This Day In Music History: November 12, 1996 – Eminem Releases Debut Album, “Infinite”

Before his landmark albums like The Marshall Mathers LP and The Slim Shady LP were ever in the public eye, and before he ever courted constant controversy from right-wing pundits and concerned parents about his lyrical content, Eminem released his debut album, Infinite, 19 years ago today. It wasn’t an album that sold particularly well, nor was it well-received by much of the press at the time, but it did fuel Eminem’s ambitions and made him angrier, especially after his lack of success spurred him to create the alter ego persona Slim Shady.

There’s a marked progression between Infinite, and The Slim Shady EP, released the following year – Eminem has an absolute fire and anger behind his voice, and clearly developed his own style after years of being broke, experiencing marital problems, and not finding success.

Below, you can listen to both Infinite and The Slim Shady EP. Notice the marked progression in his style, flow, and lyrics – it’s really quite interesting.