Eminem says his Slim Shady character spouts the things that Eminem can't. In the late '90s, a lot of people wished Slim would have just shut up. With lyrics sprinkled with rapes, murders and gore galore, no character created as much controversy or triggered as many censorship debates as Slim. There were rumors Eminem and his alter ego would retire after 2005's Encore album, but both were back in this year's Relapse.
Though Eminem clearly has troubles of his own — he struggled with drug addiction during his hiatus from the rap game — Slim Shady's twisted fantasies now seem more like a cynical attempt to create controversy than anything else. Slim's raps are all talk — and we're thankful for that.