My Name Is

Harmonically, 'My Name Is' is a deliberately sparse hip-hop track in F major at 86 BPM. Its entire harmonic identity derives from the looped interpolation of Labi Siffre's soul riff, providing a minimal, repetitive chord foundation that places all expressive weight on Eminem's rhythmic and lyrical performance. There is no modulation, no tension-and-release arc, and no harmonic complexity — the track's power is entirely kinetic and verbal, not harmonic.

Eminem and Dr. Dre completed 'My Name Is' on the very first day of their recording sessions together, finishing the track in approximately one hour — a remarkable feat that signalled the near-instant creative chemistry between the two. The song introduced the Slim Shady persona: a darkly comic, boundary-pushing alter ego Eminem used to skewer celebrity culture, the media, and social norms.

Released in January 1999, 'My Name Is' was the lead single from The Slim Shady LP and Eminem's breakthrough into the mainstream, produced by Dr. Dre in the space of a single hour. Built on an interpolation of Labi Siffre's 1975 soul riff, it blends sharp comedy, caustic satire, and rapid-fire rhymes into a cultural phenomenon that earned Eminem his first Grammy Award.