Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP

As an old proverb says: if you want something done right, do it yourself!

And so, since (incredibly...) there is not a single review of this album, which is truly a milestone in rap music (and beyond), I decided to take action! As you may have already realized, "The Marshall Mathers LP" is for me one of the best albums I have ever listened to, where Eminem manages to perfectly blend an extraordinary rapping ability with beats that make (almost) every song extremely engaging, showing us at the same time his most fun and amused side (as in "The Real Slim Shady" or "Under The Influence"), the angrier side ("The Way I Am") and even the more serious side ("Stan" or "Marshall Mathers").

Speaking of individual songs, you are spoilt for choice trying to find a better one than the others: although not at all despicable, this is certainly not "The Real Slim Shady", a playful chant in the style of the previous "My Name Is". In any case, read the translated lyrics of this song: if you manage to understand that here Eminem just wants to make fun of everything and everyone (including himself...) you will manage to have a good laugh. Much more serious, on the other hand, is "The Way I Am", the second single in which Marshall talks about how many things piss him off, about the fact that people see in him just a star-system character forgetting that beneath that platinum blonde hair there is also a real person who, in the end, just asks not to be always surrounded by annoying people 24 hours a day... Another very famous piece is "Stan", a wonderful duet with Dido (who really becomes known to the vast public here) about the obsession of a fan towards him. Among other songs, particularly successful are "Marshall Mathers" (whose message is: until yesterday, when I wasn't selling records, nobody gave a damn about me, so why am I now on everyone's lips? What the hell do you want from me?) "Amityville" and "Bitch Please II" (both halfway between serious and humorous, featuring among others Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Bizarre) and finally the psychotic chorus of "Under The Influence".

What stands out the most about this album, however, is the lack of boring or clichéd songs that make you want to skip to the next track. No, Eminem always keeps you glued to the stereo, if only out of curiosity to hear who will be the next victim of his jokes (Will Smith? Britney? Limp Bizkit? There is something for everyone...) simultaneously making it clear that the first person to not take himself too seriously is precisely him: after all, it's just music...