Slim Shady

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The creation of "The Real Slim Shady" was born from urgent necessity rather than long-term planning. Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records specifically requested a track to introduce The Marshall Mathers LP, mirroring the role "My Name Is" played on The Slim Shady LP. With the final album copy due imminently, Eminem collaborated with Dr. Dre, Tommy Coster, and Mike Elizondo to write the song in just hours. The track's sonic identity leans heavily on interpolation: the melody and hook borrow from Tom Green's 1999 novelty hit "Lonely Swedish (The Bum Bum Song)," while the iconic intro and chorus lift the catchphrase "will the real _____ please stand up?" from the game show To Tell the Truth. This rapid-fire assembly of pop culture references and a boinging electro funk beat created a sound that Rolling Stone described as "slick, bright, melodic funk that's so R&B-ish, you can dance to it," effectively masking subversive lyrics beneath an effervescent surface.

In Their Own Story

The music video for the track, directed by Philip G. Atwell and Dr. Dre, was filmed over three days from April 7 to 10, 2000. It brought together a specific cast of collaborators: Eminem's friends and former D12 group-mates—Denaun Porter, Proof, Swifty McVay, Bizarre, and Kuniva—alongside Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst. A memorable cameo featured actress Kathy Griffin as an attending nurse in a psychiatric ward; she later revealed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that Snoop Dogg had recommended her to Eminem because he thought she was "really funny." Visually, the video highlights a blue 1978 AMC Pacer coupe performing doughnuts in a parking lot with its hatchback partially open. This imagery directly supports the song's climactic lines about petty acts of rebellion, such as teenagers spinning senselessly and spitting on fast food. The video also leaned into the song's satirical nature by including look-alikes of Eminem during his live performance at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, reinforcing the theme of identity and imitation.

Reader's Guide

Critics embraced the track for its unique blend of humor and aggression. PopMatters noted how it slammed enemies with "comic book intensity," specifically highlighting the irony of Eminem's signature style—bleached blond hair, pale skin, and humongous T-shirts—attracting countless "wannabes." IGN described the song as the album's obligatory pop number that "chugs and lurches along to a boinging electro funk beat," complete with special effects like fart noises and heavy breathing, calling it "pop of the most demented nature." The Los Angeles Times viewed it as a "modest step to the mainstream" and a fresh, almost PG-rated swipe at everything from the Grammy Awards to shallow teen pop. Beyond the music, the track's context was intertwined with real-life legal drama; Will Hermes in Entertainment Weekly noted that by the time of the single's release, Eminem had married the girlfriend he once imagined killing in his lyrics, while his mother, Debbie Mathers, sued him for $10 million for defamation following her portrayal in "My Name Is." That case was settled in 2001 for $25,000, with Mathers' former attorney receiving $23,354, leaving Ms. Mathers with just over $1,600.

Did You Know?

• The song was written only hours before the final copy of The Marshall Mathers LP was due.
• Tom Green stars in Freddy Got Fingered (2001), a film that also features "The Real Slim Shady," despite being criticized in the song's first verse.
• Kathy Griffin was cast as a nurse because Snoop Dogg told Eminem she was "really funny".
• The music video features a blue 1978 AMC Pacer two-door coupe/hatchback doing doughnuts with its hatchback fully open.
• Debbie Mathers netted just over $1,600 from her $10 million defamation lawsuit after legal fees were paid.

Origins and Rapid Production

"The Real Slim Shady" was not originally intended to be part of The Marshall Mathers LP. Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records wanted Eminem to create a song to introduce the album, similar to how "My Name Is" was the first single on The Slim Shady LP. Eminem, Dr. Dre, Tommy Coster, and Mike Elizondo wrote "The Real Slim Shady" only hours before the final copy of the album was due. The first single was intended to be "Who Knew". The song's first verse interpolated the 1999 novelty single "Lonely Swedish (The Bum Bum Song)" by Tom Green, and the intro and chorus of the song interpolate the famous catchphrase "will the real _____ please stand up?" from the television game show To Tell the Truth.

Critical Reception and Satirical Themes

PopMatters described the song as "slamming their 'enemies' with comic book intensity", while also noting its ironic themes surrounding the number of near-identical "wannabes" due to Eminem's overall appearance, citing his "signature style" which bore "bleached blond hair, pale skin, [and] humongous T-shirt". Rolling Stone expressed the sound of the single as "slick, bright, melodic funk that's so R&B-ish, you can dance to it". The Los Angeles Times favored The Real Slim Shady as a "modest step to the mainstream—a fresh and funny, almost PG-rated swipe at everything from the Grammy Awards to shallow teen pop". IGN wrote: "The album's obligatory 'pop' number is exposed on 'The Real Slim Shady,' which chugs and lurches along to a boinging electro funk beat... it would be a total pop smash if it weren't for the lyrics... keep the words in the subversive... plenty of cool special effects bustling about—fart noises, heavy breathing, all of it coalescing with Em's cartoon character on crystal meth delivery. Sure it's pop, but of the most demented nature." Will Hermes wrote in Entertainment Weekly regarding the defamation case against his mother: "In the aftermath of Slim Shady, he married the girlfriend he imagined killing, while his mother... sued him for $10 million for defamation of character." The defamation case was settled in 2001 for $25,000 as Debbie Mathers' former attorney was awarded $23,354—netting Ms. Mathers just over $1,600 for her efforts.

Music Video and Collaborative Cast

Philip G. Atwell and Dr. Dre directed the music video, filmed from April 7 to 10, 2000. Eminem's friends and former group-mates from D12, including rappers Denaun Porter, Proof, Swifty McVay, Bizarre, Kuniva, and Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst, are featured in the video along with him. Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin appears in the video as an attending nurse in a psychiatric ward. Griffin said during a July 21, 2005, interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that Eminem selected her for the video because fellow rapper Snoop Dogg told him she was "really funny". The car featured in the music video is a blue 1978 AMC Pacer coupe. The car is doing doughnuts on a parking lot with its hatchback partially open. It is part of the message in The Real Slim Shady's climactic lines, showing petty acts of rebellion that include teenagers going senselessly round a parking lot and spitting on fast food.

Awards Legacy and Cultural Impact

"The Real Slim Shady" was successful at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, winning for Video of the Year and Best Male Video, as well as being a nominee for Best Rap Video, Best Direction, Best Editing, and Viewer's Choice. The song was also performed by Eminem at the show with look-a-likes of himself, as in the video. It won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 80 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". It was listed at number 396 on NME's 500 greatest songs of all time.