This album ,which was released in 1999, relates real life dramas along with fictional murdering and rape fantasies. Eminem talks about drugs, alcohol and violence. It also refers to a period where Eminem was facing a lot of financial and personal problems.
The Slim Shady LP gives birth to Eminem’s alter ego who is a mad character, a psychopath killer. Slim Shady also represents our hidden thoughts, each person’s dark side.
“Brain Damage is a mixture of autobiographical facts (it’s the story of Marshall Mathers getting bullied by D’Angelo Bailey at school) and fictional facts (like his retaliation). The discerning listener will understands easily that the killing and murdering fantasies are not serious.
“Bonnie and Clyde 97” is a fantasy about killing Kim. Some sensitive people may be shocked by the lyrics of Bonnie and Clyde, but they should try to understand the context in which it was written: Kim had dumped Marshall and she tried to separate him from Hailie. This song is a retaliation and Hailie whose voice is used in the track, is his accomplice.
If you have ever experienced financial and personal difficulties, you will probably be able to relate to “If I had” and to “Rock Bottom”. “Rock Bottom” is a song that moves me deeply and reminds me of a very dark period of my life.
“Rock Bottom” is themost realistic song of the whole album… It was written the night Eminem attempted suicide. He addresses to people who have comfortable lives and who don’t realize the hard conditions of living of poor people. This dedication is sarcastic. Usually those people who live so comfortably are blind to pain and misery.
When you’ve hit the bottom, you’ve been humbled to the point that you know “we are all going the same way when we die”. You are much more closer to this metaphysical truth. “Guilty conscience” which was co-written with Dr. Dre, envisions the reality of the American society.
As you probably all know, Eminem doesn’t mind offending you.
But if he did: Good! Cuz he still “doesn’t give a f…”!