is lazy

My Name Is

"My Name Is" is a song by Eminem, released in 1999. It is the commercial debut but second single overall from his major label debut album, The Slim Shady LP, also released that year. This song was the first to propel him (and his debut album) up the mainstream singles charts, and helped establish his rapping styles, which lead to further chart-topping success the following year. Due to the single's widespread exposure, it became the first rap song to grace the top spot on Total Request Live, which was maintained until it was retired after 30 number one days in a row.

Producer Dr. Dre wanted to use a sample of Labi Siffre's "I Got The ..." for the rhythm track; however, as revealed in the sleeve notes of the re-mastered CD of the source album, Remember My Song, Siffre stated, "attacking two of the usual scapegoats, women and gays, is lazy writing. If you want to do battle, attack the aggressors not the victims." Eminem made lyric changes and Siffre cleared the sample.

"My Name Is" was later re-released in 2005, on Eminem's compilation album, Curtain Call: The Hits.

Changed lyrics

Due to the obscene nature of the original lyrics, the Radio/Video edit version of the song consists of a substantial number of lyrical changes. When the song was released on the Slim Shady LP, the second verse was "reconciled" between the Original and the Radio Edit, removing references that Labi Siffre (whose sample was used in the record) regarded as homophobic. This reconciled version is also the version that was re-released on Curtain Call: The Hits.

The original version of the song contained the lyrics "My english teacher wanted to have sex in junior high/the only problem was, my english teacher was a guy" and "extra-terrestial/killing pedestrians/raping lesbians while they're screaming 'Let's just be friends' ". These were changed to "My english teacher wanted to flunk me in junior high/thanks a lot, next semester I'll be thirty-five" and "extra-terrestial/ running over pedestrians/ in a spaceship while they're screaming "Let's just be friends".

Track listing

Original version

"My Name Is" (Slim Shady Radio Edit)
"My Name Is" (Explicit Version)
"My Name Is" (Instrumental)

Clean version

"My Name Is" (Clean Version)
"My Name Is" (Instrumental)
"Just Don't Give" (Clean Version)

Promo version

"My Name Is" (Clean Version)
"My Name Is" (Album Version)
"My Name Is" (Instrumental)
"My Name Is" (Acapella)

Trivia

In the song, he makes references to Nine Inch Nails.
In the music video, Eminem parodies Marilyn Manson, among others. Former NBA player Gheorghe Muresan makes a cameo in the video.
In an episode of King of The Hill, titled Aisle 8A, Bobby Hill makes a hand shadow saying "Hi my name is what, my name is who? my name is Slim Shady".
During a feud with Eminem, Insane Clown Posse remixed "My Name Is", altering the lyrics to make Eminem seem homosexual and calling it "Slim Anus". This topic was addressed in Eminem's 2000 track, "Marshall Mathers".
The song was listed at number 11 in Blender magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
On Celebrity Deathmatch Eminem fought Kid Rock and lost. During the beginning the song was used.
Was featured in an NFL commercial for a number of weeks (featuring a montage of collisions over the repeated chorus: "Hi, my name is" ) before being pulled due to complaints about Eminem's work and lyrics.
Several of the lyrics in this song have been referenced in later songs by Eminem. For example, the line "and Dr. Dre said:'Slim Shady, you a basehead!" was parodied in The Real Slim Shady by being changed to "and Dr. Dre said - nothing you idiots, Dr. Dre's dead he's locked in my basement!"
It was used in a Channel 4 advert for My Name Is Earl, which everytime he says "My Name Is" in the last line, each character says "Earl".
Popular "Cockney" Musicians Chas and Dave performed on the original as session musicians and so appear in this version.
Was named #26 in the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s on VH1