“I wanted an album so rugged, nobody could touch it,” Eminem proclaims. If he’s referring to rap albums, this LP might just be that. I’ll say here and now with no hesitation or reservation that Eminem is the best rapper I’ve ever heard. No popular rapper you can think of, alive or dead, even comes close. I might’ve been saying the same about guest Royce Da 5-9 if he weren’t upstaged by a rapper whose comedic wit, clever wordplay and sheer rhyme skills near genius.

There is very little filler in Eminem’s verses. Even when he’s lacing them with unnecessary profanities; the Slim Shady persona is a deviant (white-trash) druggie who aims to offend; almost every two bars are a quality set and many of those sets are classic quotables. Unless he’s cheating it somehow, his creativity is close to amazing. He even does his own sound effects. The beats are also impressive, so the album’s only major drawbacks fall on Faulty choruses and silly skits.

my rating : 4 of 5

1999

audio review : The Marshall Mathers LP ( album ) … Eminem
audio review : Hell [ The Sequel ] ( album ) … Bad Meets Evil