I can't believe it's been so long. On this day 20 years ago (23rd February 1999), Eminem released his breakout album "The Slim Shady LP". While this may not be Eminem's best album ("The Marshall Mathers LP" and "The Eminem Show" top this one for me) and it is far from classic in my books, this should still be on everyone's must-have list. And what better occasion than the 20th anniversary of its release to revisit this project.
I must admit I am a little biased when it comes to this album. And when I popped my original copy of the album in my CD player today, the nostalgia kicked in. The memories came back rushing of this being my first Rap/Hip-Hop CD I ever bought, back in 2000. This is this very same CD that got me into the genre in the first place. Now that I go back in, I realise why most of the hip-hop community back then saw Eminem as a gimmick and why some even saw in his rise to fame a conspiracy orchestrated by the establishment to rob them of their music. But Slim Shady's talent is undeniable.
Songs like "Guilty Conscience", "If I Had", "Role Model", "Rock Bottom" and "Just Don't Give A F*ck" are proof that Eminem is one of the greats. Take the concept of "Guilty Conscience" for example. Telling stories about real life situations such as a man walking home to his wife cheating on him with another guy, or a man about to have sex with an intoxicated and underage woman, the song brings Eminem and Dr. Dre together to trade bars as if they were these people's bad and good consciences respectively. This makes for an amazingly engaging piece of storytelling and comes with its load of laughs, like when Eminem goes at Dre over real life past incidents ("That's what I did, be smart/Don't be a retard/You gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes").
"Just Don't Give A F*ck" is Eminem's trademark craziness and comedic lyrics, delivered in such a way that he would really have you think he's actually capable of doing what he says. And you gotta love flows like "Extortion, snortin, supportin abortion/Pathological liar, blowin sh*t out of proportion/The looniest, zaniest, spontaneous, sporadic/Impulsive thinker, compulsive drinker, addict/Half animal, half man/Dumpin your dead body inside of a fuckin trash can/With more holes than an Afghan".
On "Rock Bottom" he is dealing with the anxiety and anger that comes from living in poverty and the picture he paints could not be more vivid. The list of great songs with crazy storytelling or bragging over dope beats goes on and on. Speaking of production, you can feel Dre's presence throughout. Even when he's not producing, the consistency, sequencing and overall concept of the songs speak for the fact that a master of the craft was involved behind the scenes all the time.
So whether you're a fan or not, this anniversary is only one of the many reasons to revisit "The Slim Shady LP" and add it to your Rap/Hip-Hop collection. To mark the milestone, Eminem actually just put an "Expanded Edition" featuring 10 extra cuts, including multiple versions of "Guilty Conscience". Check it out here and let me know which song on the album is your favourite.
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