20 Years Out, A Look Back At The Marshall Mathers LP

We got to talking about how quarantine has had us in a bit of a reminiscent and reflective mood. We then realized a bunch of our favorite albums were coming up on some massive milestones. Given that these records are turning or have recently turned 20, 30, or even 40 this year we wanted to give them a bit of an anniversary gift. So, we’re introducing our classic picks to some other members of the Family. How does our chosen classic album hold up for someone without all the magical mental baggage we’ve packed onto it. Find out each week on, Trust Me It’s a Classic.

Greg

There’s always an album that listeners can immediately point to and say “that! That’s what made [insert name]...[insert name]. On its 20th anniversary, that’s exactly what the Marshall Mathers LP signifies for Eminem. His debut album shocked the world with “My Name Is” - asking the simple questions of “Hi kids, do you like violence? Wanna see me stick nine-inch nails through each one of my eyelids?”. If Slim Shady LP was the catalyst for Em’s newfound space in Hip-hop lore, the Marshall Mathers LP is him dealing with the repercussions of his rhymes. From “Stan”, to “Who Knew”, “The Way I Am”, “Real Slim Shady”, and “Criminal”- Eminem comments on his newfound fame and better yet...leans into everything people THINK he is, while cementing his place in music history with one of the best selling albums of all time. 

On a personal note, this was my true introduction to Marshall Mathers, and for most suburban parents-they were semi-horrified that a 7 year old kid knew all the words to Real Slim Shady. Some lyrics that include: “Yeah, I probably got a couple of screws up in my head loose, But no worse than what's goin' on in your parents' bedrooms” and of course “So you can sit me here next to Britney Spears? Shit, Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs. So I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst and hear 'em argue over who she gave head to first”. Ah the aggressive head turn of my mom and dad as I rapped each line with precision is still burned into my memory. Ultimately, this album not only has stood the test of time, but it’s matured and grown with ever shifting cultural tide. I Stan you Eminem and will continue to forever.

Sean

“The Marshall Mathers LP” is an important milestone for creative freedom. Eminem is a controversial character. As evident in their lyrics they often felt under scrutiny for what they could say through their artistic expression. While the introduction of streaming services has changed the way we consume media at the time of its release, getting negative attention for explicit lyrics had the potential to affect record sales, and your livelihood as an artist.

“The Marshall Mathers LP'' was Eminem’s way of showing the world that you can do literally anything in an album and still have it be a widely received success. A skit where  Shaggy and Jay of Insane Clown Posse perform Fellatio? Sure why not. Every expletive known to the human race? All in the record. A track where you create the soundscape of gruesomely murdering your ex? That's in there too. While at times it goes way too far that is a large part of what Eminem was trying to say with the record. Love it or hate it “The Marshall Mathers LP'' encourages more freedom in creative expression, and that’s pretty neat.

Frank

There is a lot to say about Eminem. Although his music is dated, and hasn’t aged all that well, it does serve as a sort of time capsule for the new millennium. It’s hard to imagine in 2020 that someone like Eminem could be an A-list star. Mainstream musicians these days are too vanilla, they profusely apologize and grovel for forgiveness at the slightest misstep or backlash. Everything is so safe and boring. Eminem was not. And there’s where I have a massive respect for him. I wish there was a mainstream artist making music that caused a moral panic all over the country. Do evangelicals even burn books and records anymore? How dull. 

Should I have snuck into the computer lab at recess and showed my friends the song “Kim”? Probably not. Did I give a tentative yes in my head when Em asked if I liked violence? Yes. Was it good for me? Who’s to say? I still sort of laugh to myself when I think about the kind of people who listen to “The Way I Am” and think to themselves “That’s so me”. But I find something endearing about that. That video has so much edge, I love it. Where are kids supposed to express their anger in 2020? I guess they can always go back and listen to the now 20-year-old Marshall Mathers LP.