Eminem: is he "all that" or not?

[U2girl]

I've read lots of praise about him and the "Elvis" comparisons but ... I don't know. I admit he has catchy music (I like it better than most rap - dr Dre halped him with that), but really I don't see anything ground-breaking in him. He's got angy lyrics just like the other rappers although it's trough others don't go versus their own mother.

The only comparison I see with Elvis is that both are white artists who played (some would say "stole") black people's music and got popular, while many black artists failed to do that.
And I guess they both got their music genre into mainstream. (speaking of that, shouldn't rappers "keep it real" and frown about that? Eminem doesn't seem to mind the awards, yet in a recent interview he says he's getting "too big" for his own good. Also, I think he's kind of losing credibility as an artist the more mainstream he gets)



I also have a question for the Americans: how does the rap (black) community feel about Eminem? Are they ok with it that a white guy got so big?

*edit* the laughing smiley is there because I read today that Eminem got his very own clothing label. I thought he was all about the music!

 

[MonaVox]

But sometimes the shit just seems, everybody only wants to discuss me
So this must mean I'm disgusting, but its just me I'm just obscene
Though I'm not the first king of controversy
I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley, to do Black Music so selfishly
and use it to get myself wealthy (Hey)
there's a concept that works
20 million other white rappers emerge
but no matter how many fish in the sea it'd be so empty without me



I think Eminem is talented. We discussed him several times in my Philosophy of Song class last semester. He rhymes really well ...

As a person, though, he scares me.

And yeah, his clothing line is supposed to be modelled after his own style. I can see it now....$40 wife beaters and $60 sweat pants.... That idea does not make sense to me.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Yuck.


I really honestly do not get him. Musically or as a person.

 

[HelloAngel]

I thought 8 Mile was a fabulous film. One of the best of the year. I have his most recent album and I enjoy it.

As far as the "black hip hop community" is concerned, I couldn't speak for them. For my friends who are part of that community, some respect him and don't care about the "white thing," while others are very vocal about his ability to do certain things and say certain things that black rappers could never say and still be successful and not in jail (which I pretty much agree with, although Nas is very talented and does say very important things about urban life).

Just my .02.. I have no other valid POV for this.

 

[daisybean]

I think technically he's a talented writer and "wordsmith." However, the content of his work is not my thing. Some of his songs are pretty good with his blunt honesty ("Cleaning out my Closet," "The Real Slim Shady"), however, a song like "Bonnie and Clyde" are just freaky. He is a very troubled person, much the way Kurt Cobain was....hopefully his lyrics are not a 100% accurate reflection of his personality.

 

[MonaVox]

I think technically he's a talented writer and "wordsmith." However, the content of his work is not my thing. Some of his songs are pretty good with his blunt honesty ("Cleaning out my Closet," "The Real Slim Shady"), however, a song like "Bonnie and Clyde" are just freaky. He is a very troubled person, much the way Kurt Cobain was....hopefully his lyrics are not a 100% accurate reflection of his personality.

 

[Laura M]

Not

I dont like his attitude

 

[Elvis Presley]

I found this quote, thought it was funny......

"The people who look at Eminem and think what a cool, tough guy he is should remember that he lived at home with his mom until he was 26" - Eminem's mother, Debbie Mathers

 

[gherman]

Eminem is a musical phenom. Also he IS black. I'm from the Detroit area and he is as black as you get w/o accually being. Love him or hate him he has tallent coming from all parts of him. The Elvis comparison is stupid though.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Eminem is huge not because he is white, but because he connects with whites. Let me try to actually have that make sense. 90% of rap songs out there have to do with either being a thug, banging ho's, gettin' the bling bling, or how great their label is (next time ya hear someone yell out Murder Inc., Bad Boy or Ruff Ryders... just imagine Bono yelling out Island and Interscope in the mothafuckin' hizouse at the start of Walk On, and you'll realize how silly this whole thing is). Now I consider myself to be the typical joe white guy... i can't dance, will never be a thug, can't get any ho's, can't even afford one bling yet alone two, and i ain't ever gonna have a label. So lyricaly I can't relate to any of the stuff that the majority of the rappers are talkin' about. But my mom does annoy me from time to time, I have had ex girlfriends who've pissed me off so much I wanna strangle them (even though i'd never actually consider doing it), and being 22, i'm part of a generation who up until 9/11 really had no purpose. Now this pretty good rapper comes out, he's funny, he kinda looks like me, he's got some of the same problems with me, he doesn't walk around with tongs of bling, and he can come up with something more creative than it's getting hot in herre, so take off all your clothes. thus is the eminem phenomenon. now is he like elvis? he's white, performing "black music," the girls love him, the guys love him, parents hate him. So yeah, the elvis comparison is a good one... but as much as Eminem may be like a modern day elvis, he'll never be The King.

 

[browneyedgirl]

I agree....

Yuck.


I really honestly do not get him. Musically or as a person.

He's just a self obsessed punk.....who happens to be able to string a few rhymes together.

 

[Desire4Bono]

He's sickening in IMO. He is very interesting as a character but his voice is very irritating and he looks like a puke. Anytime a pale skinny white boy tries to act black it just doesn't fly. (See justintimberlake too )

I don't know if I believe all the stuff about his mom and wife. Could be publicity stunts.

 

[Bono's shades]

Re: I agree....

He's just a self obsessed punk.....who happens to be able to string a few rhymes together.

 

[JOFO]

I don't believe a word he says. I don't think he's tough, and don't think he's talented. I can tell you he'll be gone in another 2-3 years though.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I like some of his songs, but some of his "edgier" stuff I don't care for. 8mile bored me to tears. And his whole "I have to pick on people who aren't gonna fight back" thing is annoying...

But sorry to say... he ain't goin' anywhere for a looooong time. He's the only rapper out there who's halfway creative. Unless rap just dies out completely, he'll be around for at least another 10 years or so. Maybe longer. Should be interesting though... besides LL Cool J, there's never been a rapper to have continued success into his late thirties and early 40s. All the others seem to get shot.

 

[gherman]

You people seem to think that if you don't like someones music to you they must not have talent. Take the blinders off people!

 

[pub crawler]

I think Eminem is the greatest musical artist of the last 100 years.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I think Eminem is the greatest musical artist of the last 100 years.

I think he is very good at what he does and I also like that style of music. I dont understand why people complain that he is performing like this based on his skin colour. It sounds a tad exclusionary in way. Who says one must be black to rap? Do black people have copyright on rap? They did it first sure, and usually do it better, but that doesn't mean he can't give it a go, especially if he can perform that style as well as he does, surely.
I dont buy the act either. It is simply that, an act. I dont know the guy personally, but I sincerely reckon it is there to help sell records. I cant be offended by that. I cant dislike his lyrics or attitude either when there is just as bad if not worse in many other genres of music. As for the existance of the negativity, it almost goes hand in hand with rap anyway. It is not the sound you marry sappy love verses with.