In terms of subject matter, definitely Eminem's best. I can see why many people have labelled this one of the greatest rap albums.

Some would say it's overrated, and that's fair, but this is one of my favorite rap albums. I just love how relentlessly angry it is, especially when considered in light of his first albums and how the critics responded to it.

Stan is genious and the real slim shady is funny but tracks like kill you and kim make this album not so good.you kinda get the feeling he's trying to hard

The Marshall Mathers LP much like Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001, comes out with a great first half of the album and just cannot keep up the momentum throughout the entire album, although this second half is better than Dr. Dre's second half which basically totally drops off after Let's Get High.

I cannot believe how critical some people are of this album though. Some of you guys have to realize with some of these albums that this material had not been heard prior or whatever. That's why its easy to say The Bends is so 90's or Mumford and Sons is generic, when they were the first to popularize the banjo folk sound. And the same can be said here, this is an enormously influential album. 1.8 million sold in the first week. Personally I probably like Slim Shady LP more, but this is Eminem at his best lyrically, whether it's talking about people who want to be like him, obsessed fans, kids influenced by violence, etc. His themes touch on stuff a lot of people did not talk about.

To me, two of the best rap songs in history are on this album, in Stan and the Way I Am. There are plenty of good songs on this album besides that such as Kill You, Who Knew, The Real Slim Shady and Remember Me. The skits especially Steve Berman (which may be one of the best of all time)are really funny.

With Marshall Mathers, I'm Back and some of the second half songs, it definitely drops off in quality, but the first half of the album is an all-time classic and Eminem raps about things a lot of rappers don't talk about. This was around the time of the last great rap album. I would say the top 6 albums from 2000 to now have been MMLP, Stankonia, Speakerboxx/The Love Below, Get Rich or Die Trying, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Good Kid, Maad City. Rap definitely hit a rough patch after 2000 or so, but this was one of the great last rap gems before a rap revival recently. Check out this album. It gained a lot of legs for its controversy, sure, but it takes a lot of skill to be noticed too...especially if you're white in the rap game, and Eminem showed it can be done if not better, than a lot of blacks and this may just be the album that proves it.

Best rapper ever. Still like SSLP more though.

After the first five actual songs his genius seems to suddenly vanish, and it's really boring. Which is a shame, because the first quarter of the album is so promising.

Eminem at his peak. It's a lot darker than The Slim Shady LP and the lyrics and rhyme schemes are more intricately crafted. Funny at times, horrific at others.

Damn, Em... Just damn...

While there are a few good tracks and he is, admittedly, at the top of his game this hasn't aged well.

bleugh