Eminem and Dr. Dre had their first session in the former N.W.A producer’s Los Angeles, California home studio. Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s longtime manager, recently told XXL that this day was an important one for the success of the Detroit, Michigan rapper’s debut album, The Slim Shady LP, which was released 15 years ago, on February 23, 1999.
“In that session [Eminem] recorded ‘My Name Is’ and a couple other records,” Rosenberg says in the interview. “It set the tone for the album.”
The album features lyrics that were deemed controversial by many, though applauded by others. In 1999, for example, the Los Angeles Times wrote about the rapper’s lyrical content. “In Eminem’s bizarre stories, he battles his conscience in exploits such as robbing an old woman, drugging and sexually assaulting an underage girl and murdering his adulterous wife,” The LA Times wrote at the time. “He isn’t afraid to say anything; his lyrics are so clever that he makes murder sound as if it’s a funny act he may indulge in simply to pass the time.” The lyrical content was enough to put fear in Eminem’s camp at the time because Rosenberg says it could have prevented some of the album’s reach.
“Em knows his lyrics get reactions,” Rosenberg says. “It’s part of his art. But when there was talk about some chains not carrying the albums…We were like, ‘Woah.'”
In 1999, Eminem spoke with Rolling Stone about criticism surrounding his lyrics and their impact on young audiences. “My album isn’t for younger kids to hear,” Eminem said at the time. “It has an advisory sticker, and you must be eighteen to get it. That doesn’t mean younger kids won’t get it, but I’m not responsible for every kid out there. I’m not a role model, and I don’t claim to be.”
Paul Rosenberg Says “Nobody” Anticipated The Slim Shady LP’s Success
Along with these potential concerns regarding the album’s release, Rosenberg says that the label representatives and others were unsure as to how this project would be received.
“We had no idea how commercially successful the album would be,” Rosenberg says. “Nobody did.”
Despite not knowing if the project would end up being a success, Rosenberg says he looks back on it with appreciation. “I loved the album,” Rosenberg says. “I thought that Em was bringing a fresh perspective on the album and the character Slim Shady was like something most people had never heard before.”
In the 1999 Rolling Stone interview, Eminem said his life was altered once the album’s first single, “My Name Is” was released. “I couldn’t even get into a motherfucking club just being Eminem, before the video,” Eminem said at the time. “Last night they had people clearing tables for me. It’s fucking bananas. Scary shit, too, ’cause you can fall just as quick as you went to the top.”
The album’s release marked the major label start to what has become a commercially successful career for Eminem. Now, 15 years later, Rosenberg says that the Slim Shady emcee has not changed when it comes to his work in the studio.
“He’s always been a studio rat,” Rosenberg says. “He goes hours at a clip without leaving the booth. When he’s determined and on a creative spark, there’s nothing else he’s focused on. That’s been the same since day one.”
RELATED: Eminem “The Slim Shady LP” In Review: 15-Year Anniversary
cross dressing freak
Are you? Nice of you to tell us.
haha wtf ^^^
The irony is this dude is prolly an Kanye, A$AP or Yung Thug fan LOLOLOLOLOL
EMINEM IS A WEIRDO, BUT HIS MUSIC WAS GOOD BETWEEN 1996 AND 2003
em was pretty good. until he got older and still rapped the same things he was rapping about in early 2000s
You obviously don’t listen to him then, because he started off violent with rage aimed at his mother and ex-wife, dissin’ bubble gum pop stars/weaksauce rappers/etc., and loving on his daughter…midway he was spittin’ about drugs and how his best friend’s murder f’ed him up, and nowadays he comes gun blazing with his entire arsenal, sobriety, Dre & 50, and appreciation of life…his career went from mainly Slim Shady to Marshall Mathers to Eminem as his self described personalities shone brightest…listen before spewing nonsense
ems best music came when he was rapping along side obie, stat, banks, dmx, ect
When did he rap with dmx? I dont remember any of that unless it was on dmx album and a small part. His last album was about as good as his old albums i dont care what anyone says, hes 40 and still making some other rappers look pathetic.
Go to sleep had em obie and dmx
They only participated on 1 song together and it was a diss to Ja Rule. So why even bother mentionning that they worked together like it happenned a couple times?
Em copied dmx!!! Listen to Damien ! Damien=slim shady
EMINEM=SEVERELY OVERRATED
Jealous negro detected.
lol
More like 2pac before that equals sign
Not even close to being overrated. If anything he’s underrated cause all these “street hip hop fans” and “hip hop heads” don’t give him credit for basically being the illest lyricist ever.
illest lyricist ever?
top 5 DOA
If he wasn’t white his career would have been over long ago.
Em is top 5 dead or alive for sure. After Big, Jay, Nas and Pac though.
Hes not behind Jay you moron
Top 5…not after anybody. He is the G.O.A.T. Thats why nobody fucks with him and other rappers say they wouldn’t ever get on his badside. who else has that kind of influence? and like Em says himself, “I got an evil twin, so who do you think that third and that fourth’s spots for?!” when he’s discussing Biggie and Pac on Evil Twin. He is the greatest, above Biggie and Pac even. this is coming from someone who’s been heavily into hip hop since 1987, not some punk kid who didn’t live through hip hops different phases…Eminem will murder anyone on a record! Even his guest spots on other people’s records he kills them…from Jay, to Wayne, to B.O.B., to Busta Rhymes…nobody fucks with the whiteboy! and yall mad right now!
You just had to find the freakiest photo, didn’t you DX?
up to I looked at the receipt which had said $8573 , I have faith that my brothers friend was like they say truley bringing in money in their spare time from their computer. . there moms best frend started doing this for only about 10 months and as of now cleared the dept on their cottage and got a great new Maserati . over at this website……………http://x.co/3xKAb
up to I looked at the receipt which had said $8573 , I have faith that my brothers friend was like they say truley bringing in money in their spare time from their computer. . there moms best frend started doing this for only about 10 months and as of now cleared the dept on their cottage and got a great new Maserati . over at this website………http://x.co/3xKHM
Web Series “The Rapper”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-7N1i19wuk
Average album at best…Very dope MC’ing on here though.
it’s a masterpiece
Eminem was and still is a fag.
fuckup
Thank you white people for buying this garbage, err music.
You’re garbage. Now Gtfo, negro
if Eminem is such garbage like ppl say how come no-1 tries him … and how come the ones that did had their careers end … you don’t go after the GOAT MJ of this bitch get it right
never was a big fan of pill pop rap and his beef with the Disney channel pop stars but it is what it is.
Before – great emcee, after – wack emcee
people love to hate… how the fuck is he “wack”?! I agree his late work is nothing like his classic material but saying it’s wack… get the fuck outta here.. as an emcee he still has bars and you just cant deny that.
Fuck Eminem & all Whitey
faggot
the reptilian eminem of today has dark slanted eyes
before before before before…..after
my best friend’s ex-wife makes $75 an hour on the computer . She has been out of work for 9 months but last month her pay was $12505 just working on the computer for a few hours.
see post>>>>>>>>>>> >> http://WWW.Works6.COM
I speak of what i think, feel and believe you can go ahead and laugh at me all you want you can mock me all you want and you can insult me all you want but you wont break me so here goes nothing i guess. I am both LUCIFER and JEHOVAH those are who i really am my divine mother gave birth to me she fell in love with me and she remained faithful to me ever since so far i remember anyway as for Eminem what would you say if Eminem was one of my divine sons in human flesh if this were true and if Eminem inherited talent from me what would you say to this or if Eminem was even surprisingly one of Satans sons if Satan became an incredible musican himself/herself and Eminem inherited the talent in a way for example in rapping would you find this retarded or what ? you can say whatever you want. Would you really not imagined Eminem being a son of Satan in human flesh but if it were true would you had still liked Eminem or would you resent him for being related to Satan but if i was Eminems real father if this were true and if i could have sweared myself and rapped if i wanted to if had lots of things i thought about and werent scared of saying what i wanted to say if Eminem inherited little of that from me if he became bold and that his life made him into the guy you see today but if its little more than that if its not as simple as it seems if Eminem was really actually a supernatural being in human flesh if remembered things and then lived in denial or tried to hide his real identity what would you say ?. Thats all i had to say farewell you foolish, blind, naive and misguided mortals.
i got a mix up with magic mushrooms and E saucer pills. if you eat these you can see clearly through your earth eyes. i’m walking a goat , it will look like a dog if you eat these sweets
lucifer shut the fuck up.
slime shady is a E-Boy!!!! T F i hate E -people!! with a pation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!