A brief story on his second album, The Marshall Mathers LP, this was the lead single but it was also the last song he recorded for it. Initially when he turned in the album the label told him he needed a big first single like "My Name Is," his first smash hit, for the pop charts and radio stations. At the time the closest thing on the record would have been "Stan." Out of anger and frustration he went back in the studio and recorded "The Way I Am" and later this song, which both turned out to be his biggest records to date. "The Way I Am" is not only one of his best songs, it's one of his most honest, and it's a must listen!

Can we all just picture Larry driving down the road jamming Em, nodding his head to the music. Lol I'm so glad you like/love Eminem's music

The best was when ‘Em performed this(MTV music awards I think) and brought like 100 guys that looked like him. Loved it

The part with the two guys kissing wasn't Eminem saying "eww", the noise he made was Ken Kaniff's voice, which is Eminem's gay character. He usually features the Ken character on skits. Despite what people thought back in the day because of certain shock value lyrics, Eminem is actually very pro LGBTQ+. He's even best friends with Elton John and his husband.

Also the part about Dre was just a joke, because he has a crazy persona and just says and does what he wants

and NOW you have experienced the 3 sides of Eminem: Marshall Mathers, Eminem and Slim Shady

The progression from the early reactions to these is amazing. Larry catches more bars than most guys on KZfaq and hasn’t even scratched the surface of rap yet. Great work as always

Not gonna lie I was nervous at first but I’m beyond jazzed that you’re enjoying the light, funny songs now too. Also fun fact: after the Will Smith line he asked somebody who was close to Will if he was mad about it, since that wasn’t the intention of the line. Will had also said, and I think he said it before this song came out but don’t quote me, that Em will “either be the biggest flop in hip hop, or the biggest thing ever seen in hip hop.”

This channel just makes me happy

You have to check out ‘Without me’ now! Unbelievable music video and a classic slim track

Watching your mind get blown at 14:33 was hilarious. You're one wholesome dude. Love it.

You really need to think about when this was released for so much of the context. Em was the first "real" white rapper, which was super controversial, and so much of this song had to be censored. Not to mention MTV had no clue how to classify him, cause he's white, and white rappers weren't a thing (Mark Wahlberg and Vanilla Ice do NOT count), and they had rap on for like 1 hour a day (Yo MTV Raps), but rappers were all black, and white singers could be on anytime, so they were baffled how to handle Em.

I will never grow tired of watching you react to Em’s music.

Lol I knew you'd get a kick out of this one. It's hilarious that he plays all the characters in these videos. He was hilarious as Brittany Spears. The only one you should do next is "MY Name Is" the very first song he and Dre made together

Watch the real slim shady live at the MTV music awards 2000. He did one of the most memorable hip hop performances in history. He literally had 100s of people dressed like him and when he said will the real slim shady please stand up. All of them stood up in the crowd n came to him on stage

Just a bit of context: this was the late 90s, and a lot of what Em's talking about is the most popular MTV music (boy bands, pop singers, and yes Will Smith's PG-rated rap albums haha) was kind of generic, and almost pre-packaged for mass consumption. But at the same time MTV would show Tom Green doing raunchy stuff, and there was definite marketing of sexuality from these supposed family-oriented groups (stuff like Britney Spears marketing herself as a virgin but also dressing up in provocative outfits in her videos, etc). So a big part of this was pointing out the hypocrisy of it all, and Em sort of taking pride in not being some formulaic marketing gimmick for the music industry. Love your channel, keep up the great work!

Eminem had the best music videos back in the day. They were always so creative and funny.

Great reaction! I suggest Walk On Water, I think you'll like it! Rock Bottom is another one you should check out

I have been listening to Em since I was 13, I am now 30 and still catching new bars! Im not sure if you’ll see this comment but I am so so glad you found your appreciation for him, no matter if you were biased before. You’re one of us now and can enjoy Em. Im so glad especially seeing the genuine joy in your face!

Embrandt at one of his satyrical finest, it fills me with such joy that u can laugh at this ridiculousness 🤣🤣🤣

My Brother died of suicide a few days ago and we'd listen to your stuff together when it came to Eminem. We were both massive Em fans and he was my older brother who got me into him. I don't really know what I'm trying to say here. Just we both enjoyed your reactions a lot. I still do. Love them even if I'm a bit negative sometimes

There will never be another Slim Shady!! His imagination is insane

I think you misheard the Grammy reference. He doesn't care for Grammies because those organisations can't stomach Eminem to his fullest. He didn't say grannies :-p love your reactions :-)

I’m so excited that not only was he nominated for hall of fame , but he is being inducted!!! I’ve been a fan from the beginning. To me is a poet. He is funny, and disrespectful, but wise and insightful. I just adore him. Watching him evolve over the years has been a gift.

Every once in a while listening to this song I have to think of a young MGK who had to have played this song growing up and it just makes me chuckle

Absolutely loving your journey with Eminem so much! It's been a fun ride!

Do "The Way I Am". The song is so raw and honest

Pam and Tommy of course, this album was a couple years after the... ahem... video release. I remember it clearly... took me at least 3 hours to download on a 56k modem!

When you read about horror and shock rap, how it started and evolved you can really see how he blended and master them. Also mixing humor, real life events and fiction together. Rap is an verbal art form and he's one of the best

I love that you're doing some of his earlier music! The Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP are both just iconic. So many amazing songs. Then the newer music is equally amazing with bars on bars on bars. He's definitely an Rembrandt!

OMG! You have reached the eye of the hurricane.....And as always it is a pleasure to listen to you...you see his material without prejudice and you understand what a true artist is....you may like it or not but you cannot deny that he is an artist

You have the unique perspective of looking at him backwards. We saw him face forward. I'm so glad your son sent you on this journey 🙌 👏 💙

DRE'S IN THE BASEMENT MAKING BEATS

Cant wait for a Will Smith ''smack/slap'' wordplay in the future from Em

'Criminal' would fit perfect after this...

I enjoyed how much of a kick you got out of this one. I'd recommend doing a reaction to the other members of the Slim Shady trilogy, My Name Is and Without Me.

This brings back such great nostalgia for me, and I loved to see you laughing and enjoying the song! Slim Shady was such a troll, but pretty much everyone was fair game. 🤣 Yes, “My Name Is” and “Without Me” are Slim Shady essentials, but another one I think is a must is “Brain Damage.” It’s essentially a dark comic book take on a real life traumatic event. I’ll be here for all the Em reactions, in whichever order they appear. (I’m actually here for most of your reactions, I’m just the most passionate about the Em ones. ☺️) As you said, he is an Embrandt. He is a brilliant artist with a crazy diverse catalogue. But speaking of how he can “paint” a picture…just wait until you dig more into the Relapse: Refill album. Lots of vivid picture painting going on there. Most of those pictures are horrifying, 🫣😅, but masterful.

You often compare Eminem to the greatest painters, and you are right. In Rhyme or Reason (you should definitely check it out) he has references to Michelangelo and Picasso. „I'm loco/It's like handing a psycho a loaded handgun/Michelangelo with a paint gun in a tantrum...I'm also vain and Probably find a way to complain about a Picasso painting“. P.S. Love yours reaction

You should react to : “without me” as follow up to this song. “Love the way you lie” as a follow up to “97 Bonnie and Clyde”. So many amazing songs yet to discover. His Catalog is amazingly rich.

At the beginning Em is just messing with Dre Eminem was a huge troll back then and still is 🤣

You're such a treat. Unique reaction. Hope your family is OK for the moment! Take care darlin 😘

You've officially been inducted into the Stan family with all these Em reaction videos Larry 😂. Not because of the videos, but the fact that you understand the art of the lyrics, the poetry behind it. You appreciate the truth that he's been telling his whole carreer. What he stands for as a rapper and person. And maybe the most important; the fact that he has been proven right uncountable times about situations, celebrities and the sh*t people talked about him. 😎😎💪

Classic, probably my favorite Em video... Also Kim is a masterpiece of storytelling, it's not something you bump all of the time but it's a must listen, he poured out his black soul on that one

Beautiful reaction! So glad you could see all the humor and satire. To me its definitely what makes him stand out and who does it better than him?!?!?! Hes the goat with that for sure. To me he's the 🐐 period but in this lane.... class of his own.

This is the OG em ! I'm 37 and this was the absolute SHIT when it came out ...legendary idol in those days

Slim did an excellent job at making all the contradictions known by way of various comparisons. He did it with skill and great humor. He’s not anti-anything except anti-distortions. I really enjoyed this brother. Thank you. I first heard this the week it came out. I was about 20. It’s even more valuable today than ever. I think I wrote f you can do Eminem’s song Baby. It’s a powerful track

The line about 'dead Dre' was referring to the first hit of Em 'My name is' where Dre said: "Slim Shady you are basehead". And here Em says like Dre says nothing:)

This was my favourite song back in elementary school, and I knew all the words.

"Rembrant, Em-Brant, Monet I can't believe the pictures this man portrays... bar" lmao

Thank you SO much for doing the DIRT VERSION larry :) Love you reactions! LOVE from Denmark

**** PURPLE PILLS**** You have to react to this one. It's crazy 🤣

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Was looking forward to this one. Great reaction as always!

He discovered "Karen's" before we even had a name for them🤣🤣🤣

Its been awhile since I heard this cause it was sooo played out when I was kid. But Damn, I didn’t realize how crazy the rhymes and flows were in this silly song. After he blew up with sslp, he totally showed the world how talented he is on mmlp with his technical skills. Mmlp and Eminem show the greatest back to back albums.!

Really enjoying the Eminem reactions 🙌🙌. .so glad found this channel

So glad that you are dabbling into the old school stuff! Great reaction!

Man I remember this track dropping like it was yesterday!! I was still in school, last few months of school then free into the big wide world. How was that 22 years ago!? Amazing video as ALWAYS! Keep em coming!

I just find myself laughing out loud everytime you do 🤣 definitely cheered me up at work today 👍

The mtv awards video in 2002 of this song at radio city music hall is pretty epic, imo. Em did The Way I Am, at this live awards show too. I was so fortunate to see it live. Amazing. Great reaction as usual Chris. Thx, blessings and stay safe to u and ALL.

Good to see you have fun with a track again. As you've seen in this one he does make references to pop culture, so thankfully you have lived through his career and you should be able to make the connections.

Switzerland is here and I love your reaction you are so sincere, it's pure thanks!!!! 🤜🤛

Great reaction to one of the earlier tunes. I have seen other react channels and find your the best to watch as you actually have something to say. I'm digging the positive vibes. Looking forward to what's next.

This song is quite nostalgic for so many of us. We grew up listening to Em's music and our parents hated it. A lot of people saw the genius in his lyrics and videos. I remember listening to his first album on a cassette tape in my older sister's bedroom. Something in my head went off as I never heard something quite like this. ❤️

This was so much better than I expected. Your insights were great and your enjoyment is a pleasure to watch. Thank you 🙏

" I guess there is a slim shady in all of us " ,... love your reactions , cheers from Brazil.

Finaly you did this, still enjoy your Reactions!

You have come a long way. Now you know a bit of hip hop history. No other pastor is doing this. I love your message after also because you are real. Love all the em tracks.

I love that you laughed and had fun with this. I was a teenager when Eminem was in his prime. So these are all my jams! And fyi Em is actually really funny in his music and real life. If you look up his interviews there are some hilarious ones.

This was enjoyable to listen to and fun to watch. Great job on the reaction. 👍🏽

Really cool to see you start digging into his earlier music now. You've got a unique perspective having reacted to his career more or less backwards. But as this and Kim shows, you have a better understanding of the critiques he was making about society at the time, and where he was at with his relationships, instead of just being shocked at the lyrics and dismissing him.

This is about to get EPIC! The Real Slim Shady was the first Eminem song I ever heard (knowingly and knowing that it was Em, at least) and 22 years later I can still remember vibing to this on the school bus with a friend, one headphone in each of our ears as we rapped along with him. Quietly of course, so as not to embarrass ourselves or disturb others, but still. It is one of my best childhood/teen memories. Looking forward to this SO FREAKING MUCH! Let's go!!! Almost done and it is just as epic as I thought it would be. I haven't smiled this big or laughed this much in god knows how long. One small thing: the line in verse 3 is "It's funny, 'cause at the rate I'm going, when I'm thirty I'll be the only person in the nursing home flirting..." I point this out because he was only 28 when The Marshall Mathers LP dropped, which this is the first song on. Put into context, he was implying that with all the drugs and alcohol and everything else he was doing, he was going to end up in the nursing home within 2 years. As we know, it wasn't a nursing home but a rehab center, and it was in 2005, rather than 2002, when he turned 30, that he took his 4-year hiatus (and which of course includes the 2007 OD, which nearly killed him). So those lines are actually somewhat prophetic and truly have a larger significance than you might first think.

Please react to this song when he did it at the "MTV Awards" that was insane, and also when he performed with Elton John with gay rights protestors outside and then curtain drops and Elton John is on stage with Eminem, goes down to this day at best duo ever at the awards. Also NF is a industry plant who only raps one song pretty much saying same shit all the time, where Eminem has all of the flows all of it, NF is a one dimensional artist and that's the thing, NF had a couple of hits but he won't last long bc rap changes and Eminem understands that and his albums have a bit of everything, but with rappers like NF it's one demension, ghost writing all that it's not "hip hop"

Great reaction as always..happy you liked this

I love how much you enjoyed this!! Looking forward to My name is and Without me!

I see the ”ugh” part in the marriage scene as him being sarcastic and making fun of people who think it’s eww.

His music is just incredible. Absolutely incredible

Can't wait for more shady classics!

Eminem is the best! I love all his old music

I have been waiting forever for this one LOL. Great reaction, love your channel

Love the Eminem reactions so much get so excited when I see a new one posted :) would love to see you react to going through changes from the recovery album. Chills all around 👌

Watching these is like hearing him for the first time with it broken down and the excitement 🙃 🙂 lesgo

Hahaha I thoroughly enjoyed this video. 😂 Welcome to Slim Shady. Overly theatrical with no care in the world! Hahaha. So fun. 💙

I had a good laugh with you bro 😂😂😂 best reaction

You’re one the reasons I keep coming back to KZfaq for. I always look forward to what you’re reacting to next 👍

Without Me and Hi! My Name Is next. Great Video as usual!!!

Great reaction! Thank you!

You really got this one my guy a props

Larry, great reaction to another Eminem song. Can’t get enough. Keep up the good work. My next request, “the way I am” from Eminem. Don’t stop reacting to Eminem!

The only reaction channel I like. So genuine.

I'm so glad this wasn't the first, or one of the first songs you reacted to from Em. The level of appreciation and understanding you've got for Em's/Slim Shady's songs are on another level by now. You would've been turned off by him with this song when you started, for sure 😄😅

Eminem is amazing

“What’s a Grammy, and old lady in a rocking chair?” Nice double my man!

got to react to the kids. you will laugh your arse off. we will all be in stitches watching this reaction.

I love your reaction lol. It’s definitely like a treat at this point to see someone actually hear this for the first time. Damn, I was like 8 when this came out and (having divorced parents) convinced my Dad to buy the CD and I’m sure he thought the artist’s name was “innocent enough” (why he still purchased it with a parental advisory I’ll never know lmao) but he promptly hid it at home……too bad he didn’t know I would innocently discover his one hiding spot. Lmao. And even luckier, the plastic was off so he has no idea. But then I discovered Napster (fuck I’m definitely exposing my age here…. Yes, LimeWire followed) so at the VERY least, nobody can say I can’t be (stubbornly) determined 😅

All of the little side noises and screeches are what truly put EM on a different level

This is a nice blast from the past.😀

My favorite thing about watching people from any background react to Eminem is that everyone has a different preconceived notion about him. And the more they listen, the more they not only respect Em, but they also respect the rap genre more.

The first time I saw Eminem was at Warped Tour 99 in Montreal. My friends and I were excited he was there cause we liked hip hop as well as punk and rock/metal. He was new and not many knew who he was. People were being disrespectful and throwing bottles at him. The next time I saw him was the following summer of 2000 at the Up In Smoke tour with Dre, Cube, and Snoop Dogg. He had a HUGE stage set and was super famous by then. He’s always been awesome. I’m glad you’re liking it. Better late than never!

Loved the reactionnn, you're awesome man