Editing The Slim Shady LP (section)

==Lyrical themes==
{{Listen
| filename    = Rock bottom Eminem sample.ogg
| title       = "Rock Bottom"
| description = This song talks about Eminem's past troubles with money. This and many other themes are the basis for the album.<ref name="Stubbs81">Stubbs, 2006. p. 81</ref> 
}}
Many of the songs from ''The Slim Shady LP'' are written from the perspective of Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady, and contain cartoonish depictions of violence, which he refers to as "made-up tales of trailer-park stuff".<ref name="Bite">{{cite news|title=Bite me|last=Verrico|first=Lisa|work=[[The Times]]|publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]]|date=May 20, 2000}}</ref> The rapper explained that this subject matter is intended for entertainment value, likening his music to the [[horror film]] genre: "Why can't people see that records can be like movies? The only difference between some of my raps and movies is that they aren't on a screen."<ref name="Noshame?">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-14-ca-29770-story.html|title=Has He No Shame?|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 14, 2000|access-date=March 11, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715014258/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/14/entertainment/ca-29770|archive-date=July 15, 2012}}</ref> Some of the lyrics have also been considered to be [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] by critics and commentators.<ref name="Guardiancover">{{cite news|title=Cover story: Emma Brockes meets Eminem|last=Brockes|first=Emma|date=November 12, 1999|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Eminem acknowledged the accusations, and clarified, "I have a fairly salty relationship with women&nbsp;... But most of the time, when I'm saying shit about women, when I'm saying 'bitches' and 'hoes', it's so ridiculous that I'm taking the stereotypical rapper to the extreme. I don't hate women in general. They just make me mad sometimes."<ref name="Guardiancover"/> Despite the album's explicit nature, Eminem refused to say the word "[[nigga]]" on the album, noting, "It's not in my vocabulary."<ref name="Guardiancover"/> ''The Slim Shady LP'' begins with a "Public Service Announcement" introduction performed by producer [[Jeff Bass]] of the Bass Brothers, and serves as a sarcastic [[disclaimer]] discussing the album's explicit lyrical content.<ref name="Bestskit">{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/the-50-greatest-hip-hop-skits/eminem-public-service-announcement-2000|title=The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Skits - Eminem "Public Service Announcement"|last=Alvarez|first=Gabriel|date=December 6, 2011|access-date=March 11, 2012|work=Complex|publisher=Complex Media|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109035556/http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/the-50-greatest-hip-hop-skits/eminem-public-service-announcement-2000|archive-date=January 9, 2012}}</ref> Later in the album, a skit entitled "Paul" features a phone call from [[Paul Rosenberg (music manager)|Paul Rosenberg]] to Eminem telling him to "tone down" his lyrics.<ref name="Hasted111">Hasted, 2011. p. 111</ref>

"Guilty Conscience" is a concept song featuring Dr. Dre. The song focuses on a series of characters who are faced with various situations, while Dr. Dre and Eminem serve as the "angel" and "devil" sides of the characters' conscience, respectively.<ref name="Newsroom"/> The song draws inspiration from a scene in the 1978 comedy film ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House]]'', in which a man takes advice from an angel and devil on his shoulder while considering raping an unconscious girl at a party.<ref name="Noshame?"/> In the film, he ends up deciding not to go through with the rape, but in "Guilty Conscience", the outcome is unclear.<ref name="Noshame?"/> On "My Fault", Eminem tells the story of a girl who overdoses on [[Psilocybin mushrooms|psychedelic mushrooms]] at a [[rave]].<ref name="Bozza49">Bozza, 2003. p. 49</ref> "[['97 Bonnie & Clyde]]" features Eminem convincing his infant daughter to assist him in disposing of his wife's corpse. It is an [[epilogue]] to the song "[[Kim (Eminem song)|Kim]]", although "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" was released first. Eminem wrote the song at a time in which he felt that Kim was stopping him from seeing his daughter.<ref name="Noshame?"/> Reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine of [[AllMusic]] explained that "There have been more violent songs in rap, but few more disturbing, and it's not because of what it describes, it's how he describes it -- how the perfectly modulated phrasing enhances the horror and black humor of his words."<ref name="AllmusicReview"/> On the song "[[Brain Damage (Eminem song)|Brain Damage]]", Eminem discusses his childhood experiences with bullies at school, particularly recalling a traumatic incident where he sustained a serious concussion after he was severely beaten by a bully.<ref name="AllegedBully">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451396/alleged-bully-sues-eminem-1-million.jhtml|title=Alleged Bully From Eminem's 'Brain Damage' Files $1 Million Suit|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|date=December 10, 2001|access-date=February 16, 2012|work=MTV News|publisher=Viacom|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202035439/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451396/alleged-bully-sues-eminem-1-million.jhtml|archive-date=February 2, 2012}}</ref>

Although many of the lyrics on the album are intended to be humorous, several songs depict Eminem's frustrations with living in poverty. When discussing ''The Slim Shady LP'', Anthony Bozza of ''Rolling Stone'' described Eminem as "probably the only MC in 1999 who boasts low self-esteem. His rhymes are jaw-droppingly perverse, bespeaking a minimum-wage life devoid of hope, flushed with rage and weaned on sci-fi and slasher flicks."<ref name="BlowsUp">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eminem-blows-up-20091105|title=Eminem Blows Up|last=Bozza|first=Anthony|date=November 5, 2009|access-date=February 16, 2012|magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224071543/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eminem-blows-up-20091105|archive-date=February 24, 2013}}</ref> Eminem was inspired to write "Rock Bottom" after being fired from his cooking job at a restaurant days before his daughter's birthday.<ref name="BlowsUp"/> The song bemoans human dependency on money, discussing its ability to brainwash an individual.<ref name="Stubbs81" /> He illustrates his struggles to provide for his daughter, describing himself as "discouraged, hungry, and malnourished."<ref name="Stubbs81"/> "If I Had" follows a similar theme, as he describes living on minimum wage and remarks that he is "tired of jobs starting off at $5.50 an hour".<ref name="Hartigan162">Hartigan, 2005. p. 162</ref> In the song, he expresses his irritation with fitting the "white trash" stereotype.<ref name="Hartigan161">Hartigan, 2005. p. 161</ref>