producers: dr. dre, mel-man, the 45 king, eminem, f.b.t.

guests: dido, rbx, sticky fingaz, bizarre, dr. dre, snoop dogg, xzibit, nate dogg, d-12

Some people will go and say that this album is as anticipated as the returning of Christ. That of course is a bunch of b.s. But the first week will show if the circulating mp3's, or the hating that always comes with pop success can hurt the sales in any significant way. However, this album does not suffer from a sophomore jinx. It suffers from weak beats, and it will confuse and piss off a lot of listeners, but if you dig deeper you will hear an album by a superstar that does not know how to deal with his stardom.

After another "Public Service Announcement", "Kill You" is his well known insanity stepped up a notch. He's rapping about "oh now he's raping his own mother / abusing the whore" which then causes people to go "and we gave him the Rolling Stone cover". If you compare the pace of his flow on this with a "My Name Is", it's also faster, and you can also hear how dope his delivery is, how he uses vocal tones, and how few other emcees have such a presence behind the mic. The beat is a "Chronic" outtake though. It's simple and can only entertain in a bare way. One of the most controversial, but also brilliant songs on the album is up next. "Stan" is a track that could probably and tragically be truer than ever desired. Stan, Em's 'no. 1 fan' writes his favorite star two letters. He talks about how he can relate to Em, how he lives, how he thinks about him as a fan. After the second letter, complaining about not getting a response, he then tapes something for Em, where he talks about and reenacts many things from Em's rhymes. The story ends with him killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend. Em did answer the letters and answers a lot of real questions, he says "oh what's that shit about you like to cut your wrist too / I say that shit just clownin', come on dog, how fucked up is you". Combined with a beat by the misunderstood 45 King, with guitars, rain sample and a chorus beautifully sung by Dido, as well as some pen writing in the back, it combines a gripping atmosphere, that makes the letters too real, because Em probably gets letters like that. And this is showing Em's trouble with his fame, how he does not know how to deal with such things, it shows his insecurity, and just like Stan's letter are a cry for help, so is this track one from Eminem.

After such an emotional cut, Em entertains us with a short phone call by his manager "Paul". This is very funny. "Who Knew" is another weak Dre and Mel-Man beat, that gives Em another chance to spit some insanity rhymes, but Em also starts to justify himself, answering and commenting critics, he goes "you want me to fix up lyrics while the president gets his dick sucked?" and "get a sense of humor, we wanna censor music, this is for the kids amusement" and he asks "how much damage can you do with a pen". The next skit "Steve Berman", again is a funny interlude, before the self produced "The Way I Am" comes in. In a 'new' and working flow he writes about his pain "I don't mean to be mean, but that's all I can be is just me". And again, he talks about his stardom situation when he says "I'm so sick and tired of being admired, that I wish that I would just die or get fired and drop from my label". He goes "I'm not gon' be able to top 'Hi My Name Is' / ... / a poppy sensation that cocked me rotation, with rock'n'roll stations, and I just do not got the patience to deal with those cocky Caucasians and you think I'm some whigger who tries to be black, because I talk with an accent". He rhymes "and I'm thankful for every fan that I get, but I can't take a shit in the bathroom without someone standing by me".

"The Real Slim Shady", the lead single is already known. The beat only starts to work during the chorus, while Em talks about imposters: fans and artists, he talks about the business, press, etc. He spits "it's the return of the 'oh wait, no way, your kidding, he didn't just say what I think he said, did he'". Brittany, Christina and boy groups get mentioned and he spits "and there's a million of us just like me, who cuss like me, who just don't give a fuck like me, who dress like me, walk talk and act like me, it just might be the next best thing, but not quite me". Finally we get a dope Dr. Dre and Mel beat on "Remember Me". The graff sounds are unexplained, while the chorus of RBX's track "A.W.O.L." is reused on here (and funny enough: "A.W.O.L." was a track dissing Dr. Dre) to introduce each of the emcees, which works brilliantly. Next up is "I'm Back" another 'traditional' Em track with some insanity rhymes and some comments about the business. Over another weak and too dumbed down Dre beat, Em spits "and by the way, Nsync, why do they sing? / am I the only one who realizes they stink?". One line even got censored and Jennifer Lopez is called out as the only singer Em wants to stick it into.

The title cut "Marshall Mathers" is another cut that talks about him struggling with the business and success. He rhymes "watching all these cheap imitations, get rich off of me, getting dollars, it shouldn't be theirs, like we switched wallets". The 'calling out names' goes into overdrive with Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Brittany, New Kids On The Block, girl groups, Vanilla Ice all getting their share. Insane Clown Posse are dissed for most of one verse, and also his underground fans (because they accuse him of turning around on him), his mom and relatives (another line censored) and XXL (because of their infamous, but good, article on him) are dissed. But what gives this track a really bad taste (and the whole album a pop taste) is the cheesy 80s guitar solo at the end. A definitive no-no. The "Ken Kaniff" skit is not too interesting, same goes for "Drug Ballad", a pop tune with interesting drum programming, and attempts of dopeness when the piano is added. "Amityville" is Em stuck, so more insanity rhymes, over a dope FBT beat, and Bizarre is returning the favor of "Trife Thieves". Trying to relive the magic of Snoops original version, "Bitch Please II" combines Dre, Snoop, Xzibit, Nate Dogg and Em over a dope beat, while the middle ages instrument wouldn't have been needed. This track allows Dre to shout out the name of the upcoming N.W.A album, Snoop polishes his flow and Xzibit spits "when things get rough, I'm in the club shooting with Puff".

"Kim" should be the last song on this album, because its intensity does not allow us to calm down again for the last two remaining tracks. The intensity is built with him using real names, this is the prequel to "Bonnie And Clyde", and this is Em showing his brilliant vocal capability, his acting skills. But with his constant claim of being misunderstood, he is trying to make it sound impossible that he's mistreating Kim. She's like an abused female that says 'I love you' as much as she gets hit by him. And essentially, love and hate are not that far away from each other, or better, it seems to be 'easier' to hate someone, if at one point in time you loved him / her. A touching and gripping track. But as said, it's not the end of the album, "Under The Influence" featuring D-12 is some thuggish content over another weak beat, "Criminal" is a 'I don't mean what I say in my rhymes' track, with the beat having a hidden musicality to it. Em rhymes "hey, it's me Versace, oops, somebody shot me / and I was just checking the mail (male)" and he does the South Park Saddam's voice.

While many of the tracks are long, the album clicks in at 72'17", they are very much not radio ready. The popish beats essentially are the weakest element of the album, but the lyrics are quite amazing. This is a very honest album which real content. Actually realer content than most other hip hop albums ever done. Eminem is putting real thoughts into his music, it really being his chance to rid him off his hunting thoughts. But with him now threatening to sue a lot of fansites because of leaked album material, several disses to his fans on this album, you wonder how they will take it. A lot of people will be pissed off by these rhymes, especially since Eminem sounds very unthankful during several moments on this album. But as stated at the beginning of the album: this is a cat who suffers to come to terms with his success, with the business and with all that is happening to him. And he is forced to give a fuck