Aaron Matthews isn’t American, but he gets the gist. Among popular rappers, Emimem’s sense of self-awareness is rivalled by only Jay and (arguably) 50 Cent. On his ’97 song “Low Down, Dirty,” he imitates a backpacker critiquing the Slim Shady EP: “Slim Shady, his tape is dope, I love it/It’s rugged, but he needs to […]

Aaron Matthews doesn’t want to sit next to Carson Daly or Fred Durst. On his second go-around, Eminem wanted to get personal, balancing the Slim Shady persona with Marshall Mathers. Putting himself under the microscope, he weighs influence and impact, evaluating and manipulating his own image of the media. It established the template for the […]

Matthews On Mathers is a new feature where Aaron Matthews will reevaluate the Eminem discography within the context of Marshall’s current status as parent-approved pop star. We begin where it began for most people – Eminem’s first major label record. “My Name Is” hasn’t aged well, but it’s a good place to start. Eminem’s first […]