EMINEM
The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath/Interscope)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr.

   Eminem’s clearly the Real Slim Shady. There’s absolutely no confusion, despite the plea made on the lead-off single from his sophomore effort The Marshall Mathers LP. Though he reigns in a genre that’s profited from sexually and violently explicit shock value, the rowdy blonde-haired emcee disses everyone from fellow Detroiters Insane Clown Posse ("Ken Kaniff" skit); Christina Aguilera, Tom Green, and Will Smith ("The Real Slim Shady"); and Puff Daddy and Jennifer Lopez ("I’m Back"). When Mr. Mathers exclaimed, "[I] Just Don’t Give A F--k" on his commercial debut last year, he wasn’t joking. 
   While a couple moments on TMMLP are especially disturbing (he threatens to kill his mother on "Kill You," and describes murdering his child’s mother on "Kim"), his lyrical structure and overall momentum are among hip-hop’s best. On "Bitch Please II," a remix of Snoop and Xzibit’s hit from last summer, Eminem offers an impressive impersonation of Snoop’s delivery that cannot be denied--and the beats match. Even the folk-feeling "Stan," a message to rap detractors that some fans take Eminem too seriously, keeps the funk in place. 
   The record, produced by Dr. Dre and Mark and Jeff Bass, who sculpted much of Em’s early work, pipes in some rock sensibilities ("The Way I Am," "Kim,") that, if released, could divert some of Kid Rock’s attention to The Shady One. Imagine the controversy factor of The Slim Shady LP multiplied by three, as the loose-tongued rapper glides over an eclectic mix of scene-setting musical patterns.


All recordings courtesy of Aftermath/Interscope Records. "The Real Slim Shady" written by M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Bradford; courtesy of Eight Mile Style/Ensign Music Corporation/Ain't Nothin' Going On But F****n' Music (BMI). "Criminal" and "Marshall Mathers" written by M. Mathers, Bass Brothers; courtesy of Eight Mile Style/Ensign Music Corporation (BMI).