Rap music is undeniably one of the five most popular genres of the 21st century. A handful of artists have contributed to this fact, especially Eminem. When Eminem came onto the scene in 1999 with his major debut album, Slim Shady LP, folks knew he was here to stay. However, they had yet to discover the capacity in which he was planning to do so. Well, that changed on this day 25 years ago, as Eminem cemented himself in pop culture with the release of The Marshall Mathers LP.
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Released on May 23, 2000, Eminem’s album is arguably one of the best albums of all time, not just in rap music, but in all of music. It’s divisive, ironical, violent, taboo, grotesque, visceral, and just downright darkly exceptional. At first, this through people for a whirl, as Eminem’s lyrics were seemingly just too much. However, it seems the masses just didn’t understand what the 21st-century poet was aiming to achieve. Which, at face value, was to create something far larger than himself.
Despite the initial negative reception, The Marshall Mathers LP still acquired hoards of success. Following its release, the album peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 1.76 million copies in its first week. More importantly, it set a precedent that would make every other 2000s rapper try to perform at Eminem’s level. Some have come close. Gut to us, well, nobody ever did.
How Eminem Made His Mark and Became a Heavy Hitter
In terms of subject matter and lyrics, the Marshall Mathers LP rivals Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’, Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, and N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton. In other words, it is one of the most important bodies of work when it comes to lyrical nuance and social relevancy.
Consequently, The Marshall Mathers LP scored Eminem a Grammy for the Best Rap Album in 2001. Furthermore, the album featured the iconic hits such as “The Real Slim Shady”, “The Way I Am”, and “Stan”. The release of this album truly marked a major milestone in the popular trajectory of rap music, and without it, there is no way of knowing what rap would look like today.
With all that in mind, this arbitrary day, May 23, isn’t so arbitrary after all. Rather, it is the day Eminem showed the world who he is and what he is capable of.
Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns
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