I did not realise Eminem's debut was this fire. I never usually listen to rap albums in full just because I never really enjoy them, but holy shit he killed this one. For the most part, the album is pretty pointless but that is what makes it so much fun, although we do have to look past the more problematic songs that have not aged well at all. A lot of the album are skits, which instantly makes his unique personality clear which makes him so different from the hip hop crowd of the time. His songs are very concept driven, with a lot of his music discussing his childhood and his own personal experiences, which we didn't really see from other artists of the time period. Of course there were some artists who did discuss similar topics but he is able to do this while maintaining his slim shady persona through more comedic elements. However, this album is very much a product of it's time and if this album was released now, there is no way it would slide. Most of his lyrics are very misogynistic and homophobic, and there are a few too many songs that point towards the narrative of slim killing his wife. It is pretty uncomfortable at times, but we have to remember that there is no way Eminem would even THINK about releasing an album revolving around these themes today, apart from if he is attempting to criticize someone else. However, even then these themes wouldn't be as blatant as they are in this album. There isn't a lot to say that hasn't already been said before, but that doesn't keep this album from being one of the most influential albums of the time. It has ultimately led to the creation of a highly influential figure within the genre, which has ultimately led to the diversity that we see today. It's pretty clear that he really wanted to piss off as many people as possible in his career, which is made clear from the very start of his career, and my god did he do that well.