Even if you're one of the best rappers alive and one of the most recognizable superstars in the music world, you have to start somewhere. On this day back in 1999, Eminem kicked off what became a dominant run through the music industry when he dropped his debut album The Slim Shady LP.
The single "My Name Is" had already been getting a ton of play on MTV and on radio (including modern rock radio, which treated "My Name Is" as a novelty record as though it were a "Weird Al" tune), so there was plenty of buzz surrounding the album by the time it dropped. Most people could see that Eminem had star power, a cheeky sense of humor and charisma to spare, but what The Slim Shady LP best revealed were Em's skills as an MC. He was able to harness Dr. Dre's production better than anybody since Snoop Dogg, and he used it to spin intricate narratives ("'97 Bonnie and Clyde"), revenge fantasies ("Brain Damage"), goofs ("My Fault") and old-fashioned battle raps ("Just Don't Give a F---").
A year later, Eminem managed to top himself with his career-defining album The Marshall Mathers LP, which better tapped into his intricate flow and bonded together his humor and his rage perfectly (for proof, you only need to hear "Stan" again). But a handful of his career highlights still live on his debut, including "Role Model." It uses a great G-funk beat that wouldn't have been out of place on Dre's 2001, and though some of the cultural references are a little bit dated (there is a nod to LL Cool J's feud with Canibus and a joke about Lauryn Hill), but the chorus still rules.
Source:MTV Newsroom
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