Eminem First Album [upd] [Chrome]

However, the album is perhaps best known for the criticism that plagued its release. Eminem was accused of sounding too much like Nas. For an artist desperate to carve out an identity, this comparison—while a compliment to his skill—was a blow to his originality.

The cover shows Eminem looking young, clean-shaven, almost soft — a stark contrast to the bleached-blond menace he’d become. The music? He rapped over mellow, jazzy, Nas- and AZ-inspired beats, with a calm, multi-syllabic flow. He wasn’t being funny or violent — just earnest. eminem first album

Marshall had just lost his job as a cook at Gilbert’s Lodge, his girlfriend was pregnant with Hailie, and he was living in a tiny, cockroach-infested apartment on Detroit’s east side. He and his friend/producer, the Bass Brothers, scraped together about $1,500 to press maybe 500–1,000 cassettes and records. However, the album is perhaps best known for