, but it also seems so innocent now. I am partial to Eminem and without the homophobia and misogyny this would be a 4.
Violent and clever
I understand that it was a break out album, but Jesus Christ, it's so misogynistic that it's hard to listen to.
I don't think I had listened to the whole album before. There were catchy lyrics but also OTT horrorcore
Same reaction as the previous Eminem album - dude's got just ridiculous raw talent, and could use that to portray himself as any kind of character he wants, and chooses to be a weapons-grade plum. 🙄 Fave track - "My Name Is", I guess. That was damn near inescapable for a while so kinda became era defining....
Adored this album as a kid but hasn't dated well. Still good but not the masterpiece I remember it as.
A classic and so crude
Guay. Ritmillo con enfado.
A shot across the bow of hip hop, maybe the last truly transgressive mainstream pop act. Unfortunately I find him so annoying and tuneless even despite his obvious talent
Listening to a whole album of death, drugs, hatred and resentment can be exhausting. Some funny lyrics tho 'can't rap anymore, I just murdered the alphabet.
Pretty good album for his first real album
Je préfère celui-ci à Marshall Mathers LP. C’est moins sombre. Quand c’est violent, c’est caricatural, ou alors c’est amené d’un angle différent. Bref, c’est moins lourd à écouté et la prod est cool.
Unique en son genre. Je préfère Eminem pour la vitesse de son flow et la quantité de paroles qu’il peut livrer dans une chanson. Il a aussi un talent de narrateur même si plusieurs chansons ont des textes douteux où le degré n’est pas toujours clair. Je crois que c’est délibéré et ça a contribué à le faire connaître. La collaboration avec Dr. Dre à la production est parfaite. Définitivement à connaître, mais définitivement pas pour tout le monde.
Badly dated humour detracts from solid rapping and production
I don’t like hip hop. The only reason I’m giving a 3 is because some of the lyrics were pretty hilarious.
I like parts of this album, but too much of it is really hard to listen to (then and now).
Not as appealing as his Jerry Mathers album. This has too much of a Kid Rock feel to it.
Familiar, a bit dated.
Lot of repetitive rhymes tbh and poorly aged jokes. Pretty fun time capsule tho and some good songs
starts very strong but gets weak quick 3.5
I bet this has aged terribly.
I guess it’s a little bit better than I expected but still pretty shit fuck Eminem, edgy cunt 5/10 the album starts saying not to try any of the shit he says, then halfway through the album he’s all talking about how you can drown yourself at home, he’s just an asshole who talks about how hard his life is with made up problems
So, all things considered. It helped that Eminem actually can spit lyrics. And that he kept his nasal whine. And that Dre saw beyond the physicalities and focused on the potential. And that 1999 was not 2019, and we had a more nuanced understanding of 'cultural appropriation'. (Don't get me wrong, there was hot shit on stilts then too. And far fewer people were paying attention to the egregrity of this behaviour. Nevertheless...)
I dare you to suggest to Eminem- or more appropriately his evil alter ego, Slim Shady- to start practicing an attitude of gratitude each morning upon rising. You will no doubt end up in the trunk of his car coupled with his dead wife on the way to your final resting place at the bottom of the lake on the outskirts of town (as represented visually on the cover art.) Randomly, - The intermittent ‘skits’ are offensive, seemingly for offensiveness’ sake. It’s the catfish of humor, bottom feeding. - Most of the rest of the material seems to aim the offense at particular persons or events from Eminem’s past, including himself. In truth, this is the most self-loathing I’ve heard in a good long while, and is not inconsistent with many folks who suffer from childhood trauma, as many of his ‘songs’ recount. He was 26 years old when he recorded it. No one at 26 should be hating themselves this much. - However, whatever Eminem is (and is not) doing in these ‘songs’ he’s definitely not glorifying a life gone wrong/bad. His choice of the ‘devil’ character to producer Dr. Dre’s ‘angel’ on ‘Guilty Conscience’ is interesting to ponder in light of his apparent self-hatred. ‘My Name Is’ and ‘Role Model’ also speak to this. And ‘’97 Bonnie & Clyde’ (cover art) is just a truly horrifying tale, hair standing up on the back of your neck stuff. - I was trying to think of the best description of these ‘songs’ and the word that kept popping in my head was ‘sarcasm.’ But sarcasm is the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. Eminem/Slim Shady disregards irony altogether to instead, just matter of fact-ly mock and convey contempt. I’m not sure what literary label should be given to ‘Cum On Everybody’ but sarcasm it ain’t. - I couldn’t help but question throughout 'The Slim Shady LP,' what’s the purpose? Eminem claims that its just horror for entertainment, much like the horror genre in cinema. But classic horror movies are almost always speaking to much larger cultural issues underneath the surface plot, so It’s hard not to imagine that 'The Slim Shady LP' might also be serving in this way. Maybe simply catharsis on a more personal level? One of the many things that helps lift an LP above the average are the emotions it elicits among its listeners. Say what you want about Eminem, but persons sure do react to his work, and not all negatively. And they’re not all disturbed and dangerous. Agreed, 'The Slim Shady LP' is not for everyone, and its not for me. (While I’m a fan, this is still early in his career and is not his best work by a long shot.) Still, though, it is art. And Eminem is a very good artist. Provocative, absolutely. Evocative? Perhaps to some. There is more than enough hatred for everyone here. And I’m willing to bet good money that you will hear something along the way that will finally get to you. In fact, that would make for a great discussion question among reviewers: what lyric on 'The Slim Shady LP' was the one that finally made you wince? Bring a sweater to this listen. Shade will fall.
I really thought I'd enjoy this more than I did, I like a lot of Eminem but this just wasn't doing it. His flow and lyrics are strong, but it was too juvenile for me.
Man, I struggle with this album. On the one hand, Eminem creates imagery with his words that is unreal, you can feel his anger and hatred through his raps, and his beats are solid. On the other hand some of these lyrics are disgusting (don’t get me started on Guilty Conscience). I could see it being a 5 for genius or a 1 for not aging well at all, so I’m in the middle.
A couple of good ones. I prefer his more polished albums that calm down a bit. Most of these lyrics didn't age well.
Ahh, the fine line between fantasy and misogyny... I have to say, though, that I do like this kind of storytelling hip-hop and the songs have a certain way of pulling you in immediately that I often struggle with when listening to others in the genre. Still, the subject matter doesn't hold up very well at all, regardless of which "character" he's supposed to be rapping from the POV of. Too bad. Also, full disclosure: I "wrote" a Super Bowl commercial for Eminem and Brisk Iced Tea. You can find it on YouTube. They scrapped most of the script, but I didn't care. I got to talk to Eminem on the phone the day after I had my wisdom teeth pulled and all he really wanted to know is if we could see his "puppet take a shit?" It was claymation animation. No puppets. And it was one of the best phone calls of my life.