Background
Inspired by the disappointment of his debut album, Infinite (1996), Eminem created the alter ego Slim Shady, whom he introduced on The Slim Shady EP (1997). After placing second in the annual Rap Olympics, Eminem was noticed by the staff at Interscope Records and eventually CEO Jimmy Iovine, who played The Slim Shady EP for rapper Dr. Dre. Eminem and Dr. Dre then recorded The Slim Shady LP (1999), which was noted for its over-the-top lyrical depictions of drugs and violence. The Slim Shady LP became a commercial and critical success, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and selling 283,000 copies in its first week. At the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999, the record won Best Rap Album, while the album's lead single "My Name Is" won Best Rap Solo Performance.
The Slim Shady LP turned Eminem from an unknown rapper to a high-profile celebrity. The rapper, who had previously struggled to provide for his daughter Hailie, noted a drastic change in his lifestyle. He married his girlfriend Kimberly Scott, the mother of his daughter, in June 1999, despite the fact that the song "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" from The Slim Shady LP contains references to killing her. The rapper became uncomfortable with the level of fame he had achieved, and reflected, "I don't trust nobody now because everybody I meet is meeting me as Eminem...I don't know if they are hanging with me 'cause they like me or because I'm a celebrity or because they think they can get something from me." Eminem also became a highly controversial figure due to his lyrical content. He was labeled as "misogynist, a nihilist and an advocate of domestic violence", and in an editorial by Billboard editor in chief Timothy White, the writer accused Eminem of "making money by exploiting the world's misery".
Read more about this topic: The Marshall Mathers LP
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