The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album and major label debut by American rapper Eminem. It was released on February 23, 1999 under Web Records and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. Recorded in Ferndale, Michigan following Eminem's recruitment by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, the album features production from Dr. Dre, the Bass Brothers, and Eminem himself. The majority of the record's lyrical content is written from the perspective of the rapper's alter ego Slim Shady, whom the rapper created on The Slim Shady EP (1997). The lyrics are noted for their over-the-top depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity.
The album was met with both critical and commercial success; critics praised Eminem for his unique lyrical style, and the record debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart behind TLC's FanMail with 283,000 copies sold in its opening week. The first official single, "My Name Is", peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Slim Shady LP went on to be certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The record won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and in 2003, the album was ranked number 273 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The Slim Shady LP turned Eminem from an unknown rapper into a high-profile celebrity. Interscope Records awarded him with his own record label, Shady Records, and he embarked on an extensive touring schedule to promote the album. In the summer of 1999, the rapper frequently performed on the Vans Warped Tour and in hip-hop clubs. He also became a highly controversial figure due to his lyrical content, which some perceived to be misogynistic and a negative influence on American youth. The rapper was also sued multiple times following the release of the album for reasons including slander and unauthorized sampling.
Read more about The Slim Shady LP: Background, Recording, Aftermath, Lawsuits, Track Listing
Famous quotes containing the words slim and/or shady:
“The vines of her arms
didn’t cling to the ends of his clothes,
or did she plant herself in the doorway,
hurl herself at his feet,
or utter the word “Stay!”
But as that fool began to go
at the time when it was dark with swarming clouds,
the slim girl blocked her lover’s way
with only a rising river
made with her flood of tears.”
—Amaru (c. seventh century A.D.)
“The sacrifice to Legba was completed; the Master of the Crossroads had taken the loas’ mysterious routes back to his native Guinea.
Meanwhile, the feast continued. The peasants were forgetting their misery: dance and alcohol numbed them, carrying away their shipwrecked conscience in the unreal and shady regions where the savage madness of the African gods lay waiting.”
—Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)