Maps of Music

The Slim Shady LP (1999)

Where the lyrics of The Slim Shady LP take you, and where it was really made.

The alter ego at the center of this album, Slim Shady, first appeared on a 1997 EP, and his story was only concluded by a 2024 album.

Key places

Studio 8, Ferndale (1999)

Recording site Studio 8 — The album was recorded at Studio 8 at 430 8 Mile Road in Ferndale, Michigan. The map point sits at the Ferndale city centre, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Slim Shady LP: second studio album by American rapper Eminem
• Released 23 February 1999 through Aftermath Entertainment, WEB Entertainment, and Interscope Records
• Hip-hop and horrorcore musical styles
• Most lyrics written from the perspective of the alter ego Slim Shady
• Slim Shady introduced on the Slim Shady EP (1997), concluded on The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024)
• Cartoonish violence and heavy profanity, which Eminem described as horror-film-like, meant solely for entertainment value
• Many lyrics are satirical, while some songs express Eminem's frustration with living in poverty
• "My Name Is" released as the second single, Eminem's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100

Background

• Debut album Infinite (1996) recorded at the Bassmint, a studio owned by the Bass Brothers
• Infinite released on the independent label WEB Entertainment, a commercial failure largely ignored by Detroit radio
• The failure of Infinite inspired Eminem to create the Slim Shady alter ego
• Spring 1997: recorded the eight-song Slim Shady EP
• Eminem placed second at the Rap Olympics in Los Angeles
• Interscope staff sent a copy of the Slim Shady EP to CEO Jimmy Iovine, who played it for Dr. Dre
• Recruitment by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine led to production from Eminem, Dr. Dre, and the Bass Brothers

Recording

• Recorded at Studio 8, 430 8 Mile Road, Ferndale, Michigan
• Eminem and Dr. Dre finished "My Name Is" in an hour on the first day of recording
• Three other songs, including "Role Model", were also recorded that day
• "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" re-recorded from the Slim Shady EP track "Just the Two of Us", with daughter Hailie's vocals
• Beats compared to West Coast hip-hop and G-funk styles

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Marshall Bruce Mathers III, born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri; American rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive.
• Known for rap flow and conscious rap including political criticism and social commentary; widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.
• Credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and the acceptance of white rappers in popular music.
• Debut album Infinite (1996) was a commercial failure; Slim Shady EP (1997) led to signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope.
• The Slim Shady LP (1999) brought mainstream popularity; The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002) each sold over one million copies in a single week.
• The Eminem Show became the best-selling album worldwide in 2002; Recovery (2010) was the best-selling album worldwide in 2010.
• Co-founded Shady Records in late 1999; the label signed D12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater and Cashis.
• Starred in 8 Mile (2002); "Lose Yourself" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first hip-hop act to win it.
• Over 220 million records sold; eleven number-one albums on the Billboard 200, with The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024) the latest.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 in his first year of eligibility.

Reception

At release

• Largely acclaimed by critics, who praised Eminem's unique and fresh lyrical style, dark humor, and unusual personality
• AllMusic: Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five stars out of five
• Erlewine praised the rapper's vocabulary and imagination, and called the album one of the great debuts in hip-hop and modern pop
• Entertainment Weekly: David Browne described the album's unapologetic outrageousness as a reaction to the soul positivity of conscious hip-hop
• Los Angeles Times: Soren Baker gave three and a half stars out of four, but lamented the sometimes flat production
• Chicago Tribune: Greg Kot compared the vocals to Pee-wee Herman with a nasal Midwestern accent
• Rolling Stone: Rob Sheffield enjoyed the comedic nature of the record, but felt the misogynistic lyrics grow tiresome
• The Village Voice: Robert Christgau called the record a platinum-bound cause celebre

Reappraisal

• Rolling Stone: 275th on The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and 33rd on the 100 Best Albums of the '90s
• Rolling Stone (2020): 352nd on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
• Rolling Stone (2022): 85th on The 200 Greatest Rap Albums of all time
• NME: 248th on The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
• Blender: 49th on The 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time
• Billboard's Damien Scott ranked it second among Eminem's 12 studio albums in 2024
• Complex: the Ken Kaniff skit listed 15th on its 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Skits

Records

• First week sales of 283,000 copies, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200
• Remained on the Billboard 200 for 100 weeks
• Number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, staying on it for 92 weeks
• Top 10 in Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States; top 20 in Austria and the Netherlands
• RIAA platinum certification on 5 April 1999, quadruple platinum on 15 November 2000
• 2000 Grammy Awards: won Best Rap Album
• 2000 Grammy Awards: "My Name Is" won Best Rap Solo Performance
• "My Name Is" peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Eminem was inspired to write "Rock Bottom" after being fired from his cooking job at a restaurant days before his daughter's birthday.
• Ken Kaniff would end up appearing in more Eminem albums over the course of his career, and was last heard in The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024).
• Despite the album's explicit nature, Eminem refused to say the word nigga on the album.
• Eminem joined the Vans Warped Tour as a last-minute replacement for Cypress Hill.
• Eminem asked Kid Rock to record scratching for "My Fault", and in return delivered a guest rap verse on Kid Rock's song "Fuck Off".

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact