“The Real Slim Shady” is the quintessential early Eminem song—funny and serious simultaneously, with crazy rhyme schemes and devices.

As K-Solo had asked, will the “Real Solo Please Stand Up” in 1990, Eminem did here, clearly being influenced by the little-known track.

When Eminem originally handed his magnum opus, The Marshall Mathers LP, into Interscope, Jimmy Iovine stated “the album was spectacular… they needed a song to introduce the album”. Frustrated, Eminem felt he couldn’t produce another “My Name Is”, yet he was under pressure, so he began rush recording tracks, but instead of crafting a formulaic single, he recorded “The Way I Am”. Just prior to the deadline, Eminem got back in the studio with Dr. Dre and they swiftly crafted what became the album’s lead single.

Shortly after the release of this song, a parody version was released as “Will The Real Slim Shady Please Shut Up” by Emily Ellis from the perspective of Christina Aguilera.