Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? On Eminem’s sophomore album, he can’t decide who he wants to be: the deranged pseudo-psycho of the Slim Shady LP, or a nice guy who just likes to rhyme about slicing and dicing his girlfriend (”Kim”). Of course, according to Eminem, he’s just kidding. He refuses to take responsibility for the misogynistic, homophobic bile he spews, whining that he’s the victim of people who don’t get his unique sense of humor. It’s good old America’s fault [Read More...]
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Eminem’s Best
I know I am 9 years late to review this album, but I needed to give it the review it deserved anyways.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite.
Man I love this cd. Dude is at the top in the rap games and this just show his skill further. If you like em and rap then get this. I liked almost every song on the cd.
If this CD was made by HBO films, it would definitely qualify as a “guilty pleasure”! Lyrically, Eminem is brutally honest and holds no punches - dissing everybody from Will Smith, Britney Spears, President Clinton, Christine Aguilera, Christopher Reeves…and so on. This boy has some serious issues! With 18 tracks deep of punchlines and hooks that hurt, you’ll get your money’s worth.
Standout cuts are:
“Marshall Mathers” - In his sick-but-honest manner, Em addresses issues that affect him personally like phony family members, Tupac and Biggie’s death, and boy bands.
“Stan” - This track displays his true writing talent. In jarring detail, Em displays the thoughts of a troubled fan desparate for his attention.
“Who Knew” - This is aimed directly at parents who blame all the troubles they have with their children on Em and others in the entertainment industry. Definitely worth the listen for those with teens.
“Kim” - Not for those raised in an abusive household. Brutal, in-depth view of a jealous husband/lover with a motive to be “rid” of his girl.
“Criminal” - Twisted and funny (especially the robbery scene). Eminem displays his many personalities with tight lyrics.
Helping to hold this album down are his boys D-12 (Dirty Dozen) from his hometown Detroit. They represent on the demented “Amityville” track and on “Under The Influence”.
Compared to his debut album, this album is a lot darker. Please remember folks, this is just entertainment. Relax and enjoy.
-Kenetic Monk
The release of The Marshall Mathers LP must have driven a whole bunch of Eminem-haters crazy because, with this second album, Eminem proved he was here to stay. In my opinion, this is the best of Eminem’s first three albums, taking the rap and hip-hop up more than a few notches from the already lofty heights attained in The Slim Shady LP. This artist’s unique personal flair really bursts forth here, giving us beats and rhymes much more complex and musically adept than what had come before. In addition, Eminem has by now thoroughly come into his own. He is intentionally courting controversy, daring his critics and those who would love to have him censored or simply locked away somewhere to step outside with everything they have. Those who will look underneath the violence and the swearing and the offensive remarks Eminem makes in his lyrics will find a deeply complex person with something important to say, a man who does, in his own special way, highlight the kind of real problems many young people face in the modern world, and the accusing fingers he points in all directions often serve to highlight the problems inherent in the individual and society itself. And, as he is wont to say, he is the only person brave enough to say these things.
This album hits the floor running with Kill You, a track announcing to the world Eminem’s confidence in himself and rejection of authority and criticism. This level of comfort and confidence proves a great boon to the next track Stan, a song in which he reverses roles and plays the innocent good guy who is too late to help a deeply troubled fan. Eminem marvels at his own stardom in Who Knew and Marshall Mathers, breaks the news to the Eminem-haters that I’m Back, and taunts them all, with a little help from RBX and Sticky Fingez, with the track Remember Me?. The Way I Am is an important song, as Eminem clearly understands that his public persona is not the real Marshall Mathers but is rather whatever the people think he is; to his critics, he will always be a subversive criminal corrupting the youth of America, but to his fans he is something much different. Songs like Amityville (featuring Bizarre from D-12) and … Please II (with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Nate Dogg) raise the levels of violence and strong language up to a level that might not appeal to all Eminem fans, but the tracks are very well laid out. Criminal is the perfect ending to the album, a final statement about Eminem’s nature and the interpretation of what he does by the public at large. However, the most important track on this second album, in many ways the song that made me a fan, is Kim. This track, a prequel to the first album’s Bonnie and Clyde 97, is understandably controversial, seeing as how it is basically a fantasy about Eminem murdering his wife, but in a very, very strange way it is actually a love song of sorts. Few songs can rival it in terms of the immense power it communicates, especially toward the end when Eminem is basically shouting, letting go of all the betrayal and anger he feels inside.
I am not really into rap and hip-hop in general, so it is difficult for me to review albums such as this. Beyond trying to communicate how incredible I think The Marshall Mathers LP is, the main point I would like to make is that no one should simply dismiss this music without listening to it for themselves. Many of those who objectively give Eminem a chance will still hate the guy, but it is much better to determine your own feelings first-hand as opposed to dissing the guy simply because you’ve heard he is violent and dangerous or because some group has labeled him a bad influence on young people.
“The Marshall Mathers LP” is a stellar stand alone album and it is a more than impressive follow-up to “The Slim Shady LP” (which I thought was a classic)…In his first CD Eminem rapped about his life before he made his first album…in this album he talks about life since his first album…
This album is full of the unbelievable lyrical twisting and word arrangement that has become synonymous with Eminem…(You become so used to hearing his awesome flow that you almost forget how hard it is to give you verse after verse of hot lyrics)…If you are a true hip-hop fan you will love this album…(like Rah Digga said “Checkin for the rhymes not checkin for the track”)…Pick any song and you will find more hot lyrics than you would find on the entire album of some of today’s “hottest” rappers…don’t get me wrong though…the tracks are hot too…
The only place where the album lacks is in the guest appearances…None of the guests on the album can touch Eminem in lyrical skills so they actually sound really wack next to him…(except track 15…Dre, Snoop and Xzibit hold their own)…
If you are familiar with Eminem, the album will not shock you as much as “The Slim Shady LP”…which is good…he has already made it known that he will say anythihg…any further attempt to prove that would be ridiculous…
If you didn’t like the last album…or what Eminem has put out since…you won’t like this album…This album is full of the same themes, tones and content of his previous work…but if you loved what Eminem has put out before…you will definately love this…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eminem at his best
this is eminem at his best every song is worth listening this album is deep and a takes on a wild ride across marshall mathers life growing up.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Eminem’s finest achievements, an album that still startles…
Many love Eminem. Some think he’s a genius, a true artist, and one of the greatest rappers ever. Others think he’s just a poser who is misogynistic, homophobic, and vulgar…
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best albums in rap
After a “Good” cd from eminem two months later i went out and bought Marshall Matters LP going in thinking “Well it’ll be enjoyable like the first, but dunno if i can take his old…
1.0 out of 5 stars
no!!!
I do not like his elementary rhymes. Rhyming dictionaries are to be used as tools, plagiarizing the merriam-webster rhyming dictionary does not impress me.
5.0 out of 5 stars
best cd
this cd is raw uncut its the s**t i love it.
top 5 tracks
1.iam back
2.kill you
3.crimnal
4.drug ballad
5.stan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Em’s Best Album
This was definatly Em’s gratest moment artistically, and even 9 years later it still hits hard, proving that it wasnt just “Shock value” that made it a hit.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Expression of Angst and Repressed Feelings
Although Eminem’s been heavily criticized for this bombshell of insults, murderous rhymes and homophobia, “The Marhsall Mathers LP” is a brilliant rap album like no other…
1.0 out of 5 stars
Pure gay garbage!
I completely despise this guy feminem who by the way has no real musical talent he’s just a white trash whiny baby who just thinks people including his fans owe him a favor by…