411 Eminem Roundtable: The Marshall Mathers LP

Posted by Joshua George on 04.15.2009

We're on Round 2 which just means that we're THIS MUCH CLOSER to the release of Relapse. I have to say we're all pretty damn excited. Check it out as we in the 411 Music Zone rehash The Marshall Mathers LP.

Since 1995 Eminem has brought us envelope-pushing, line-crossing, and mainstreamingly-offensive lyrics as well as some edgy beats. On May 19th, we're going to be welcomed into another Era of Em. Not since 2004 has Marshall Mathers given us the chance to hear his stylings on the mic. We've been waiting patiently while he's worked on other projects, and now after 5 years of patience, we're about to be rewarded with his 6th album Relapse. We've been told that we're also going to be graced with Relapse 2 later this year... now if only we could actually see the release of Detox. Anyway, look no further and seek no more. We're about to go back a few years and investigates Em's The Marshall Mathers LP

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Part Two: The Marshall Mathers LP

The Marshall Mathers LP is Eminem's Grammy Winning third album that was released in the year 2000 (insert joke from Conan O'Brian here -- thanks j3ffro420). This album holds a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest selling rap album ever. As if this wasn't enough, the album has gone on to be certified platinum 9 times in the US and has sold 19 million copies worldwide. This is where Em received his most acclaim as well as a ton of controversy. He was noted as having created the "best rap album ever made" by magazines such as Rolling Stone, TIME, and XXL and has been protested by groups such as GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for his violent and homophobic content.


Has the "violent" and "homophobic" lyrical content gotten to the members of the 411 Music staff? Find out NOW!





Do you own this album?

Patrick Robinson: Yes I bought the album funnily enough, NOT based on "The Real Slim Shady" or "Stan", but on "Bitch Please II". To many, this is his best album, and it's hard not to agree when you look at the level of detail and energy he was bringing at the time. I'm definitely not disappointed I bought it, let's put it that way.

Jon Kinsey: Unlike The Slim Shady LP, I didn't wait around for this one – I picked it up with an old friend on the day of release.

Matt Shoemaker: Yep. I actually have this one on CD, from way back when it first came out, as well.

Ben Czajkowski: Of course I own this album. It's full of hate and woman-bashing. What isn't to like? Millions of people own this disc, and I'm one of them! I listen to it regularly, too.

Weng Yu: Yeah I got this one. I think its one of the last rap albums I thought was worth spending money on.

Joshua George: Of course I own this album. Are you fucking kidding me? Got this the day it came out.



What are your blast tracks?

Patrick Robinson: Damn, virtually everything you can replay. "Kill You" sounds like it could have actually been on The Slim Shady LP, but nevertheless sets the tone of the album; aggressive and unapologetic. "Stan" is legendary in its own right, and the term 'Stan' has entered the hip-hop lexicon as a result. "The Way I Am" was one of the first examples of Em feeling the pressure of fame and the crumbling of his personal life as a result, it was a very 'real' track if you will. Finally, "Bitch Please II", as a HUGE fan of the original, I was expecting this to be somewhat average as most sequels are, but I was pleasantly surprised. Em channels Snoop in homage for the first part of his verse, and whoever wrote Dr. Dre's verse was really on point that day too. That's not to say that Dre didn't write it, but he doesn't exactly have a history of writing his own verses, but that's forgivable.

Jon Kinsey: Really, where do I start? I could nominate most of this album, but am going to behave myself. The first obvious standout pick is "Stan", which in a lot of ways changed the perception of what rap as a medium was capable of. This was the first real example of Eminem as a serious storyteller, effortlessly weaving the tale of an obsessive and ultimately tragic fan and is the first track to showcase the sustained thematic lyricism that would set him apart from his peers. "The Way I Am" is a well observed critique about fame and the expectations that it brings, '"Drug Ballad" could almost have been performed by Leadbelly and "Marshall Mathers" blends musical form, combining a traditional rap beat with a guitar loop that could have been lifted from a dark metal band. For me though, the standout track on the album is "Kim", which is not just my favorite Eminem song or my favorite rap cut, but is one of my favorite songs in any genre. It stands head and shoulders above anything that was coming out of the rap oeuvre at the time, in terms of intensity, breadth of feeling and expression and it possesses a maturity and lyrical gravitas that embarrasses the poverty of its peers. By comparison, it illuminates Gangsta Rap as the fatuous, shallow nonsense that turned me away from hip-hop music in the first place. This song redefined my views of what a rap MC could do, deploying the sort of artisanship one would normally associate with slowcore or lit rock bands. No other rap track has caught me in the same way since and, frankly, I will probably be a very old man before something like this will come around again.

Matt Shoemaker: "Kill You". The chorus is just too much fun to yell along to in a bad mood. The first verse is also hilarious and so incredibly angry at the same time, in only the same way that Eminem can manage to merge. "The Way I Am" Is such a great look inside Em's head. "Under the Influence", just because the beginning of the song is hilarious. That's stuck with me ever since I first heard the album.

Ben Czajkowski: For the most part, when I put this CD on, I let it run most of the way through. Like The Slim Shady LP, the skits can wear on me a bit. However, I really like how "Steve Berman" feeds into "The Way I Am", the quintessential track in Eminem's entire catalog. "Kill You" is just an all around amazing song that's fun to rap along to. "Kim" is a good prelude to "Just the Two of Us". Kim can only die so many times, I guess. The Marshall Mathers LP really displays the humor that Eminem's work can contain and his satirical tracks about pop culture (look at "The Real Slim Shady").

Weng Yu: I wasn't too sold on "The Real Slim Shady" at first, but after a while it really grew on me. "Marshall Mathers" was really funny and aimed a bunch of venom at manufactured pop acts, the Insane Clown Posse, and his own family. But for me "Stan" is by far the best song on this album, and the best song Em has ever made. The lyrics are dark and imaginative, and the haunting sample of Dido was so memorable that it made her into a star.

Joshua George: I can honestly say that I blast this whole CD from top to bottom most days. My particular favorites would be "Kill You" because the beat is so good, "Kim" and "Criminal" are great to listen to on the regular and I would also take "Who Knew" as one of the best because it's Em's chance to swing back at all the bullshit people that were suing him because kids were shooting people or doing some other stupid shit that parents wouldn't watch their children to prevent.



What are your skip tracks?

Patrick Robinson: The skits aren't inherent to the album's sound, but they do make for an entertaining listen the first time through. They're also short enough to ignore in the grand scheme of things though too. Other than that though, "Amityville" gets the skip treatment, mainly due to Bizarre's ‘verse', how Bizarre managed to get 2 mainstream albums out is beyond my comprehension. "Kim" also. I understand that it's meant to be aggressive etc. but to me I just feel it's a little too much. Some of the rage feels misplaced, and to a first time listener, this could easily put them off Eminem for good. The hook is alright though.

Jon Kinsey: I genuinely find it impossible to skip anything on this album. While some songs don't appeal to me as much as others, everything is well realized and nothing makes me want to claw my eyes out. It gets full play from start to finish.

Matt Shoemaker: "The Real Slim Shady" and "Stan" are the only ones I try to avoid at this point, simply because of how played out they are. They're both decent songs, but I try to stay away from them if I get the chance.

Ben Czajkowski: I blow past the skits, as I've mentioned before. They don't add much. Tracks like "Drug Ballad" and "Remember Me?" grate on my nerves, so I avoid those where I possibly can. I think Eminem works best when he's with Dr. Dre. The addition of other artists really detracts from what he offers.

Weng Yu: While "Kim" is one of the most popular songs on the album, I can never put myself through it as I find the subject matter a bit too disturbing. "Under The Influence" is pretty boring too. Thankfully they are at the end of the album, so I don't have to skip anything, just turn it off.

Joshua George: I could definitely do without "Amityville" not for any particular reason other than the chorus really kinda grates on me. It just gets boring after the 3rd time I hear it and I'm not too concerned about listening to it. Also, like Matt, I tend to skip "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady" about 50% of the time because they were just so played out.



What would you rate this album from 1 - 10?:

Patrick Robinson: I'm going with an 8.5 rating on this one. Funnily enough, for years I used to actually rate The Eminem Show higher, but over time, the Marshall Mathers LP is beginning to show signs of true longevity.

Jon Kinsey: 9.0

Matt Shoemaker: 7.0. With only two tracks that have been played to death, a few spectacular ones that showcase how truly angry Shady is and why, and the rest of the album being composed of solid songs (minus the skits), this is a pretty damn enjoyable song.

Ben Czajkowski: The Marshall Mathers LP: 9.0. You can definitely see where the music and lyrical stylings have matured even further. This album has classic written all over it.

Weng Yu: I'm giving this a 9, and I reckon it's one of the best rap albums of all time.

Joshua George: Definitely a 9, no matter what the commenters here say. You can be a hater all you want because every superstar needs one, but this album was the. shit. I wore this album out top to bottom and anyone hanging out with me when it came out had to like it too or they didn't ride in my car. I still rock this album... in fact, I might have to put it back in my car for another tour.



Final Thoughts:

Patrick Robinson: The Marshall Mathers LP is a perfect example of what happens when fame begins to creep up on someone who probably wasn't even expecting it. Even if he was, I doubt he could have predicted how significantly it would begin to affect his personal life too. It did lead us to arguably one of his best albums with only a few missteps preventing this album from entering into the upper levels of 'Classic' status, but nevertheless, is an excellent album. To me, at this point Eminem had mastered his own flow, style and brand of humor and it will be hard for him to match the level of quality he brought here with Relapse, but I'm certainly looking forward to it.

Jon Kinsey: There are many who suggest that this is the greatest rap album of all time and I will quite happily agree with them. The empty materialism of Gangsta Rap didn't mean anything to me and made me hate an entire means of musical expression. It was this album that re-opened my eyes and made me re-assess my preconceptions. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that The Marshall Mathers LP made rap relevant to a whole generation of people who could not understand the Gangsta sub-culture's pathological obsessions with guns, cars and "hos". Yes, this album has those allusions, but it wraps them up in a package that is somehow more mature, more thought provoking and more groundbreaking than any hip-hop collection I have ever heard. It is consistently brilliant from start to finish, never letting up, never backing down, always challenging. I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Matt Shoemaker: This is one of my favorites, even though the skits are lame. Like I said, even the skip tracks are pretty good, although done to death. This is Eminem at his peak, in my opinion, and he's on his game on all accounts here. The PSA is pretty... offensive, but funny, as well. Definitely sets the tone for the album.

Ben Czajkowski: There's a reason that this controversial album set records when it was first released back in 2000 and has sold like 20 million copies worldwide: it's amazing. It's one of the best rap albums that I've ever listened to and for good cause: it is.

Weng Yu: I think this is one of those albums that you really appreciate after a while. At the time I liked it, but I thought it was a bit over-rated. After listening to it again for this column, I've gained a different perspective. The production is tighter than I remember, the subject matter is disturbing but wildly creative, and putting the two together means a quality album. Compared to the popcorn fluff that hip hop is turning into nowadays, this is a welcome reminder of how good rap can be when its done right.

Joshua George: I have to agree with Weng in saying that it's much better now than it was then. I loved it then when it came out and I was ready to fight anyone who said any shit about Eminem OR his CD. Now that I've listened to it over the years, I've grown to love it even more. This album TRULY came at a perfect time in my life (Freshman Year of college), and was by my side at all times. I still have this album at the ready on my laptop and could produce a copy of it as fast as my burner would go. Anyone need one? No seriously...

Stay tuned for next week when we go back and take a look at The Eminem Show. Also if you'd like to join the cool kids, follow us on Twitter!