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eminem
Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady, Eminem
whatever.
(The Eminem Show)
quite possibly the last
face i will see before i am crushed to death at his
concert in july.
Hmm well, i made my mom buy me the Eminem 2002 calendar last year. everyone laughed at me... but this is Connecticut so what do i expect? Eminem isnt everyones cup of tea (moby?) but they at least have to give him credit where credit is due.
and i have to give my brother chris credit too cause he forced me to listen to Eminems 2nd album, The Marshall Mathers L.P, on a long drive to Austin, TX. a couple of years ago. at that time in my life, i was extremely busy lying on the floor with a bottle in my hand and listening to morrissey or some such brit band, so i didnt have the time nor patience for Eminems problems. oh but i've got a lot of time on my hands up here in CT...
The Eminem Show is a perfect example of the infectious virus that is Marshall Mathers. People who dont want to like him are humming "Without Me" while they buy their morning lattes, and then looking around in horror to make sure that no one heard them. i got into a conversation with a white, middle aged, middle management Kinkos employee about music journalism the other day (while waiting for his bagle to toast...sigh) and he asks me "So, do you like Eminem? That kid has some serious talent"
it's ridiculous.
Eminem is famous for the very public court battles he's had with his mother, Debbie and his ex-wife of one year, Kim. But, for a guy who loves to lament about how hard his life was/is, there's not a lot that he's gone through that most kids these days havent experienced before they are old enough to graduate from high school. From low income to upper class society, kids today have to deal with 1.fathers abandoning families 2. violence, drugs, guns in the household 3. violence in schools 4. addiction 5. tumultuous break ups with boyfriends/girlfriends... i mean come on, if not for his rhyming style and knack for new beats, you almost want to say "oh shut the hell up." but you wont. you dont want to fuck with shady. why not? cause shady will fuckin kill you.
the only other problem i have with Mr. Mathers is the somewhat ignorant opinion he holds about his fan base.
In "White America," track one of the new album, Slim Shady talks about his skin color affecting his sales
"Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like yourself. if they were brown shady lose, shady sits on the shelf" and "If i was black, i would've sold half. didnt have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that"
his music is cock-rock-catchy, but his perception of his fans lacks the insight he has about himself.
kids today dont relate to Eminem more than most other (black) rappers because he's white, or because they want to piss off their parents, or because they think its cool that he's got guns and pistol whips bodygaurds...
they relate to him because it was his Middle-American upbringing that mirrors theirs the most. Parents who have substance abuse problems and girlfriends who cheat on you arent quite as uncommon as Eminem thinks.
Still, you have to like him just a little tiny bit... look at the wittiness of his videos (the man wears a dress, people... and heals!), his dedication to his daughter (in "Hallies Song", he actually sings to her), his very real vulnerability (in "Kim," off of the M.M. Lp, he talks about her thinking hes ugly and sounds totally heartbroken), his ability to point out what most people are thinking when it comes to boy/girl bands and the stupid bullshit that happens when rappers think they need to live out what they're lyrics say. This latest installment in the reign of Eminem is a classic. i dont even know if he can top himself this time.
perhaps he will be the first rapper with a greatest hits album.
i've got tickets to be in the pit area for his Hartford, Ct. show... last i heard some kid was crushed to death while in the pit during one of the first shows so
wish me luck.