Eminem

Released: February 23, 1999

Songwriter: Eminem

Producer: Dr. Dre

It's like this and like that and like this
I'm the illest rapper to hold the cordless, patrollin' corners
Lookin' for hookers to punch in the mouth with a roll of quarters
I'm meaner in action than Roscoe beatin' James Todd Senior
And smackin' his back with vacuum cleaner attachments
I grew up in a wild hood, as a hazardous youth
With a fucked up childhood that I used as an excuse
And ain't shit changed, I kept the same mind state
Since the third time that I failed ninth grade
You probably think that I'm a negative person
Don't be so sure of it
I don't promote violence, I just encourage it
I laugh at the sight of death
As I fall down a cement flight of steps
And land inside a bed of spider webs
So throw caution to the wind
You and a friend can jump off of a bridge
And if you live, do it again
Shit, why not? Blow your brain out, I'm blowin' mine out
Fuck it, you only live once, you might as well die now

A legendary hip-hop icon who started as an underground battle rapper in Detroit, Marshall “Eminem” Bruce Mathers III (1972 – present) has developed a career full of controversy, wild swings, and some of the most noteworthy raps in the history of the genre.

Eminem has broken countless barriers, shifting and impacting the culture in several ways. In June 2017, “Stan” was added into the Oxford Dictionary, and in 2019, to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. He was the first rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Album for three consecutive albums. “Rap God” set the Guinness World Record for most words in a song. He was also the first rapper to win an Oscar. His albums The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show became certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2011, making him one of the few artists to have more than one Diamond album. This has helped him become the highest selling hip-hop artist of all time. In January 2020, with his 11th studio album Music to Be Murdered By debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Eminem became the first artist in history to have 10 consecutive #1 debuts.

Produced and co-signed by Dr. Dre, Em had an unprecedented run of success from 1999 up until 2003, releasing three well-reviewed multi-platinum albums, stealing the show on countless collaborations, and even starred in a hit movie. However, it all came crashing down around 2004, when a string of problems ranging from drug dependence to depression to the tragic death of best friend Deshaun “Proof” Holton in 2006 led to a long hiatus from music and a pair of what were, by his own admission, sub-par albums.

more tracks from the album

The Slim Shady LP (Expanded Edition)

From the albums

The Singles (2003)
The Slim Shady LP (Expanded Edition) (2019)

Eminem popular songs

Hazardous YouthEminem

Eminem

The Slim Shady LP (Expanded Edition)