Eminem:
Pop Gone To Hell and Back
by Tom Horan
Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2003
Since his first hit album, "The Slim Shady LP," back in 1999, Marshall Mathers or also known as Eminem, has been in the public eye. America loves Em, yet hates him as well. People generally categorize Eminem as just another rap artist, which is completely wrong. Eminem is an artist all his own.
Some of his songs do sound like normal hip hop/rap with a permissible beat and certain lyrics that do need serious work. However, those songs were created before his album, "The Slim Shady LP," was released which had some great songs on it. "My Name Is" is the song that made Eminem an instant hit and the track sold many albums. The album itself does show Eminem's darker side with songs such as "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," which is about him killing his wife and not telling his daughter.
Though a slightly unnerving song it definitely shows his power with lyrics and rapping. Eminem released a few more singles from that album and went on to bigger and certainly worse things.
Released in May of 2000, "The Marshall Mathers LP" went on to be one of the quickest selling rap albums of all time. The album itself was the most disturbing of Em's albums. Many of the songs showed a rage that was pent up inside him for a long time about his mother, wife, and pop culture in general. One of the LP's most disturbing songs is the track "Kim" is about him murdering his wife.
The song itself is a violent and scary one and excellently showed what kind of an artist Eminem was. But because of the album's many slurs about homosexuality and violence towards women, the album soon became one of the year's best selling and most controversial. Despite the album being demonstrated against and hated by many, it went on to earn Em a few Grammys. Then, in 2002, Eminem released his latest album "The Eminem Show." Though not as violent as his previous album, he still dominated the charts and went on to win an Oscar for "Lose Yourself" the theme to "8 Mile."
As described above, this man has given many contributions to music and has a lively musical resume, yet it seems that still some people strongly dislike Eminem. The punk rock scene has always been a place for angry and confused teens who seek refuge in a place with other people with the same tastes as theirs. Still, some of my friends that are into the scene do not like Eminem at all. Mostly they pose stupid reasons like he isn't talented or that they hate rap, etc. I think that some of the kids in the scene should really begin to appreciate Eminem for what he is and what he has done in the music world. Some of the "punk rock kids" or any type of teen that listens to any kind of alternative music should give Eminem a chance. I believe that if they did, they could actually really identify with him.
For example, there are plenty of great bands on the scene that work their asses off trying to get somewhere and make some money by doing what they love most: performing. Eminem grew up in Detroit, made his name in the rap scene, and got the worst of both worlds. He was hated by some of the African Americans in his part of town for being "too white" and was also hated on by the middle class white kids on the other side of 8 Mile Road. But, sure enough, he got the recognition he deserved for making good rhymes off the top of his head and keeping up with the beat. If you have ever felt alienated in any way, you can definitely identify with some of his songs.
People can relate to Eminem's music on so many different levels. Whether it be on a musical, mental, or sense of humor level, his music can reach out to a person. Though it reaches out to certain people, it offends some as well. However, Em doesn't care and just goes on doing what he loves. Now, isn't that what punk is? Just not caring at all what other people have to say about you? In a way, Eminem comes off as having the punk rock attitude in pop music. He wants to shock people and he does that so well that he gets plenty of attention for it.
It is with this attitude that you can get going in all the right ways. Doing what you love and not caring about what anyone else has to say about it, is truly what our country is built on. You can shock people with your shaved head or spike bracelets or as in Eminem's case, your gift for poetry. You can still try and pursue whatever it is that you want and not let anything get in the way of it.