The Marshall Mathers LP

Other than interesting rhythms and instrumentations, a total lack of any redeeming social value

3.5

I just don't like Eminem...

Incredible stuff, and still fresh after all these years

4/5

🫡

Great delivery. The beats and the storytelling really pull this together. Very intense but great album.

fuck sitä ja fuck tätä. Fuck Marshall Mathers, en mä tätä jaksa kuunnella. Hittisinkkubiisit on hyviä ja meneviä mutta ei tätä toista tuntia jaksa kuunnella.

4/5

Great album, great story telling and lots of hits

Quite violent and of its time. So homophobic it becomes gaym

This is very conflicting. It's absolutely terrible and we've had to skip songs for the first time in over 400 albums. But then again, Stan is incredible! If you did a greatest hits of this album and got rid of the blatant homophobia (not just language, but sentiments as well), it would be great. Who cares that you don't care what we think Marshall? It's horrible.

Strong start, middling middle, forgettable end. Why were rap albums during the c.d. period so long....

MMLP is a technical phenomenon undercut by content that is impossible for me to defend. Stan is a masterpiece. It's storytelling and the escalating weight of the story are magnificent, right through to the tragic end. Elsewhere though, Kim and Kill You aren't edgy. They're rehearsed violence against women played dead straight. The "Slim Shady is Satire" defence is weak. Satire only truly works if the audience gets the distance, and plenty have failed to understand the nuance in the character. True satire doesn't punch down against the already oppressed. It punches up against power regardless of consequences. It gets 3*, because musically this is a landmark record in Hip-Hop that most records will fail to surpass. Ethically, it's not something I can give the absolute seal of approval to.

3 - decent

Stan was decent but outside of that everything else was awful edgy trash.

I was in high school when Eminem first blew up, but I could not stand him at the time. Now, a quarter century later, I have developed a lot of respect for the man as an artist. There's a reason why this album was so overplayed back in the early 2000s. Em's lyrical cleverness is at times jaw dropping. And his delivery/performance of said lyrics is at times playful and energetic, and other times harsh and venomous. Brilliant record if you can put aside your feelings about what he's actually rapping about. Highlights: "Stan", "The Way I Am", and "Kill You".

Many tracks are bangers - but the misogyny knocks off at least 1 star. Regardless, I do like MM, though I'm embarrassed to admit it

Broidi osaa tehä musiikkia mutta sanotukset ei oo mun mieleen. Siis musiikillisesti hieno teos, ja valtava osa popkulttuuria. Mutta en aio kuunnella uudestaan. Sanotukset on todella täynnä vihaa.

what a misogynistic and homophobic album

At what point does extreme depictions of violence, homophobia, and misogyny stop being defensible under the lens of satire? I imagine around the time you name the album after your real name instead of your alter-ego character. Did this list really need more than one Eminem album? I got the idea after listening to Slim Shady. Why does this list need two albums with the same basic content?

Favorite Track: The Real Slim Shady

This proves conclusively that a white guy is fully capable of making gangsta rap every bit as crass as his black brethren. While the rapping and beats/tunes are fine in and of themselves, the content fails to rise above the usual fare (tons of misogyny and homophobia, and apparently his favorite catchphrase is “Suck my dick”, which he repeats like he gets a royalty every time he says it). And his contempt for the listener fairly jumps out of the speakers. We are told that we are suckers if we buy his album, and are invited to just shut the fuck up and listen. Thanks, but I think I will have to decline both offers. Glad I heard this, but don’t need to ever hear it again. What unmitigated shit this is.

classic

There is no doubt the music is racist, sexist, misogynistic, and homophobic. Eminem's actions raised questions about how homophobic or racist he really was - less so about how misogynistic and sexist. Do I like this because I'm separating the artist from the art? No. I guess I'm just genuinely aware of how many of these "isms" occur in our entire culture, frequently, but then cease to matter when it's someone we want to defend (I am looking at you supporters of Johnny Depp who failed to see they both sounded toxic as fuck). All the same, I WAS an angry white kid with a shitty environment, living in homes and dealing with "the system." So I am half gay, liberal, and feminist and also hypocritical, because this album is special to me. It was my transition from Prozzak to rage. So join me, Saturday People, in admitting you kind of like it too.* * The writer of this review would like you to know that they do not condone, endorse, support, or take responsibility for any of the words contained in this album.

1001 albums to hear before Marshall matters 185# I can't hear the gimmicky shouty angry rapping of Eminem and be OH YEAHH THIS SOUNDS GOOD. nop, he never was an artist i admired and it continues that way. I kinda have a weird small pleasure seeing him nowadays putting out albums unequivocally bad like Revival, it's my moment of 'i knew it' Well, i don't despise all his tracks. Stan is really good, but it almost owes all it's credit to Dido's sample. His pen work is really good. I can't say the contrary, but the performance... is really not for me. I liked the 9 mile movie though, it's pretty good.

Was ready to give this a 5 but the relisten was hard. What was fresh, incendiary and subversive in the 90s reads try-hard edgelord today. And I listened to it today :(

Story telling is unmatched, some bits have not aged graciously, but im sure he does not give a shit. Dre's production from the good ol days. I'm bias because this was my childhood

This is very intense.

Behind the edgy lyrics are some bangers and funny/sarcastic lines. Some songs are rather forgettable though 7/10

Very weird to revisit 25 years later! The thing about Eminem on this album is how much he’d like to remind you how edgy and dangerous he is at all times, that kinda blunts the effect. Then he writes a banger like Stan and it turns out it’s not him but his rabid fans who are also in love with him. Speaking of which he has all these homophobic lyrics then says on his biggest hit that it’s fine for gays to marry which was an opinion very ahead of its time in 2000. It’s nice that Eminem has gotten his act together and also has standard normie lib politics now, glad he didn’t go the Kid Rock route.

Ma Eminem legenda. Vrh album i brutalni hitovi. Čika čika Slim Shady

Some classics on here but a good 40-50% of this album has aged terribly. Kim alone knocked off a star for me. So tired of hip hop skits having sex skits. Good beats and samples

I enjoyed the first half at least. The second half wore me down and I wanted it to be over quicker.

After the first song I wanted to give him a wedgie and shove him in a locker. By the end I wanted to hit him with my car. The beats are good and the lyrics are… I don’t wanna say “clever” but like… the rhymes and wordplay and all are really good but the subject matter is atrocious. Like, the Drug Ballad had some decent commentary and stuff… so he can write meaningful songs but instead he chooses to posture and preen and act like a shithead 8th grader.

An exceptionally good album that manages to be challenging, entertaining and provocative all at the same time. And I don’t have a nostalgic attachment- I was aware of it and knew the popular songs, but this was my first time listening to the whole thing.

Loved it. Loved the shock value and music is genuinely interesting

2 out of 5. A better effort than his debut but this is still a hard listen.

music is love

Fuck that Kim song thats some fucked up shit

Really struggled with this one. Like most people who grew up in the 00s I have a certain amount of nostalgic affection for the radio singles, but much of the rest of the album is a brutal slog of misogyny and violence and even knowing that those elements are part of the performance doesn't make them any easier to listen to.

Lyrically puerile, but technically awesome.

Okay, this is a tough one. On the one hand, Eminem is clearly at the top of his game on this record - he's a genuine wordsmith at several points, who absolutely deserves the accolades he's been given both inside the rap community and out. Loads of these songs are not first time listens for me, as growing up in the 2000s they were basically everywhere, despite the claims of "too hot for radio" throughout. And hell, 'Stan' has changed the vocabulary of a generation with its realistic depiction of an obsessed fan. So how can i not give it high marks? However, it is EASILY one of the most misogynistic, homophobic, crass, ableist, and omni-misanthropic records i have ever heard, and despite MM's attempts to have his cake and eat it ('oh, I'm not actually condoning this, it's all an act and a story, and you're dumb of you believe it'), it probably contributed much more heavily to the overall cultural negative opinion of minorities and sexualities than any fan would claim. I know that songs like these kept me firmly in the closet as a teenager, so how the hell can i give this any points? So yeah, awesome, awful, brilliant, terrible, three stars I guess.

I couldn't do it. Couldn't drop back into this album again -- I just didn't have it in me. It's brilliant for what it is, but Marshall Mathers' world just wasn't a place I wasn't to visit right now. I've heard it so many times.

yeah alright it was pretty good! nice album bub. This man is a menace! I want pictures of Eminem!

If literature and cinema can have their boogeymen, why can’t music? Eminem is a troll who mastered the art of rhyming. You’re repulsed by what he says but are amazed by how he says it. Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman on wax. 4.5 star album but bumping it up for the pearl clutchers.

Two songs, in, so far pretty funny. After listening, there's about 2 good songs, and I don't really like rap.

Marshall Mathers is one of the best lyricists to put pen to paper. Not many albums can make you laugh, cringe, cheer, cry and think while also being enjoyable to listen to. A true unicorn album that deserves all the praise and controversy it seeks. Top tracks: Stan, The Way I Am, I'm Back, Under the Influence

No me gusta

Alternatively brilliant and purile, but what are you gonna do?

Okay

Ι λοβ ιτ, η αρχη ειναι φουλ τελεια και εχει και φουλ δυνατά κομματια και προφανώς καποια σεξιστικα

you know the genres feature on this site is a neat idea, it'd be cool to look at how you like a bunch of music and how you rate that music reflects your preference in different styles and movements. it could be a better metric than listening time, like the streaming services use, since that's just an engagement measurement and doesn't reflect appreciation or enjoyment. but then the problem of sampling method arises. you may be measuring based on a list written by some british guy who decided eminem and kanye west should represent hip hop.

Kannte von ihm bisher vor allem die Hits und finde alles darüber hinaus auch relativ unspektakulär. Kein schlechtes Album, aber auch nicht herausragend für mich.

Derbe, schlecht gealterte Sprache, einige grandiose Songs.

Jamais écouté avant. Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser de cet album. D'un côté, je dois bien admettre l'efficacité cathartique de ce déferlement de violence, parfois à la limite de l'insoutenable (Kim, au hasard). Que ce soit les textes, à la fois radicalement excessifs et parfaitement ciselés, le flow rageur d'Eminem qui semble cracher sa haine ou ses moqueries au visage de l'Amérique et de son hypocrisie puritaine, que les prods tout en noirceur qui l'accompagnent, tout concourt à un album réellement marquant. Sans parler, bien sûr, des incontestables tubes qu'il contient. De l'autre, balancer les pires horreurs possibles, les saloperies les plus violemment misogynes et homophobes, même "pour de faux", n'est-ce pas une forme de provocation très adolescente, très compatible, au dévut des années 2000 en particulier, avec des ambitions commerciales ? Beaucoup moins subversive, en somme, qu'elle prétend l'être ? D'ailleurs, l'album s'est vendu à des dizaines de millions d'exemplaires et est aujourd'hui considéré comme un classique, preuve qu'il n'est pas si dérangeant qu'il veut bien s'en donner l'air... Trois étoiles donc, pour l'incertitude. Top : Stan Flop : Amityville

Listened to this one a lot with my friends when we were young. We had no business at all listening to these lyrics at that age, but hey, it's Marshall Matters!

Almost gave this 3 stars cause I have some nostalgia for Stan and The Real Slim Shady, but then Kim happened and I was like nah 2 stars. The music itself is decent, but God are these lyrics outdated. Hell some of them were probably outdated when it released. Eminem is a talented musician, but his lyrics are plagued with misogyny and homophobia. ⭐️⭐️

I would say the shock factor of MMLP hits even harder today than it did back in 2000. Homophobia, mysogony, and the many vulgar words Eminem throws around are way less acceptable now. If the shock value is all Eminem brought to the table I think it would be easy to dismiss his work as something crass that has aged poorly and move on. But here's the thing, Eminem shines in spite of the crassness, not because of it. His groundbreaking wordplay, delivery, and manipulation of his lyrics allowed him to break through an enormous racial barrier in hip hop. Many regard him as the greatest rapper of all times and I think giving his debut album anything less that a 5/5 would be a disgrace.

For the first couple of tracks it can definitely feel like “haha screw the man I can say what I want and there’s more important things to focus on than the slurs and violence I rap about” and you can definitely see where the appeal is at least. Near the end of the record, I got real tired of all of the general bigotry and hatred. Slim really wants a reaction out of you, and even though there’s clearly more to the record, it is not easy to stomach everything that’s being said. There’s no denying Eminem’s intelligence and self-awareness in his rapping, and I can clearly see both sides of opinions on art like this, but you have to use your position of power as a successful artist and musician for something better than this.

Inte min musik, låter väldigt likadan hela skivan. Upprepande beats och loopar. Ordbajsande. Kill You och Stan bäst.

Stan was extraordinary at the time. A white rapper telling a story and splicing in a pop song as the chorus. He brought different cadences to rap, and a knack for quirky rhymes. I was struck by how basic some of the arrangements were, deliberately, to keep the attention on the vocals. There's lots of F yous, but little in the way of glorifying guns or mysogyny.

Nope

It’s too funny and clever. Tongue and cheek offensiveness

fun album if you don't take it too seriously

Actual cringefest millennials undefeated

Idk why so many of the songs needed to be about killing women

Would be pretty decent if I didn't speak English, produced very well but lyrics are really bad which unfortunately is a big deal for a rap album

Such a great album with a few of some of his most well known songs. Not my favorite album of his, but still an amazing album. Really was different then a lot of other albums around that time.

Sublime

Hit after hit!

Not a fan of this genre but Eminem is a better rapper than the mumble stuff that passes for hip hop these days.

This is really good. Slim shadt and Stan are iconic. Bit longer than I was expecting, but a really good album.

I really like Eminem’s voice and storytelling. I feel a bit mixed on this as an album. The Slim Shady personna is interesting as an artistic choice but has diminishing returns for me, and there are tracks like Kim that I respect artistically while never wanting to listen to again. Standout Tracks: Stan, The Real Slimy Shady Rating: 3

Would not buy

Lyrics please

the beats are good. the rhymes are clever and juvenile. the lyrical content is rough. welcome to 2000. mtv is playing britney spears, n*sync, eminem, "the thong song", "back that azz up", p.o.d., limp bizkit, papa roach and blink 182. america is truly a melting pot. luckily 9/11 would happen soon enough and sort it all out and we would all be better off in our relatively fast ascension into the christo-fascist, techno-surveillance pearl clutching landscape we've been in ever since (less an eight year reprieve, give or take) where country songs about jesus ruling america and our hearts play as the background to the doings of white losers that internalized the surface level message of these songs as whole their personality. as fortune would have it, we've elected them all. frosted tips and puka shells have been covered by ubiquitous red caps and replaced by a crucifix. was this the last time music was dangerous? certainly this pervasively and explicitly in the cultural zeitgeist.

Introspective lyricism, violent misogynistic Real slim shady Marshall mathers

Outstanding from top to bottom. This is where he really finds the sound that I identify with eminem. He voice has this hoarseness that loses the higher pitch from the slim shady lp. Its such a leap that brings a sense of maturity while being almost as immature as the last album. Hes having fun on this album, but he is angry. Hes angry at everyone and has reasons. Its just great. Whats really interesting is to listen to the lyrics and figure out what he is joking about and what he was actually dealing with at the time, which we get to learn looking back. The eminem show is my favorite of his albums, but this one sets up everything after it.

Classic.

It’s senselessly immature. Like, it’s not good. It’s not clever or smart; it wasn’t a product of talent, just novelty. The violence is whatever but the misogyny really bothers me. I would hate it if I hadn’t been 16 when it came out and also senselessly immature. That being said, I like it more than it deserves.

There are hints of something good here, but the content of the music is unbearably awful. Kim is a truly awful song, the lyrics are misogynistic and homophobic. He really had a grip on so many kids around Michigan and tries his hardest to pass the buck in this album Favorite Songs: Stan, The Real Slim Shady

Had to tap out of this one, to be honest. I gave his last album on the list a full chance but I just couldn’t be bothered this time. I hate Eminem. Well maybe hate is too strong a word but at best he does absolutely nothing for me and at worst actively irritates me.

18-year-old me would have rated this a 5. I don’t have this angst any more

Nope.

Great, but I don't love hip-hop. Some songs are classics, some are funny, some are just disturbing (WTF is Kim?), but all are entertaining. The album as a piece of art is cohesive and very high quality. The songs themselves are catchy, with a decent variety across the album. Eminem talks a lot about 'not caring if people like his shit', like throughout the album, over and over... I like it Eminem, don't worry, since it concerns you so much. Unfortunately, for me, hip-hop just automatically gets rated lower, because I don't enjoy it as a genre as much as others. At least for now.

2000’s provocative shock slop. Seriously. To imagine a world where I was once a little kid bumping nothing but Eminem makes me cringe so hard. What was I cooking? What was I relating to? This just aged so poorly. Lyrics aside, (it’s proactive and stupid, that’s the point) it just really has no place in my mental as a fully grown adult. Even the rage songs are just so dumb I can’t even enjoy them for that purpose. At least in Eminem Show there’s some actual human substance behind it, these early records are just so foul and out there it’s really not enjoyable to listen to. Also when did they start partially censoring even the explicit versions of these songs? What happened to preserving art? Favs: Drug Ballad Criminal

Wow this is so so outdated. Eminem is a weird guy leaning too far into the character and not truly being sincere enough. It’s really edgy and silly but it’s so so vapid it’s like a bad comedian. That being said what else was he supposed to do to get noticed. He opened up a genre to so many and did it by getting noticed. The iconography and legacy of this record it’s and stays with us. Songs like kill you are some of the worst things to ever hit the airwaves. A diss track about your ex wife yikes just a weird guy. All art is shrouded in truth and so in order to get over his own fears he wrote and performed that. The skits are actually outdated nobody knows shaggy and his Eminem beef anymore and making it a whole timepiece. I understand this album changed the landscape of hip hop but without that aspect and where hip hop has gone now I feel as if it just sits on my CD shelf as a memory of a time of lyrical freedom and nostalgia. May I never actively search out Eminem as I have moved past this. I think some of the beats are nuts though and Eminem has never faltered on that front.

Has his best stuff on, but only enough to make a short EP. Sadly there’s another hour to get through after that, and two stars might be generous.

I spent a lot of time debating my review for this, but I ultimately fell on the side of "10-20 years ago, I would've given this a three; today, I just do not have the patience for this kind of rhetoric." 'Kim' was so uncomfortable to listen to, a full hour plus of screaming about how much you don't give a fuck really does not convince me that you actually don't give a fuck, I truly do not understand the appeal of a full album of this. 'Stan' does still hit and some of the beats/production almost gave this 2 stars, but I'm gonna say no.

Wildest lyrics on the block, but captivating

There are some decent beats and melodies. The big hits are genuinely good. Stan is excellent storytelling. The Real Slim Shady is a great hit. Other than that it didn't resonate. The shock value and the provocation has a specific age of peak appeal; I'm no longer in that demographic

Eminem's return is still pretty raunchy like most late 90's and early 2000's media was, but it feels like this project is more self aware of it's shock value and uses it in a smart and calculated way to elevate the songs. There is still a fair amount of homophobic lyrics sprinkled throughout this project that surely look shameful in the current year. This album feels like watching Eminem progress through a day and it's interesting seeing just how good all the skits tie in for the most part. I think this album improves on the beats/production which was a small but delightful thing to hear. I think one of the big problems with this album is the pacing, it's not the best and I think this project drags a good bit, which isn't good to hear since almost every single one of his projects are over 1hr long. The second half of this project just turns into molasses and it makes it really hard for me to keep up the same energy and excitement I had for this project before. I don't get why people are so crazy for this still unless they have strong nostalgia with this album, aged like milk yet people still praise it?

I have a lot of struggles with Eminem. Obviously there's terribly misogynistic and homophobic lyrics all over the place and the disjointedness here is jarring, one song is violent, then fun, then Stan, then I hate my fans. It's so chaotic and not my style. I am glad he seemed to get his life back together though.

Look, I get it. I get that he ~dOEsn't really MEAN~ any of it (raping his mother, killing his ex girlfriend, the absolute MOUNTAIN of homophobia, school-shooter apologia, et cetera et cetera et cetera). I get that he's looking for a reaction. I get that this is ragebait. I get that I ~shouldn't take it so SERIOUSLY~. So I don't, obviously, not really. But the volume and the monotony of the cruelty on display here is just—honestly, it's difficult to get through, at first, and then somewhere along the runtime it just becomes almost laughable. Oh wow, you're so edgy and cool, you're going to complain for an hour about gay people? About women? You want to ~pretend~ (he doesn't mean it, guys, really! all of these words are in no way at all indicative of ANY actual underlying prejudice! he has gay friends, even!) to play along with the played-out age-old myth that they're the source of your white man problems, somehow? You're punching down. You're punching down at a target that's already been beaten to death for thousands of years. It's not new or insightful or interesting. It's just ugly, and boring.

NO PONGO 4 POR LOS HITS.!!!!!!!,,,, el álbum me gustó demasiado, muchísimo más de lo que esperaba y ps ns, estoy encontrando un gusto oculto por el hip hop o ns q género sea JAJAJA

Great album, love Eminem. One of my faves growing up

This takes me back. I was 16 when this came out and super into hip hop. I wonder how I feel about this now. This aged like milk. Super immature. Still catchy but dated.

I am actually kind of appalled at the language in this album. I'm not woke in anyway shape or form lets be real, and yet the obtuse use of the f slur in this album is disgusting?? Like I get it's his whole schtick but it's actually just cheap songwriting, just use normal swear words if you want to be provocative, like I don't get why Eminem feels the need to be so OVERTLY HOMOPHOBIC?? Don't get me wrong 'Stan', 'Under the Influence', 'Slim Shady' are all songs that I've listened to before and will listen to again probably, but when an album has me coming away from it feeling gross?????????? Nah man not for me.

I appreciate it but not my kind of music. It was listenable

It’s intense. Not sure about this one

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up

I actually enjoyed most of this. I say that 'cause this album got plaaaayed out when it came out. Everyone and their mom was bumping this nonstop (for real, my best friend's mom loved this album and played it all the time, plus she did meth, so it was played legit 24/7). Probably won't return to it ever again, but I like it more than I used to. Feel like it's actually a pretty good time capsule for the era.

Быстро устал от речитатива, как и всегда.

I like it. it's so overly abrasive that it makes you think okay what is he actually trying to express, although maybe a little too much at times.

it’s a little cringe in 2026 but i have to hand it to him, it really was a complete left turn entry into this genre when it came out and it was so successful

Eminem is a talented musician but he takes his talent to degrading and profane extremes here and it's concerning how Eminem normalized the level of explicitness now rampant in modern popular music. I'd prefer songs by him like Lose Yourself and Mockingbird compared to reading what's on this album and I'm skipping it.

очень неплохо, просто не мой вкус. мне кажетса что если бы я любила рэп это было бы 5 звезд

에미넴 내스타일 아니다.

It’s a product of its time but still a good album.

Not for me x2 Favorite song: drug ballad

I just feel like the exaggerated violence stuff is a bit played out and I get he was the first guy taking the gangster rap violence to this level but that doesn't mean it's *good*. The whole album reeks of sensationalising, trying to be so shockingly violent that people buy the record to see what the fuss is. Stan is so melodramatic it's comical. Do you reckon Slim still sent the last letter, even though he wrote "come to think of it, it was you". 'I'm Back' is probably the best combination of beats and raps, because most of the other tracks just have these phenomenal beats and really unenjoyable verses. 'Marshall Mathers' really cringes me out. The echo voice is so so lame. Christ imagine him doing the different voices in 'Kim.' He really is the rap equivalent of a TikTok sketch content maker

CLASSIC!

why is it - on this site, in general - that when you're Black and rap about violence, homophobia, misogyny, you're a monster, but when you're white, you're interesting and complicated? is this record really either of those things? i'm unconvinced. the success of this chilly, abrasive, ugly music - ok, fine, perhaps that's interesting. the fact that, despite his shocking, sophomoric lyrics, Eminem has thoughts and feelings, that his provocations come from a place of real desire or pain? eh. less so. isn't that kind of the case with everyone? maybe everyone who likes edgy jokes but has an inner life with a full spectrum of emotions should get to make bloated, nasty art about how tormented and complex they are and no one should ever be able to get mad at them because of it, but i certainly don't want any part of it. ugly (sonically, not morally, it really does just sound bad), completely unappealing stuff that is only interesting if you are for some reason only able to afford internal complexity to one white rapper and are then using that perceived complexity to pretend it's discerning and cool to be into crap you liked as a greasy teenager

I’d forgotten how lyrically clever Eminem is. The album as a whole works really well together however the genre isn’t quite where I’m at. For occasional listening however, when I’m in the mood? Perfect.

Ha! Well controversy… does Eminem have merit? Probably not. Entertainment value? Absolutely. 4 Boolean: True

Mucho “suck my dick” monótono y ni por qué está Dr Dre le ayuda.

So uninteresting to me

Some genuinely excellent songs that push hip hop, but much of it seems like just shock-jock lyrics years later

The thoughts I have about this are not original, which I suppose is unsurprising given the amount of ink that has been spilled about this album over the years. So I'll get right to the point: as a pure technical rapper, Eminem is incredible - as Chuck Klosterman put it, he is literally good at talking, which he does incessantly. His music creates genuine catharsis - it did for me on this most recent listen, when I was having a terrible day in general and just wanted to listen to the most fuck-the-world shit I could find. He is obviously intelligent and self-aware. He knows exactly what he's doing here, which both enhances this project and makes it utterly inexcusable. On the better tracks Eminem shows signs of self-reflection; "Drug Ballad" is a seemingly genuine portrait of a man losing control of himself at the critical point when he's now able to fully fund his addictions (one of the most dangerous times for any addict). "The Way I Am" is even better, acknowledging that the music industry is enabling his worst tendencies and intends to chew him up and spit him out. And of course "The Real Slim Shady" works as both a poisonous pop confection and a deconstruction of everything Em says on "The Way I Am," an admission that, yeah, actually it's a good thing the label demanded another "My Name Is" or else this impish masterpiece would've never been written. And therein lies the rub, because "The Real Slim Shady," along with numerous other tracks here, traffics in the central meme of this album, which is that nothing Eminem says or does is ever his fault - it's *your* fault for reacting to it, and the fact that you react to it gives him power over you. And it should be lost on nobody that this exact pattern is the playbook run by a million edgelord scumbags, up to and including the Slim Shady-in-Chief currently tearing down the country in a fit of addled rage. I respect Em and I am so incredibly tired of living in the world he helped create. I'm sure he would say that's my problem and not his.

Funny, I actually laughed surprisingly.

low 4.0. É um bom álbum que acaba sendo um pouco longo demais, com algumas músicas fillers. Eminem consegue contar uma história interessante e sua performance é sublime, com paródias bem feitas.

I really loved this album when it came out. It's very of its time and doesn't really work in today's world. Still it has some of Eminems best tracks and the highlights are brilliant

This is fucking hilarious and I love it

To spawn a word that’s still in the zeitgeist 26 years later, makes this album influential. I Stan it.

well ok Eminem calm down with the homophobia and misogyny it doesn't make u cool

Some songs I liked more than I expected, but I don't like his whole deal. The voice and the flow and the edgy lyrics. Not for me

I can't get past songs like Kim to make this a classic. As I've aged, this has not unfortunately. Some of it is downright embarrassing. 2/5

This is the album with Kim on it. Insane, emotional

Bangers all around

He is very talented. I enjoyed it more when I was in my late teens/early 20s but I still respect it.

Back when this released, I wasn't "into" rap. I was more on that nu metal scene with some industrial mixed in. This is a really good record, Stan is a great bit of introspection and is contrasted by The Way I Am, which might be my favorite Eminem track. Real Slim Shady might be the most biting critique of the industry in decades as well. Some of the bars absolutely did not age well, and I can see how people think they were juvenile. Which is fair, but this is also a really start look into how the late 90s were. People just talked like that. I am glad we all grew up, including Mr Mathers.

Really complicated thoughts on this album. its obviously super influential and musically/technically great but equally the meaning behind a lot of the songs really grates on me

#110 I have a lot of complex feelings about this album. On one hand, it feels edgy for the sake of being edgy. On the other, the rhythm / pacing / flow is absolutely incredible and the choice of sampling is genius. You can't separate the endless misogyny that is so deeply ingrained into the foundations of this album and yet the artistry behind some of the musical choices is hard to deny. With all that being said, I think Eminem fans are idiots most of the time. Not because of their love for the music but because of the incessant need to defend him. It can be true that he is pro-choice and that his music helped to make overt rape culture and misogyny OK. He tries to dissuade this notion in "Who Knew" and, yes, he's right that these issues were there before. What isn't true is the idea that much of this album, his attitude, and choice of lyrics didn't fuel the homophobic, misogynistic hate trains of the 2000s. It's a hard album to rate. My biggest struggle is with "Kim". It's visceral and haunting, which could have been incredible if not for the fact he quite literally name drops his actual partner and made her a hate figure for years. I don't care if they were as bad as each other, and I don't particularly care to find out more about their history. What I do think, is that when you have a platform like he did then you have a responsibility. This was misused so outrageously. Anyways, there isn't really a conclusion to my thoughts here. Just a rant about the complexities of taste and that it isn't really possible to separate art from the artist or vice versa. I think it's important it's on the list as it was an era defining album, and influenced a huge amount of (racist, homophobic, misogynistic) culture. Positive or negative, it's an album that I think is important to listen to and explore. Final thought: the album has a lot of small dick energy. You're mad because Christina Aguilera doesn't want to date you? Grow up!!! ꩜ average track rating: 2.9/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): stan, the real slim shady, bitch please II ꩜ least favourite track(s): kim, drug ballad ꩜ album rating: ★★⯪☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 979 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 52 (+1 Marshall Mathers LP) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 23 (+1 Marshall Mathers LP) ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 87

Símbolo de uma era. Ou se odeia pq é politicamente incorreto ou se ama por causa disso. E a música, pouco importa. De minha parte, acho quase tudo muito imaturo, com alguns bons momentos e sacadas, como a "conversa" com a música da Dido.

I wore out this cd when I was a young fella. It's a tough hang at times. Parts of it haven't aged well. But I'll be damned if some other parts aren't a ton of fun. That said, I it's a bit bloated. A few of these tracks didn't need to be on here. So I'm gonna be probably the only person who gives this a plain old, middle of the road 3.

ez

Wigger

Good one to listen to in the background because it forces you to pay attention to it. It was interesting enough that I'm glad I listened to it, but now that I've heard it I can't see myself being motivated to return to it. A few songs are pretty crazy. 6/10.

i like when they have a little intro track ken kaniff what am i listening to this feels wrong steve something there’s a lot of talking in this album was expecting more rap feels like snippets of some tv show kill you ok this is more vibe basic but satisfying instrumental parts i like i like the chainsaw noise lol the real slim shady i should probably listen to the lyrics more carefully but this is vibes who is slim shady i like the descending “eeeeee-eeeeee-eeee-eee” etc in the background towards the end who knew you make hype music do you bro this guy swears a lot like idm swearing particularly but it feels dominating/unnecessary? idk i sound like my mum. she has a point sometimes tho. bro why u trying to sneak a plastic gun through customs is it real or is this like joel and the watergun oo we’re beating our wife not sure i’m a fan of this guy even if it’s a joke idk the vibes of these songs are fine but i’m not sure i’m very much of a fan of some of his lyrics. someone tell me if this is meant to be clever/ironic or smth. but seems unpleasant in places. ty spotify ads for alerting me of the existence of silva bumpa, what would i do without you. drug ballad “you have the right to remain violent” i like this as like a vaguely clever line amityfair similar to others he wants to kill someone’s family this guy seems to be quite angry/upset :(

idk if I can contribute to the discussion that's already been had about this album. all I can say is that, despite the frankly abhorrent bars, these are some bars

Oh boy this'll be interesting. 72 straight minutes whatever the fuck it is goes on in Eminem's brain. I would also like to add that I accidentally put last album's review in the middle of the listening notes. Whoops Listening notes: Wow eminem's been doing this "cancel me I dare you" bs for a long time Jesus fucking christ straight in with the horrorcore Norman bates reference is mildly funny The whiplash from "shady will fucking kill you" to the genuine masterpiece that is Stan is so strong. Maybe Eminem is the first person in history to *not* write better when on psychedelics It's actually fucking crazy I get chills in the third verse of Stan and then right after it we get "fuck shit ass bitch cunt shoobity doo-wop" His first word was in third grade?? Bozo This song makes me feel like cruising around the 313 in my fred flintstone car drinking miluakee's best (please god tell me someone gets this reference) Interesting to see the continuation of the 'bum on your lips' motif we find across eminem's discography. It's so satisfying when he crosses the bar line Fucking hell Columbine reference Lots of homophobia in this one Wow a whole minute long skit where he gets his cock sucked I think he might be from amityville Xzibit has some fucking hard lines how come I haven't heard of him Oop here it is eminem's 6 minute long fantasy about killing his wife. It's genuinely an interesting piece though. More subtle than it sounds I guess And here we go right from that into "I was high when I wrote this" More homophobia in this one This is probably the hardest time I'm going to have rating one of these albums. Not because of the quality of the musicianship - eminem's rhyming and dre's production remain top tier throughout - but because of the actual lyrical content. Some of what he says is genuinely repulsive, and I'm aware this is very much the idea but it gets to a point where you think "what am I condoning by listening to this?" You can do horrorcore without all this relentless misogyny and homophobia, and by god is there a lot of it. It also makes you wonder what the point of it really is, what is he proving by being this provocative? That he can say what he wants? You can surely do that with only *one* joke about raping your own mother, so why are there more? All this aside (and it's a lot to put aside mind you) it's clear that when he puts down the vicodin and takes his right hand from under the table eminem can be a masterful lyricist. This is most clear on 'Stan' and 'Kim', the latter being a harrowing track not just because of its violence but also how vividly he portrays the fractured mental state of the character he's playing. All in all, the album is incredibly well-made and well-rapped, but with the lyrics frequently jerking you out of it with whatever atrocity was lurking in shady's mind when he wrote the track. I find myself able to deal with this in most but certainly not all cases, which knocks down this album that could otherwise be a solid 5 to a 4

Kill You Stan The Way I Am The Real Slim Shady Kim

hip hop not my taste sorry

Ебунячая легенда

m&m

Of its time, interesting to listen but a bit too much of the same.

how did i listen to this at 12....

I avoided this when it was new. It wasn’t a genre I enjoyed, and young me didn’t get along with the people I knew who listened to it. But I gave it an honest chance for this project. There is definitely some creativity here that is worth praising. But it was hard to listen to. I get that it is intentionally offensive — he seems to be making a point with that. But sometimes it like he leans into that just so he can say hateful and gross things. Maybe I’m wrong and there’s more to it than that, but at the end of the day I just didn’t like listening to it.

Not only did this album invent the word “stan”, but it also made people misspell Christopher Reeves’ name. To showcase the absurdness of this album, here are different lines from just one song, “I’m Back” “I don't give a f*ck if this chick was my own mother, I'd still f*ck her with no rubber and c*m inside her and have a son and a new brother at the same time and just say that it ain't mine” “I take seven {kids} from {Columbine}, stand 'em all in line. Add an AK-47, a revolver, a .9, a MAC-11 and it oughta solve the problem of mine, and that's a whole school of bullies sh*t up all at one time” “I used to be my mommy's little angel at twelve. Thirteen, I was puttin' shells in a gauge on a shelf. I used to get punked and bullied on my block 'til I c*t a kitten's head off and stuck it in this kid's mailbox” Man this album is a parade of horribles put together into a surprisingly great piece of music.

6 / 10

So many bangers but my god this shit is vulgar and dark

Bien.

Like your experience of listening to Doggystyle last week, I was embarrassed to have The Marshall Mathers LP on when Aislinn walked into the room. The ubiquity of its singles in 2000 should have dulled that embarrassment. It's not as though she hasn't heard these words before. I'd only known the censored radio edits as a teenager, but the missing blanks never concealed much; the internal rhymes usually made the omitted slurs obvious enough. She also knows about this project, so if she catches me listening to something objectionable she'll ask whether it's our album of the day. There is, in other words, an acceptable reason to find me deluged by a torrent of "sluts" and "faggots". Even so, I wanted the headphones back on. Like pornography, certain forms of art change when another person enters the room. The embarrassment is no longer private. The problem is that, unlike pornography, there was no escaping Eminem in 2000. His work was everywhere: buses, shopping centres, bedrooms, MTV. That ubiquity raises a question that has never really gone away. Challenging art often depends upon context. A line such as "You cheap, lousy faggot" in Fairytale of New York has an artistic function inside the song that disappears once it becomes something drunken strangers bellow every December. The song really is more of the order of a Eugene O'Neill play than a pop hit - the industry forces a category error. Elvis Costello recognised a similar problem with Oliver's Army, suggesting radio stations simply stop playing it rather than rewrite a lyric whose meaning depended on dramatic and historic context. Interestingly, the source of the problem is the appearance of the one offensive word that Eminem studiously avoids using. Art earns a certain licence because it asks us to enter a protected imaginative space. Pop music, however, is designed to escape that space. It leaks into supermarkets, taxis and children's bedrooms whether we invite it or not. The question, then, is whether The Marshall Mathers LP deserves that artistic licence. Its defenders generally argue two things. First, that the album is a satirical defence of free speech, saying outrageous things precisely to test tue boundaries and expose society's hypocrisies. Second, that the record stages a dialogue between Marshall Mathers, Eminem and Slim Shady, in the wake of his initial success, allowing one persona to critique another. If either argument holds, then the ugliness of the language becomes part of a larger artistic design rather than an end in itself. Neither argument holds. Genuinely transgressive artists usually risk something. Momus, for instance, was sued over songs by Wendy Carlos and the Michelin corporation. The physical albums containing the songs were destroyed and he lost substantial sums in the process. His targets were specific, identifiable and powerful enough to answer back. Eminem's provocations rarely work like that. The album attacks journalists, celebrities and campaigners often enough, but its deepest reserves of venom are directed towards women and gay men: groups broad enough to symbolise anything he wishes and too diffuse to answer collectively. If satire punches anywhere, it usually punches down. Chris Morris understood this better. His parody of Eminem, JLB8, is funnier than anything on The Marshall Mathers LP precisely because the self-appointed provocateur had himself become a worthy target. Satire gains force when directed at power, hypocrisy or certainty. It loses force when outrage becomes the point. The only person to sue Eminem was his own mother, a reminder that the work is soap opera rather than critique. The album's central contradiction arrives with Stan. It remains its masterpiece because it imagines, however briefly, the consequences of treating violent fantasy as emotional truth. Eminem responds to an obsessive fan not with mockery but with patience, urging him to seek help, cherish his pregnant girlfriend and recognise the difference between entertainment and life. His reply arrives too late. Stan has already driven off the bridge. If the whole record possessed the moral seriousness of that final verse, The Marshall Mathers LP might be a far richer work. Instead, the following song immediately retreats into incredulity. Who Knew acts as though the very suggestion that songs might influence people were absurd. No reasonable listener believes artists are directly responsible for crimes committed by their fans. That isn't the issue. The issue is that Stan itself demonstrates Eminem understands communication carries consequences. He writes an entire song about precisely that. Having recognised the problem, he immediately pretends not to. No serious person could write the concluding verse of Stan sincerely and then release the album as it is. That pattern runs throughout the record. Whenever responsibility approaches, somebody else is blamed. The record company wants him to be outrageous. Hip hop, his chosen genre, rewards violence. His childhood damaged him. Slim Shady said it. Eminem said it. Marshall Mathers merely watched. The album's defining characteristic isn't rage but evasion. It continually insists that nothing is really under its author's control. Sartre called this bad faith: the comforting fiction that we are merely the products of circumstance rather than agents capable of choosing differently. The Marshall Mathers LP is saturated with it. Eminem presents himself as both the most powerful voice in popular music and the least responsible person in the room. But he had a choice. That's what ultimately distinguishes him from performers like Jerry Sadowitz. Sadowitz understand that transgression works because it is contained. Audiences knowingly entered a room where normal rules are suspended before returning to ordinary life. Eminem wanted no such containment. His record company wanted these songs on heavy rotation. He wanted them there too. The point wasn't simply to offend but to offend millions and profit from the offense. It was not enough that he denied his own capacity to choose, he denied the public choice as well. No one could avoid his vomit and vitriol. We were all subject to the desires of a juvenile demographic and the companies that would exploit their worst impulses. That commercial ambition is crucial because the album repeatedly mistakes mass exposure for artistic courage. There is nothing inherently brave about saying offensive things when every mechanism of popular culture is amplifying them. He attacks journalists and celebrities and other rappers, never anyone with the power to shut him down, never anyone who is actually affected by his bile. Indeed, the existence of both explicit and clean editions demonstrates how comfortably outrage could coexist with market expansion. Where Momus had records destroyed, Eminem diversifies his portfolio - a version with inexorable Kim and one without. Where Momus loses out, Eminem and his company maximise profits. None of this would matter so much if the music justified it. Dr. Dre's production is fine, giving Eminem ample room for to display his technical ability. His internal rhymes still tumble over themselves with a certain precision, and his command of rhythm is impressive. Yet technical brilliance continually serves dramatically thin material. The album mistakes escalation for development. Louder, nastier and more offensive becomes a substitute for saying anything new. Even Stan, for all its power, reveals Eminem's limitations as a dramatist. He awkwardly overexplains, drawing attention to the contrivance of the dramatic device when Stan questions how he will send the tape to Slim. Eminem's final sign-off, recognising that "it was... it was... you," is pure melodrama, reminding us again that the whole Eminem performance is soap opera. The worst offence, however, is in the strawman of Stan himself, at every opportunity, Eminem paints his number one fan as a fucking idiot - no idea how he'll send a tape from a submerged car; carefully printing the address in block capitals because writing by hand is hard. The barely contained contempt for his audience makes a mockery of the whole enterprise. Actually, no, the greatest offence of Stan is the utter dreariness. One might try to pin this on Dido, whose Thank You provides the musical basis of the track, but her song has an actual chorus, there is harmonic movement and uplift, it goes somewhere. Stan is all mire with no release. By the end of the record, what lingers isn't outrage but exhaustion. Every attack is somebody else's fault. Every excess belongs to another persona. Every criticism proves his enemies don't understand satire. Everybody else is shit. The album demands complete artistic freedom while declining the corresponding burden of artistic responsibility. The Marshall Mathers LP is not a great work of transgressive art. It is a piece of commercial entertainment that appropriates the language of transgression while remaining remarkably safe within the structures that profit from it. Momus lost records. Costello withdrew his from radio. Genuine loss and genuine agency. Eminem sold millions of copies in two editions and became the biggest star on the planet. The album's legacy isn't simply that it made offensive language mainstream. It helped normalise the idea that outrage is, in itself, a form of courage, and that refusing responsibility is a defence of free speech. Twenty-five years later, that seems far more significant than any individual slur and the impact is felt. The worst people online are called Stans and the right to be offensive is everywhere online and elsewhere. The cock-headed belief that lashing out is a defense of 'free speech' is the norm. I wouldn't say that this was Eminem's fault - he'd have a tantrum if I did - but he and his fellow angry boys contaminated the discourse for shits and giggles - and money, lots of money. They polluted the air and the media with self-indulgent shit-taking and now everything is clogged up with shit. "I never knew... I never knew..." he yaps. Well, now you know. NB: I was walking the dog last night and there was a bunch of teens on the promenade, hurling stones, harassing old people, just destroying everything around them. One of them was wearing a Slim Shady t-shirt. So I'm knocking off another half star. -0.5 This album qualified as a cultural event no doubt - I remember the buzz about it among many of our peers in school. I expect there were young men who listened to almost nothing else that year. If that’s a sad thought it’s also perfectly understandable - here’s an album not only remote from the burden of substantive musical material (as most rap albums are) but which is also remote from the lyrical world of gangster rap. Eminem is excluded from offering any spin on the story of the black experience in America or the gang experience so all that’s left to him is the nihilism, the vulgarity and the self-aggrandisement. The Marshall Mathers LP proved ideal for young men with no real interest in music (two bars, round and round and round) and equally with no real interest in rap. Eminem’s facility for cartoonish provocation was gold in an era in which South Park was the coolest show on TV. South Park was very funny - exactly because it understood where public discourse (and popular art) had drawn the lines and when to cross them. Eminem had no such awareness, no such wit - just a limitless energy for the proliferation of images with which he could degrade himself and his audience. It was hard for young men to tell the difference in 2000, it is frightening to contemplate their struggle in 2026. That Will Smith line is funny though. 0.5/5

outside his hits, all sounds the same

The Marshall Mathers LP is proof that even iconic albums can age like milk.

Overall Rating - 2.03/5 (4.07/10). Where it wasn't deliberately meant to shock, it wasn't bad. Marshall is skilled, but most of this album seemed like an excuse to swear and use every foul and disgusting slur in the book and get paid for it.

I don't understand how this album made it onto the 1001 list.

I find the shtick difficult, but I suppose that's part of the point. The skits I could completely live without. But he is absolutely as good as there has ever been, and the production keeps up.

I can enjoy Eminem in small doses, but 72 minutes is a full-blown overdose. The best thing I can say about this album is that it contains fewer racial slurs than most rap records.

An album made by a white dude who appears to hate everything and everyone. His hate really comes through like a steam train. However amongst all the anger and homophobia there is without doubt a talented man. He makes every featured artist sound shit and stands out above the crowd. ‘Stan’ is without doubt an absolute genius track. ‘The kids’, ‘criminal’ , ‘the way I am’ ‘drug ballad’ and ‘Marshall Mather’s’ all sound great too. However this childish angry man keeps rearing its head amongst the great tracks which is a massive shame. Undoubtedly talented and for an album that isn’t my usual liking and something I actively avoided as a teenager I actually enjoyed on the whole. Best track- ‘Stan’ which in itself is a 10/10. Worst track- ‘ fuck you’ Childish, immature and unnecessary. 7/10

Eminem - Marshall Mathers It was ok. I don't know if it's all tongue in cheek or ironic or parody or whatever. I'm not clever enough to work any of that shit out. Too obvious to say best track was Stan so I'll say I enjoyed Drug Ballad as well. Worst track - Kim was hard to listen to. Maybe it was also the best track 🤷 But I'd never want to hear it again. 5/10

There's a decent review in here that breaks down the likely intent of juxtaposing empathetic songs like Stan and crude shit like Marshall Mathers or Kim but I'll be honest, in the moment listening to this I felt half embarrassed people would hear it, and the homophobia and misogyny is pretty repulsive. That said, the songs are good, Stan and Slim Shady are of course great. Can't deny it's a good album.

This could be a 2 or a 4 for me. It’s gross. It’s shocking. It’s spiteful, violent, self indulgent, sexist, brutal, and raunchy. It’s horrifying, but it’s exactly what he set out to create. He set the standard for this style of Hip-Hop and showed off his incredible talent. His rapping and flow are on full display. His ability to elongate and shorten syllables, to stretch and emphasize sounds, and to paint a picture (no matter how grizzly) are truly one of a kind. It’s not something I would fill my mind with often, but I think in terms of picking a target and nailing it, he did it.

I know that this is supposed to be shocking and he doesn't (I'm hoping) feel this way about women, gay people, and Christopher Reeves. That being said, it still is hard to listen to many of these songs. His flow is creative, his wordplay is unmatched, but I would never come back to 80% of these songs. The beats are fine, but could be more interesting in my opinion. 5/10

Stan is a classic, such a good song, sheesh. Also, this being from the 2000s, this was during a time when people were extremely conservative and didn't want to have their children listening to "trash or obscenities," but the world is full of it; no matter what you do to protect your children, they will be exposed to it. The more things change, the more they stay the same, 26 years later. He's angry that they blame everything and everyone except for the parents themselves. Parents can't always protect their children from everything, but they want to blame the people who don't fit the mold. He is angry that people both love and hate him, and that he can't just be himself without judgment. This is actually a very cool album that displays both the power he possesses and the ridicule that comes with it. I think this is a timeless album and reminds me why Eminem's legacy is so powerful. But mannnnnn this is definitely a very offensive album lmfaooo I don't love how offensive/violent it is, but also, that's the point of the album. This is supposed to be an album that is pure rage coming straight from him without it being catered to anyone but himself.

lowkey did not listen will get back to this

Rap with humour

Always felt the same about Eminem. It's his voice and delivery I don't like. Apart from that, there is some great stuff here. So I'm caught in the middle. 2,5 upto 3.

Eminem geht eig immer, nicht das beste Album

Nicht meine Musik aber der Song kim war cool

Find ich ganz gut. Wollte eigentlich 5 Sterne geben, aber mir persönlich war es teilweise zu viel. Z.B rappt Eminem, wäre er kein Rapper geworden, wäre er Rapist geworden. Find ich nicht toll. Sowas kommt halt öfter vor, auch das er seine eigenen Fans "Retards" nennt muss nicht sein. Keine Ahnung vielleicht bin ich auch empfindlich oder checke es nicht. Aber jetzt kann ich höchstens 4, für wie gut das Album sonst ist geben, oder sogar nur 3, teilweise besonders in der Mitte des Albums war es teilweise recht langweilig.

A definitive 2000's turn-of-the-century MUST LISTEN record. Even if you are not a fan of rap music this will definitely make you think. Eminem was a larger-than-life artist that was not afraid to dive into his hardships and commiserate with them through vulgarities and expletive expressions. He had a knack for creating catchy songs out of rapid-fire internal rhyme schemes that you would find in a rap nerd's almanac. He packaged the classic hip-hop essence for a middle White America audience and ushered in the breaking of the class barrier that existed within rap music of the era. Nothing more to say than WHAT A RECORD. I had not heard this in its entirety but jeez what a banger. 10/10!

Boy, this goes on for a long time, and I'm not really much of a rap fan, but the man can certainly be funny.

Kill you was really not good. Not really enjoying this album. I think its a 1 star album for me. Its 1 star for me.

Throughout my listening to this album, I listened to my coworker talk about a young girl in her family dealing with a toxic mutually self-harming relationship, then we discussed the political state of the country. So, I always knew the violent lyricism was gonna be one of the biggest hurdles with Eminem, but I thought I knew the extent of what violence entailed. I thought I had listened to the Marshall Mathers LP before back when I was a more active Eminem fan. Turns out, I had not heard this album before, and just one song in, this album was already way more explicitly malicious and violent than I had previously heard from Eminem. Obviously, the lyrical content here sees Eminem deliberately trying to lean into shocking, problematic lyricism as a game of chicken with mainstream attention, seeing just how much vulgarity they'll let him get away with. He also makes many good points about the general hypocrisy of the country, focusing on Eminem's music as a uniquely violent influence amidst countless other pieces of violent imagery in the media. However, that solid point does not absolve Eminem of the responsiblity for how much his music might influence listeners. This is a dynamic he's clearly aware of, as he refers to it countless times throughout this album, especially on Stan. Most of the songs are musically good, as he has an incredible knack for intricate flow and witty storytelling, playing hand-in-hand with minimally simple production full of enough little tricks to keep the beats interesting (such as the slowly building storm in Stan). And Eminem is obviously a far more self-aware artist than many of his biggest detractors give him credit for, as he constantly interrogates his own relationship with society. However, that self-awareness can be its own damnation, as continuing to write lyrics as problematic as his often are while clearly understanding what those words can do, is irresponsible. And honestly, my problem isn't even with the explicit over-the-top violence, so much as it is the casual and pervasive attitude of misogyny of homophobia. These threads aren't solely expressed in obviously provocative moments, they seep into even the genuine and honest moments, which is where they become a problem. Even calling this album the Marshall Mathers LP implies a level of emotional honesty which makes the casually hateful lyrics less satirical. The lyrics aren't bad because I think Eminem is gonna kill someone, or because a kid will be corrupted by his excessive cartoonish violence; they're bad because they casually reinforce and provide justifications for hate crimes and domestic violence to people who are already in that pipeline. And sure, that very argument means that Eminem's music probably won't be the final straw for most people who act in violent ways, but why would you even get that close to making something which could inspire violence? There is a general lack of balance between "don't take this seriously" lyricism and emotional honesty about his life and upbringing. For example, the song Kim is an ugly fucking song, but I think there could be an album which makes an artistic statement that earns a song as intense as Kim, where the discomfort and horror is deliberate and done in service of something grander. But the Marshall Mathers LP is not that album, as it waffles back and forth between those two tones in a way that undermines each approach. There are still plenty of hits here, because he's Eminem, but as a whole package, this is a difficult listen, especially if you're someone who believes in the power of language and that words have power even if you don't intend them to. Highlights: Kill You, Stan, Paul (Skit), Who Knew, Steve Berman, The Real Slim Shady, Drug Ballad

I have to have a certain level of respect for this but holy fucking trash

This is new to me, i only know eminem for two songs and honestly it's kinda not my type of genre BUT, i like how it sounds. Let's see what happens. ok i didn't like it

None of the criticisms about the lyrics or how it’s aged are particularly out of order, but it’s just so easy to forget how good Eminem was good at rapping. He’s been working for over 30 years and has 3 good albums to show for it but goddamn he was so good for those 3 albums.

Day926 - i love the real slim shady the rest doesn’t do much for me. the skits in hip hop albums were a terrible idea and ruin what could be great albums

Quite a conflicting listen, which is probably exactly what Em wants. So much brilliant and provocative lyrics, delivered incredibly. But, the beats are pretty varied in quality and it's not always clear the line between button pushing and basic unpleasantness.

Classic init

It is a bit to much "talkning" (rap talking ig) for my taste. I can like it sometimes but it depends on how it sounds. The Way I am sounds a bit more my taste compared to the first 3 full songs. A bit to little happening in that song though. Marshall Matters best so far, not playlist worthy though for me. Beats and instrumental are good, but his rapping in this album is just not for me. So sadly 1 star since I wouldnt come back and listen to it. Hiphop can be so much better.

Such a strong album by him. I really appreciate his technical ability. However, the subject matter at times was a little too much.

Absolute classic. If it does shock or offend you, well, it should. That was the point - to insult the listener while madly rapping great verses with such mad passion, that you are just left sitting in awe. Amazing album.

Album 258. The Marshall Mathers LP (https://open.spotify.com/album/5xifZlByZcZecgkP7sYSoW?si=vAeJqVyTRl-TwPCkqugkjA) — Eminem (2000) This album is definitely a monumental Eminem work. It's badass from the start to the end. His white rap is so bright that niggas lose their vision and begin to think he is black. GOATed artist. There are so many bangers, so much greatness 5/5 Liked: — Kill You — Stan — The Way I Am — The Real Slim Shady — I'm Back — Drug Ballad — Amityville — Bitch Please II — Under The Influence — Criminal — The Kids

not a bad album, just over played. Not something I would listen to at work.

For the previous eminem album I wrote: "That was enough Eminem for a while." That was album 1396 days ago, but the "for a while" wasn't long enough. This is just a hiphop shitshow.

I'm not the biggest rap fan at the best of times. So white guy rap was never going to be my thing

Stan The Real Slim Shad Both those tracks stand up. Three dimensions and feel like a real deconstruction of self and fame. The remainder has some shock factor and horror elements that I think have aged terribly and also seem a bit one note after a while. You can’t deny Eminem’s talent with rhymes and his flow but this has aged terribly in terms of content.

Grew up hearing all his biggest hits everywhere but this is my first time listening to a full album. I knew it's gonna be a tough listen after the first song, horrendous lyrics. I tried to zone out and not pay attention to the lyrics on other songs but then he used the f slur in a different song 6 whole times. I'm sorry but I refuse to believe this guy genuinely read the dictionary to expand his vocab as people say, his lyrics are shit. And I'm not buying the whole "Slim Shady is his alter ego" thing. If I were a musician I simply wouldn't make an alter ego for myself that is violent and phobic in various ways. At the end of the day it's you who has to get on stage and sing it to people. Be creative and become and evil alien gyno like that other guy on the 1001 list 1/5

meh

Eminem is effective at what he does, which usually involves shocking the listener with horror stories and plumbing the depths of repressed fears and desires. There are the album tracks, which are designed for maximum impact and generate a lot of buzz around the record, and then there are the hits which are carefully constructed so that they’re very offensive but softened enough to air on broadcast television. It’s a powerful marketing tactic, but what is to be found for listeners like myself, who are not interested in the gratuitous angst and looking for something beyond it? Some clever wordplay and a solid collection of beats. And, mercifully, a little Snoop Dogg.

Fuck fuck fuck

Full of bangers

I've already heard the mainstream songs on here, and they are the best songs ("Stan", "The Real Slim Shady"). Yes, the lyrics are violent and offensive, but I expected that. The beats, for the most part, are addictively catchy and Eminem's rapping was so real and honest. As I've said before, it's not my preferred genre, but I liked this more than I thought I would.

eminem is frustrating. he's insanely talented, buty the violent nihilism and misogyny of this album is just hard to stomach. had i been 16 when this came out, maybe i'd have a different relationship to this album (duh, of course i would). that said, "stan" is a stone-cold classic of amazing writing, imagery, mood, and delivery.

A visceral, violent bit of rap. Lovely stuff.

9,5/10.

Even een dienstmededeling. Het zal me aan m'n reet roesten dat het Slim Shady aan zijn reet zal roesten. Ik heb er niet voor gekozen deze ellende aan te horen, ik drink de gifbeker leeg omdat het moet van het boek. Geinig, het nummer Stan staat erop. Maar helaas, want na de eerste 25 seconden van dit album stond al vast dat ik het een dikke moddervette 1 ging geven (de derde al van vandaag), en daar hou ik het bij. Kom op zeg, ik laat me aan het begin van de plaat tot het bot beledigen en vervolgens ben ik zo achterlijk (of zo lief) om toch de volle 72 minuten aan te horen. Dan ben ik toch wel iets meer respect waard, dacht ik zo. Hoe dan ook, je moet toch potdomme geestesziek zijn om zulke 'muziek' te maken, en geestesziek om het (uit vrije wil) te luisteren. Ik begrijp het gewoon niet. Ik begrijp het echt niet.

Ik schreef eerder dat we Eminem kunnen zien als een zwarte strip, waar de negatieve kant van de samenleving wordt uitvergroot, maar wel een strip die met de flows, de muziek en de samples in suikerzoet roze getekend is. Eminem zelf ziet de referentie ook, en wijst mij op het gebrek in de analyse. Hij noemt naast de aangehaalde elementen zijn humor als kenmerkend. Althans, hij noemt zichzelf in Marshall Mathers een 26 jarige iele Cartman. Ik geef het toe. Die referentie is goed. Eminem is het muzikale equivalent van South Park. Daarmee moet ik maar net als bij South Park in die tijd door de minder smakelijke elementen heen kijken. En de waardering voor de suikerzoete creativiteit laten spreken.

Ik moet bij Stan de hele tijd denken aan het nummer van Arjan Lubach, wat natuurlijk een hilarische cover is. Dat moet Eminem toch hebben kunnen waarderen lijkt me. Qua waardering van mijn kant: ik had totaal geen zin in hiphop vandaag en al helemaal niet 70+ minuten schijtlollige hiphop met de nodige onnodige krachttermen. Zo'n nummer als Stan is dan een fijn intermezzo, alleen jammer dat dat al na 5 minuten komt. Wat minder fijne intermezzos, zijn de overbodige skits. Ik snap het nut niet zo goed van dit soort stukjes op een album. Mocht ik de neiging hebben om mezelf er door van kant te maken, dan zal dat niet gaan, want het nummer dat daar over gaat, mag ik niet afspelen van Joetjoep. Maar goed, zoals ik bij het andere album al zei, de beatjes en de baslijntjes zijn dan wel weer tiptop in orde. En dat maakt het op zich best ok om te luisteren. Het is wat aan de lange tijd, maar ik kom er toch met enig gemak doorheen. Niet meer dan een vergeetbare 3, dat niet natuurlijk.

this was terrifying and disturbing

Haven’t heard this since it came out, so after 20 odd years later it sounds completely different to me. It’s a bit cringy in parts and close to the bone. Did it in two halves cos it goes on a bit.

I’ve heard high school boys swear less. Painful and childish.

A few really great songs, but all those skits, what are you? A comedian?

Within the first 3 minutes I get "how about you suck his fucking cock" and "slut, you think I won't choke no whore til the vocal chords don't work in her throat no more". Yes yes I get that Eminem's schtick is his persona that doesn't represent his actual views but jesus christ go to fucking therapy. I had some hope at points because he has so much emotion and anger and it could've been channelled into making something powerful but any possibility of that is thrown away behind "BITCH FUCK YOU EAT SHIT AND DIE BITCH" for a solid hour. Also the actual beats? rhythm? songs? are choppy as hell and abrasive and generally awful to listen to. How the hell did this guy become one of the greatest rappers of all time?

Точный и выверенный алгоритм. Очевидная и понятная легендарность. Каждый трек выверен и отточен до предела. Сам подход к написанию треков полностью и всеобъемлюще ощущается при прослушивании. Вся читка безусловно хороша и поражает слух, минималистичные биты, идеально сочетаются с манерой исполнителя. Вот что можно сказать прослушав 2 песни из 19. Далее минималистичность битов превращается в скучность и однообразность, читка и флоу - аналогично и также чудовищно перегружено. Целиком альбом слушать было в тягость. Конечно отдельные легендарные треки приятно разбавляли рабочую атмосферу, но получить удовольствие и отдохнуть сильно не получилось. Мне очень не понравился альбом, так долго я альбом давно не ощущал, несмотря на видимый и очевидный профессионализм и качество - это максимально грустно и скучно. Моя оценка альбому 3/10

Pretty good album, this was better than I was expecting. I never really listened to any of Eminem albums before, just songs here and there. This one has that early sound - of course - of just most filthy lyrics up until that point in time in music. He does all the don't's and zero of the do's. It's borderline hilarious after a certain point with all the horrendous stuff, you start seeing more humour in it than bigotry, for me I reached this point when "Marshall Mathers" came on. I like - not alone obviously - "Stan" for it's introspectiveness, sounds so down-to-earth, the topic of course, not what is actually done. I think this is a good album, especially once the shocking lyrics wear off, it started to have a real charm to it. I would have this album as a must-hear album on a list if I ever created one. I wonder if I liked this one that The Slim Shady LP would be good, better or worse. Hmmmm. Highlight Song/s: "Stan", "Who Knew", "Marshall Mathers" and "Bitch Please II"

oh yes. i’m sorry to say that i have basic respect towards eminem so please don’t kill me. and also, one of my favourite genre is music that makes other people feel offensive. the more offensive the better cause i dont give a fuck about everybody cause im a really bored teenager so the concept of pissing people off is one of the best thing ever. and actually this is a banger and everybody who dont agree are fucking suckers with the woke mind virus that digged so deep into their mind that they think about nothing but feminism all the time and they should kill themself. 4/5 p.s. i think i shouldnt continue to call myself a "stan" of my favourite celebrities. ill call myself a fanboy/fangirl instead.

An improvement on Eminem's formula in almost every way. Where The Slim Shady LP was filled with juvenile shock humor and excessive violence to the point of becoming cartoony. The Marshall Mathers LP is Eminem's response to sudden fame and critics. Em is clearly effected by the attention he's getting, positive and negative, and he addresses this dichotomy several times over the course of the record. The writing has greatly improved, as have the production and samples. Some of Eminem's biggest songs are on this album: "Kill You", "Stan", "The Way I Am". Unfortunately, Eminem doubles down on being crass, vulgar, and generally offensive, but this time it's more weaponized with purpose against "Stans", critics, haters (including ICP), and his ex-wife ("Kim" is fucking intense) rather than solely attempting to shock or press buttons.

Meilenstein, größtenteils super witzig, teilweise aber auch ganz schön bedrückend

One of the most interesting listenings so far, I was alive and well aware of this at the time. What a truly intoxicating blend of self, time, experience, culture, history. Just damn. This album was and will never be "for me". It's for him and everyone without this voice or anywhere to place this anger. Honestly so interesting to hear it now. I wonder so many things. There is so much anger and sadness in the world still naturally, but how is expressed now? I don't know, alone on the Internet, screaming in the void? Such like a bursting bubble of emotions and culture like and so singular as well. He's so alone in this, reaching out for almost anything, including so much more pain.

About an hour too long. Curious how the best Eminem songs does not contain any references to fellatio.

its well written ill say that

ngl i was not looking forward to this album, 72 minutes is a big ask from a guy who i already doubted had even made that much audio worth listening to across his entire music career. still, i went in hoping to be proven wrong, but..... nahhhh. this just absolutely fucking sucked to listen to. ill get this out the way up front, yeah he's got good flow and wordplay, and yeah the dr dre beats are solid, obviously. but the themes and actual lyrical content just fucking suuuuck. its not that im offended by it, like lets be real, its 2026 and world leaders are saying worse shit than this out in public on the regular. i'm more just like, weary i guess? there wasn't any new ground to be covered by saying heinously bigoted shit, it's just edginess for the sake of being edgy, presumably with the goal of scaring the conservative americans of the day. but women and minorities are the ones being thrown under the bus for it, and throwing himself under there with us doesn't make it any better, yknow? this "oh, im not a misogynist/homophobe/etc, i hate everyone equally including myself" schtick was everywhere back then and all thru the 00s and 10s. its south park shit. it's postal 2 shit. it's early 4chan shit. and its so, so fucking lame. its a shame he committed so hard to it cos like, the exactly one track where he doesn't do this, "stan", is actually pretty good! it's also the only time it seems like he has anything interesting to say, with the topic of parasocial relationships being probably even more relevant now than it was back then. but in the context of this album, sandwiched between tracks about killing women as it is, it feels a little hollow maybe? and don't even get me started on the icp diss track immediately followed by audio of him roleplaying violent j and shaggy 2 dope sucking each other off. that shit is just straight up embarrassing, dude. damn. this might be the worst album we've had yet. i feel like hearing it lowered my opinions of everyone involved in its production. u really don't gotta listen to this before u die: if anything, doing so will actively make ur life worse.

que atrevido eminem

Its alright. Really just dont really like Eminems music

Absolutely love Eminem! There are many reasons why I like his music. This is not my favorite album at all. His lyrics are raw and what I love most about him. The way I am will always be my favorite on this album.

Absolute classic

holy peak. lyrical genius

What sounded edgy and metal at the time plays pretty trite now. The cultural references are pretty embarrasing. Regardless, Slim can rap is face off, so there's that.

Never understood the love for this album. Just Slim trying being an edgelord with very little actual meaning. It might actually hit if I found him at all threatening, but I just don't.

Tengo muchas opiniones sobre Eminem en general. Siempre le tuve un poco de bronca porque mucha gente dice que es un rap “accesible” tipo flaco por qué el escuchar a una persona negra no te parece accesible qué tipo de racistada es esa, además de que como persona no me gusta y sus lyrics dejan mucho que desear (suelen ser muy de ego, sexo y drogas, lo cual me hace perderle el respeto al rapero q solo habla de eso). Dicho esto, el flow que tiene eminem es brutal e innegable y hay canciones que están en el Walk of Fame del rap en general, entre ellas mis dos favoritas de este album: The Way I Am y The Real Slim Shady. La segunda mitad del album está flojisima y DR DRE NO ESTÁ LOCKED EN TU BASEMENT, VOS SALISTE DE EL DE ÉL 7,5/10

First impression: The silliest intro ever. Really enjoyed the album all throughout. Beats were bussin, bars were slappin, what else could you possibly ask for? Favourite track: Stan (grew up with it) One sentence: A satirical album made to underscore the industry's largest hypocrisies, enveloped in personal struggle, emotion, and violent imagery that is borderline concerning yet reeaaally catchy. Will I revisit? Hell ya

Eminem has lost a LOT of credibility over years of less than perfect releases, but the Marshall Mathers LP holds together as a masterpiece still today. Many of Em’s best songs are here; Stan is iconic, The Real Slim Shady is hilarious, and Kim is a violent terrifying experience, but certainly memorable. Is it a toxic masculine desert disc, probably, but does that make it inherently bad,I don’t think so. Much like Fight Club for cinema, I think both have taken hold of a certain kind of guy and become a sort of free speech armor for the reprehensible. Not for the faint of heart, and I can see why our government was so upset, but artists should always have the freedom to tell their story, even if it speaks to the darkest side of masculinity, or at least as it existed at that time. It’s an essential document in hip hop, at the least, and should be heard at least once.

The only real Shady

Not a word of his lyrics has aged well at all, but the flow's great. The whole piece struggles to provide a coherent message beyond shock value. I think he really had a hard time squaring the edginess and outsider stance that was an asset on the first album with his newfound fame.

Första gången jag lyssnar på hela det här albumet, hört många låtar innan. Riktigt bra!

God, bring back skits on records. I was just listening to Stankonia by Outkast (which actually only came out 5 months after this record) and had the same thought. I feel like that's one thing that has largely been lost to streaming, because everything is about individual songs and streams not many artists worry about album construction, which obviously makes things like interludes/skits irrelevant. Anyways, I grew up just outside of Detroit, went to college in Detroit, and have lived in Detroit since. That's to say, I have heard SO MUCH Eminem. He is basically the city's mascot. I've known every word to The Real Slim Shady since I was in the fifth grade, when my mom didn't realize that when she put this album on her iPod it (to her absolute horror) went onto mine too. I love this album, it is probably my favorite of his, and I do think it is very funny that to this day, every single white guy who grew up in the same area as me will list this as one of the most important albums of their adolescence. Though having been around those boys in my childhood I can confidently say this is not a record for boys to hear before they can understand that Slim Shady is a character. I knew a lot of parents who let their kids listen to Eminem because he was "local" and didn't really listen first, which resulted in a lot of elementary school boys having language about sexual violence that they didn't understand, but understood enough to know it was what you said to girls to make them uncomfortable. Some favorite tracks: Bitch Please II, Under the Influence

My opinion of Eminem is constantly at odds between his brilliant technical skills as a rapper and his need to be the biggest edgelord imaginable. Thankfully, The Marshall Mathers LP is much more representative of the former. Even the edgier songs are edgy with some purpose here (well, a couple of them, at least, let's just ignore the existence of songs such as Kim). However, in my opinion, the album really drops in quality in its second half (with a couple of exceptions). Also, while the skits are scarce and short, most of them are straight up unbearable, Ken Kaniff in particular. Overall, probably the best Eminem album, but I'm not the biggest fan of his even when he's in top form, so that piece of praise is relatively faint. Favourite track: Stan

5-

Angry af - lot of bangers

Eminem is another in a long line of pop star assholes who think he invented being an asshole. The misogyny and homophobia is so over the top and moronic as opposed to edgy but the dope is talented and knows how to put rhymes together with enough hooks to make some of the album listenable. But some of this shit is just unlistenable ("Remember Me?", "Amityville"). And enough has been written about "Kim' and whether is legitimate art/performance, etc, etc. but it's just a really bad fucking song.

Like the other Eminem album, there’s definitely talent out into this thing. It’s just that the lyrics and message of it all is so vile in such a juvenile way that it ruins it completely

It’s telling that this album appealed to a younger self. But as an adult, the "edgelord" posturing is hard to look past and made this a real struggle. The album leans heavily into an "only joking (or am I?!)" defence to mask its more offensive instincts, obviously exaggerated for shock value. But this isn't the problem - it's the emotional void. The record constantly pivots between a whining, "poor me" narrative about a difficult childhood and the pressures of fame, while simultaneously offering zero empathy to anyone else. It's the emotional depth of an angsty teenager acting out. In hindsight, he seems to lack any self-awareness when he complains about parents worrying he’s a bad influence. Does he ever stop to ask why his material appeals so heavily to children in the first place? (Note: On a relisten, he does actually state that it's for middle schoolers multiple times. But whether he's joking or serious, it's still true.) It feels too "try-hard" and self-absorbed, and it honestly left me with second-hand embarrassment. I'm sure at the time it was outrageous and fun, but by today's standards, it sounds like stuff an incel would say for attention. It's all just too juvenile. The track "Stan" deserves a call-out for its innovative concept and exploration of parasocial relationships, but the nuance and insight there seem almost accidental compared to the rest of the record. That is the real shame. I think there are interesting ideas that could have been explored well if there were less cringey acting out and a bit more maturity. "Stan" proves he is capable of more, which makes the rest of the album feel even more disappointing and performative. Beyond that, while the production is solid and he possesses a distinct style which he's perfected, it’s telling that the standout track was one he wasn't really on. A lot of the featured artists offered a well needed break. In the end I'd rather just listen to Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and enjoy life. 2/5

Music for boys about insulting, assaulting or killing women and gay people. As we are reminded consistently it's all just a big joke (or we should suck Eminem's dick). Andrew Tate was 13 when this album came out.

I remember being at school when this came out. I wasn't a fan of Eminem at the time, but then I only ever heard snippets of his work so I didn't have a fair assessment. Listening to the whole album, I thought it was very good, on the whole. Some of the themes are not very pleasant and parts are just puerile and seem to appeal to teenagers (hence he was popular when I was in school). It's hard to fault the craft and skill with which he does it all though.

OK.

I told my dad how much I hated this album and he said “just imagine living through it when it came out”

Like listening to a mental breakdown. Incredibly effective and deeply uncomfortable. It’s unfortunate Em has become the lots of complicated words guy cause when he just cuts right to it he nails it.

Nope.

This is a really tough one to rate. I was not ready for the emotional rollercoaster this record with throw at me. I get that a lot of what he was rapping about was some pretty raw emotion, but most of it was typical gangsta rap nonsense - grabbing his nuts, how he was going to kill people, he is the best, don't mess with him, blah blah blah. I like other albums of his more, and I want to rate this higher, but I just can't.

It’s ok but it’s absolutely wild that Eminem didn’t get put on some kind of watch list with these albums man

Pre: Now here is one from my early teens. I haven't picked this up since 03 or so. I used to listen to it on my portable cd player, doing that funny walk so the disk doesn't skip. Post: Eminem is an absolute master on the mic. His flow is undeniable. He has a wide variety in delivery that invokes strong emotions and his lyrics are little sound bites that I still repeat 26 years later. (And this album has resurrected some that were hiding in my subconscious- uh oh). I can see that the tone/theming is there to shock, provoke and question. For each piece of excellent (and still relevant) social commentary there's equal amounts of homophobia and misogyny that now I'm an adult is embarrassing. As a parent if my kids were listening to this I'd almost certainly throw it in the sea. Guess my parents were right. [Amityville] is the least popular song, but I prefer it over the bulk of the record. The radio classics continue to be earworms with [Stan] being the standout. The fact the title is now part of the general vocabulary and in the Oxford English Dictionary is testament to the strength of the story told here. Not sure I'll ever pick this up as an album again. It's the worst of 00s culture and I want to leave it back there. I'm rating this here and now a conflicted 2.5. **

An album/“artist” I completely wrote off when I was younger I was totally open to coming in and finding out I was wrong. This album sucks. He’s such a weird dork. If it’s meant to be a parody it’s a bad one. Feels like the birth of incel culture. Probably the worst album I’ve listened to on this list so far. Don’t disagree with it being on the list, because I think it’s good to know how crap it is.

First time listening to an Eminem album in full because I hate the guy. This hasn’t done much to change my mind. Deserving of being on the list for its cultural significance and occasionally interesting production choices. I will admit that I appreciate Eminem’s ability to load a verse with internal rhymes. Just the lyrics and subject matter is turd.

Increíble, se me hizo muy innovador para mi cerebro, creo que simplemente te fuerza a marcar el bit con la cabeza

Catchy songs that seemed to have gained popularity from the shock factor and the crude humor of the time. He points out society being hypocritical but still uses backhanded arguments. Dr. Dre definitely captured a sound that embodied him and it was well done, but I'm glad Eminem has matured from this, not saying his music has gotten better, but we should all move on.

Arguably the sound of my teenage years as these hit from 16-19 years old for me. I never owned this or any Eminem album but didn't need to as you heard them all the time. I didn't expect this many bangers. The first half was loaded and the second half ended up being arguably better. One of the best hip-hop albums imo and part of an amazing 3 album run.

This album is elite idgaf what anybody else says

Rap ?

Maybe its the Detroit in me but this album is still amazing. The Way I Am is his best song and its been heavily in my rotation the last 2 years. I cannot believe people do not see how satirical he is with a lot of his edgier content. Its horror rap teetering on what was socially acceptable in the 2000s. Its very of its era but for every derogative comment outwards theres 3 at himself. The only song I don't like here is Amityville. Never been for me. Favorite Songs: The Way I Am, Stan There is also a very good video on Eminem and how White America in the 2020s is missing a role model that points a finger back and says "ok yeah but food stamps and heathcare suck for us to..." youtube.com/watch?v=AKevy6Bzkng&vl=en

Between "Stan", "Who Knew" and most notably "The Way I Am", I though thus was going to be a be a more introspective album than the previous... But from "The Real Slim Shady" through the rest of the album through the rest, it's the same shit just on steroids again (like "Bonnie & Clyde '97" before) the worst part being his spousal murder fantasy, and again bringing his child into the narrative. This is not what I enjoy about music at all... Fuck this guy! (3.7) ★½

The lyrics are bad, but the rapping and production sounds really cool. 3.5 stars

4.5/5

In terms of lyrical content, this is a pretty easy 0. Still, there's a few decent tunes here. "The Real Slim Shady" probably the best thing here, but my god is there a sea of crap to wade through. 2 stars.

Blockbuster stuff. Eminem truly at the top of his game here. Along with the monster heavy pop crossover high art hits Stan, The Way I Am and The Real Slim Shady you also have Drug Ballad which is pretty cool because it sounds like it’s got Goron groans from Ocarina Of Time on loop and Gwen Stefani as backing singer. From front to back there is lots of preposterous controversy - Kim and Dr Dre killings are obviously ironic. 4 chainsaws out of 5.

I think the song Stan is still so relevant to fandom culture and parasocial relationships nowadays, also I love Dido's "Thank You" which is sampled throughout, it's a great contrast to what's happening with the lyrics Growing up in the 00s/10s I feel like it was mandatory to know The Real Slim Shady by heart, like a lot of rap songs from this era you're never quite sure why you know it but you just do The rest of the album is very mid, I think you need to have consumed it at a very specific point in time to be into it, listening to it in 2026 is eye opening in a lot of ways

Not for me at all. A wash of insipid loops and clumsy rhymes. Stan is interesting, at least, and The Real Slim Shady is okay, but after that the rest of the -unusually long - album felt like a chore.

This was a good listen. I always forget how dark Eminem's work can be until I hear it again. Not going to be something I pick up listening to often.

I knew Stan and The Real Slim Shady, but the rest of these tracks are just Eminem talking about himself in a less interesting way, with plenty of I'm-not-being-serious-so-it's-OK misogyny in there. I was expecting more.

Not a bad listen, if you like being shouted at by a very angry person. Some good grooves.

Hasn't aged well. I prefer him when he's funny instead of just pure rage.

7/10

I’ve listened to plenty of Eminem’s music through the years and this album was an enjoyable journey today. Stan & Criminal were stand outs for me. Happy listening all

Terrible

Eminem is just undeniably a great rapper, if his whole violence/misogyny shtick didn't come off as forced and corny to me I'd probably regard this album very highly

Not my cup of tea but obviously good at what he does

Vulgar, but iconic

I don’t listen to him often but when I do I enjoy it. He is a story teller with his music.

mkaaaay I don't think I have ever listened to an Eminem album in its entirety so let's see!! Update: I kinda liked Stan (w Dido) just bc of the chorus.... I think I'd heard it before Slim Shady was okay I'm back was okay too wtf with Ken Kaniff Kim kinda scared me... Okay.... I wouldn't listen to it again lmao 😭😭😭

*Stan is fantastic but a lot of this became dated quickly and sounds like it exists for shock value only. *Also a victim of 90s/2000s CD overload with too long a running time

An album that creates contrasting feelings for me. I enjoyed the overall sound of the album, with a consistent pace and force to it that meant it was a compelling listen (although I was losing interest by the end of this 70 minute marathon). Stan is perhaps the best track for holding your attention (it’s the origin of the term for an overzealous fan, don’t you know). However, even by the standards of rap in this period the misogyny and homophobia is off the scale, and really dampened my enjoyment. I know that Eminem was a prime target for the puritanical right including Lynne Cheney, so maybe there was an element of playing up to the hype. Even so, it holds back my enjoyment of an album with some strong aspects.

I’m rather torn on this album. Sonically it was really strong, with great beats, really excellent rapping, and powerful storytelling on many tracks (e.g. ‘Stan’ and ‘Kim’). However, while I realise that the extreme violence, misogyny, homophobia, etc. are deliberately played for over-the-top shock value and ‘humour’, I just don’t enjoy listening to it. Also, the amount of self-referential tracks where Eminem complains about this, that and the other also got a bit tiresome by the end of this rather long album. Still enough quality (and certified bangers) for 3 stars overall, despite my strong reservations about the lyrics.

its good, just violent

Listened to this on repeat as a teenager.

Too much screaming. Em have some chill

not super into rap, but this album is iconic. enjoyed quite a few of the songs.

One of the most important pivitol rap albums ever. Eminem confirms he's here to stay and catapults into icon status. Incredible skill not only in lyrics but delivery and flow as well. He tells a great story and sells it too. "Kim" is genuinely horrifying to listen to. A lot of his best songs are on here, and on my 3rd listen the deep cuts have come around on me and I love them. Well except the "Amityville" chorus which is annoying. And my god that ICP diss skit is disgusting. But at the end of the day it's an easy 5

So I mean it’s intentionally shocking, misogynistic and juvenile. I don’t have an issue with profanity but by golly he was really working to put that to the test. He’s undeniably talented and his rhyme schemes are very good, incorporating entire lines rather than just the end of a phrase. He’s smooth. That being said I didn’t enjoy any part of this. While his lyricism and wordplay are good I don’t find his beats engaging so I wasn’t super interested sonically. I’m not the biggest hip hop fan in general but even then this doesn’t rank anywhere on my list of enjoyments. That convinced with the massive length of the thing I was just overall fatigued most of the time listening to it. I feel conflicted on a score because there is legitimate great talent but overall I am sticking with purely my enjoyment of it.

Classic

A deeply personal rap album and it's all bangers???

god. damn. legendary. album.

Overall: 3.09 (rounded to 3) Consistency: 2.36 Originality: 4 Enjoyment: 2 Virtuosity: 4 1. Public Service Announcement 2000 - NA 2. Kill You - 2 3. Stan - 3 4. Paul (Skit) - NA 5. Who Knew - 3 6. Steve Berman - NA 7. The Way I Am - 3 8. The Real Slim Shady - 3 9. Remember Me? - 3 10. I'm Back - 3 11. Marshall Mathers - 1 12. Ken Kaniff (Skit) - NA 13. Drug Ballad - 3 14. Amityville - 1 15. Bitch Please II - 3 16. Kim - 1 17. Under the Influence - 3 18. Criminal - 1

This is the first time I've listened to this full record, not because I didn't know about it, but because the people that I knew liked it in when I was younger were angry people who were cruel to me. I have obviously interacted with conversations online about it and I understand now that the anger, vitriol, and vulgarity expressed in the record is not a sincere statement of belief or intention. In other contexts, I even enjoy such transgressive elements. Maybe its just been too long or maybe I can never truly understand this record from outside myself, but I still can't get past the lyrics. Despite its intense and impressive introspection and musicality, this album will probably just never hit me right. I know he aims to provoke, and it I guess it landed. I feel like I "get it" now more than ever, and I still don't enjoy listening to it. If I do have a more serious critique to level beyond how it makes me feel, its that while the album is intentionally revolting, in both senses of the word, against popular culture, it misfires in many cases by expressing what were, or are, simply majority opinions in coarse language. While calling someone the f slur was gauche in polite society, a majority of Americans in 2000 thought that being gay was immoral. Eminem's misogyny on the record is uncomfortably violent for most, but it doesn't mean the sentiments behind it weren't broadly approved of. Too often on this record he sloppily picks easy targets, despite proving that he is capable of more on other tracks. Whether or not he meant what he said, the violent, bigoted, and hateful language present was extremely popular, and not just among people who understood that it was intentionally provocative.

Enjoyed it up to a point, then the shock value wore off and I was just left with someone being offensive for the sake of it. Nice to hear some of the songs from my past again though

un poco fuerte de escuchar, si. Pero tmb tiene temones

Yeah sure

Rap is not my kind of music, but this was interesting. A lot of different moods in the songs, I liked it better than most Rap albums I got so far.

not bad not really my vibe got some bangers tho

It wasn't my sort of music but it very successfully made me angry

There are some classic songs on here, but there is enough other stuff that I would never choose to put this on.

Goated

This is the first album I couldn't get through - I think MM is a good maybe even great MC but just not for me - his range is so narrow and I'm not in it.

Terrible lyrics at times, amazing flow at times.

This is a massive nostalgia hit for me. This album is a 5, not because the songs are perfect, but because culturally, it was so massive. It's hard to argue against that. Overall, this was such fun to relisten to, and enjoy again. Classic, stupid, angry Eminem. Can't go wrong.

It really does feel to me like half this album is the best rap the genre has to offer of its time, and shit that feels like Slim was contractually obligated to make.

I mean, it's not my vibe, but! The concept, the vibes, the music and the lyrics are a solid 4. for you, Mr.SlimShady.

There is a whole star for nostalgia - this is just awful to put yourself through