Race and the success of Eminem. In a discussion about the latter, the former will always be relevant. Any discussion about Eminem’s success without addressing race would be as irresponsible as talking about Jackie Robinson and leaving out race.
In many ways these two individuals are linked, not only because they both broke the “color barrier” that existed in their respective fields, but also because their race, at times, overshadowed their ability. Yet while they both seem to be pioneers, one succeeded in a position where his race could be perceived as a handicap and it could be argued that the other succeed because of his race.
I don’t do Black music, I don’t do white music.
– Eminem from Who Knew
There were white MC’s before Eminem. Beastie Boys and 3rd Base were both successful groups years before Eminem tasted success. Vanilla Ice also proved disastrously successful, before he painted a fraud.
Beastie Boys had established credibility when Hip Hop was coming of age and landing record deals. They had a B-boy aesthetic, and Def Jam, Run DMC, and Public Enemy authenticated them. They were also from NYC.
3rd Base, also from NYC, had established credibility by actually growing up with Hip Hop. They also spoke the language of Hip Hop, slang. To the ear, they weren’t discernable from Black MC’s. Both the Beastie Boys and 3rd Base rhymed to a Hip Hop audience. But Eminem was different.
He was from Detroit, which isn’t a borough of New York City. Eminem didn’t rhyme with a blaccent. He didn’t even try to sound Black. In fact it he actually enunciated.
On top of that he was clever.
Hi kids! Do you like Primus?
Wanna see me stick nine inch nails through each one of my eyelids?
– Eminem from My Name Is
That opening line from, Eminem’s first single to get maximum exposure clearly references two Rock groups. Is this an attempt to “broaden his base” or is the edit just an example of his wit? Perhaps it’s both. The only thing that’s sure is that Eminem became a phenomenon like few before him.
Finally, Whites Get Their Chance To Shine!
Eminem did a great deal for white kids. First and foremost he provided them with a voice.
Before Eminem came around, the dominant voice in Hip Hop was that of the Black male. Despite how many Ice Cube or Master P albums suburban white guys purchased they really couldn’t relate. They could dress the part and pretend the part, but they couldn’t understand the part. (The only “struggle” kids in the suburbs face is the class struggle, and even then they’re observers from the sideline.)
Along comes Eminem. Eminem rhymes about problems with his mother, who abuses drugs, but not the street corner variety, the prescribed kind. Eminem also writes about problems with his girl, troubles at work and getting picked on by bullies. Now these are topics that a kid in the suburbs can relate to. Finally the white kids had a voice in this country.
Eminem also provided those same white kids with a role model. Every kid, no matter where they grow up, thinks that with enough practice they could potentially become the next Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Lebron James. However no matter how much time they put into rhyming those same kids weren’t going to have the same life experiences to become the next Scarface or Tupac.
But here was Eminem, who didn’t grow up in the PJ’s, didn’t belong to a gang, did more drugs than he sold, and wasn’t oppressed. He got in trouble at school. This was an MC that they could conceivably become. And to top it all off, he was considered “great.”
Meanwhile, On The Other Side of The Coin
Eminem had many Black fans. Most of them were fans of underground Hip Hop, where Eminem was a rising star that like Icarus, was about to fly too high, at least in their eyes.
Eminem had established himself as a credible underground artist, whose freestyles were riveting. He also had a reputation as an amazing battle rhymer. So when he first tasted success, he already had a loyal fan following of underground fanatics. But there was another segment of the Black Hip Hop community to take into account.
Some people only see that I’m white, ignoring skill
– Eminem from Role Model
There were those in the Black community that dismissed him outright as a non-issue because of his race. A legacy of Vanilla Ice was a Hip Hop audience that was leery of embracing another white MC, for fear of being duped again.
This same Black audience took him lightly because of the lighthearted joviality of his first single My Name Is. They viewed him like the NHL views a Black hockey player, as a novelty, completely discounting his witty rhymes.
I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley
to do Black music so selfishly
and use it to get myself wealthy.
– Eminem from Without Me
But there was another part of the Black Community that viewed Eminem like the PGA viewed Tiger Woods, as a changing of the guard, and more blatantly as a threat.
To these people Eminem represented history repeating itself. Just as Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, The Beatles and the Osmonds before him Eminem represented whites raping and assimilating Black culture and art, in this case Hip Hop.
There is no doubt that Blacks created Rock & Roll. However, one look at the cover of Rolling Stone issue 951 (“50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll”) and only one Black musician is featured; Jimi Hendrix (oddly enough the face of Hip Hop on that cover; Eminem.)
This segment didn’t deny that he had skills on the contrary it was his adeptness on the mic that made him all the more threatening. And unlike the other voices of the Black Community, this segment spanned generations. Grandfathers, fathers and sons could agree that Eminem was a harbinger of nothing positive.
As they saw it, whereas before whites, for the most part, had played the role of observer to the culture, now they had a stake to claim. Before Eminem, Black MC’s had adapted their craft to appeal to white audiences, while still keeping them out. Eminem was not only actively appealing to white audiences, but also serving as an example that Hip Hop wasn’t a “Black and Latino” only experience, and even white trash could succeed.
Furthermore they believed that Eminem would be a success, not because he was talented, but because he was white.
Oh, so now Hip Hop’s art?
I became a commodity because I’m W-H-I-T-E
cause MTV was so friendly to me.
– Eminem from I’m Back
It is impossible to analyze Eminem’s success as an artist without taking his race into account. In fact one would be hard pressed to determine which has helped him succeed more; his race or his talent.
Being white has allowed Eminem expanded boundaries in terms of lyrical content. No Black MC would have been able to a have a song on their album, detailing the disposal of his wife’s body, after he murdered her and still go multi-platinum. Nor would a Black MC have been able to release a subsequent sonic “prequel” about the murder. Sir Mix A Lot was labeled as a misogynist for professing his passion for booty, and Eminem is hailed as a great songwriter for “killing” his wife.
This is inherently prejudicial. The idea is that Eminem is a genius for creating art, while Black MC’s are just writing a song. This racial double standard is an age old one. Black Jazz musicians weren’t recognized as artists, just people using “jungle” rhythms, while their white contemporaries were praised for intricate compositions. It’s a standard part of American culture that when Blacks do something it’s common, but when whites do it’s an accomplishment.
Eminem has had his critics. But generally criticism falls under the category of admonishment. It is more along the line of “we’re disappointed in that lyric, Eminem is better than that” rather than “Eminem is an example of everything that is wrong with Hip Hop and urban culture” which is more likely to be heard about a Black MC, like a 50 Cent. Because Eminem is white there are higher expectations for him as an artist, while because Ghostface is Black the expectation is for him to rhyme only about street life.
Eminem’s current song Mosh is a good example of this. Because of his success, Eminem has the freedom to write a song that in its essence is nothing more than an attack on President Bush. And because of his pedigree it’s expected that he become more political and rhyme about something substantial.
He’s allowed to do more visually as well. The video for the aforementioned Mosh is controversial. If a Black MC where the one leading the fray, the video would certainly be described as “threatening” or “menacing.” However since Eminem has blonde hair, the video gets heavy rotation.
Another example of this would be Eminem’s performance of The Real Slim Shady at the 2000 Video Music Awards. During that performance Eminem and 100 identically dressed, identically Aryan look alikes marched from Avenue of the Americas to Radio City Music Hall. No Black artist, particularly an MC, would have been given permission to do the same. That many Black men would have been viewed more as a gang, than a performance.
Look at my sales, let’s do the math.
If I was Black I wouldn’t have sold half.
– Eminem from White America
Eminem has been granted wider media outlets to gain an audience. His videos are in constant rotation on every video channel. He songs get played on radio stations, even those that generally don’t play Hip Hop.
For instance on WHFS, a radio station out of D.C. that touts itself as “The True Alternative” it’s not uncommon to hear Eminem. They do play other Hip Hop, like the Beastie Boys. Apparently there is a connection between the Beastie Boys and Eminem, which isn’t shared with Ghostface.
Of course in order to truly grant Eminem “artist” status, Hip Hop has to be regarded as an art. And thus, Hip Hop, which was once regarded as a passing fad, is acknowledged as a form of music, if only to provide validation for Eminem as an artist.
Eminem has won virtually every musical award. In fact Eminem’s Lose Yourself was not only the first Hip Hop song to be nominated for an Academy Award, but it was also the first to take home the Oscar® for Best Original Song.
Stan is another critically applauded song, that is often used as an example for Eminem’s songwriting ability. While it’s a harrowing portrait, and equally well written song is Nas’ One Love which is not only more realistic, but also poignant. Yet Nas, who has been releasing albums for ten years and has released more than twice as many albums as Eminem, isn’t as widely known, doesn’t get the same video rotation, nor does he get the acclaim.
This is perhaps best summed up in a verse by another underrated MC, Murs.
“¦I feel I should have the scans white rappers have
It’s sad but that’s the way it is
What’s the reason that my album doesn’t sell like his?
And don’t front like you don’t why the hell that is
It’s because he’s white, you can relate to his face
Through the years you’ve been taught that Black is unsafe
Plus it’s only natural for your own to be embraced
Conscious or subconscious you can’t say that ain’t the case
Only reason it took so long to take place
Was up until now your only choice was 3rd Bass
Or others like Ice, wasn’t really that tight
Now you got some white dudes who can truly rock the mic
You relate to their stories cause you share that past
Question is, why would you listen to MURS’ Black ass?
“¦Used to feel I should be silent, I was scared to do this song
But I want everyone aware of what is going on
Yes it is jazz and yes it is the blues
And yes it is the exact same way they did rock
But I refuse to watch the same thing happen to hip-hop
from And This is For
The Infamous “N” Word
I drink more liquor to f*ck you up quicker
Then you wanna f*ck me up for saying the word ——?
In an attempted smear campaign by The Source evidence came to light that Eminem did indeed use the “N” word disparagingly toward Blacks and made negative comments about Black women. On November 18th, 2003 the founders of The Source held a press conference to play the tape in question. (On a completely unrelated note on November 19th, 2003 authorities in Santa Barbara issued a warrant for the arrest of Michael Jackson.)
Found a tape of Eminem use in the “N” wizerd Em i doubt that you a racist kid
thank god that sh!t hit the fans the same week that Mikes did
– Skillz from Rap Up 2003
Eminem issued the following statement on November 18th.
Ray Benzino, Dave Mays and The Source have had a vendetta against me, Shady Records and our artists for a long time. The tape they played today was something I made out of anger, stupidity and frustration when I was a teenager. I’d just broken up with my girlfriend, who was African-American, and I reacted like the angry, stupid kid I was. I hope people will take it for the foolishness that it was, not for what somebody is trying to make it into today
Note the lack of apology. Note the lack of regret or remorse.
On December 4th Eminem issued a second statement.
I did and said a lot of stupid sh!t when I was a kid, but that’s part of growing up. The tape of me rapping 15 years ago as a teenager that was recently put out by The Source in no way represents who I was then or who I am today.
In becoming an adult, I’ve seen what hip-hop and rap music can do to touch millions of people. The music can be truly powerful, and it has helped improve race relations in a very real way. I want to use this negative attack on me as a positive opportunity to show that.
Dave Mays and Benzino are spitting in the face of what hip-hop and rap music have done to promote racial unity. Their attempt to use this old, foolish recording to damage me and, in turn, the positivity that hip-hop promotes is really nothing more than blatant self-promotion for a failing magazine and one man’s lifeless music career. They’re scared of what can happen if the hip-hop community shows it can live without them.
“The methods being used and the poison being spread by The Source make it easier for the enemies of hip-hop and rap culture to divide us. Hip-hop has helped a generation deal with the poverty and prejudice that affect all of us — whether you come from the projects or from a trailer park.
So while I think common sense tells you not to judge a man by what he may have said when he was a boy, I will say it straight up: I am sorry I said those things when I was 16. And I don’t want to let anybody turn this into an opportunity to promote their own bullsh!t agenda.
He apologizes, but only with the qualifying “I said those things when I was 16.”
In a subsequent issue of XXL Eminem and a friend at the time, who was in possession of the tapes, both explained that the tapes were made in jest, with no malicious intent.
Renowned entrepreneur Russell Simmons and his organization the Hip Hop Summit Action Network accepted Eminem’s apology. MC’s Freddie Foxxx, Skillz, Esham, and Style P were all of the mind that the situation wasn’t resolved, with Crooked I called for a public apology. As of this date, Eminem has yet to speak publicly about the issue. Nor has he suffered any perceivable damage to his reputation, despite his admission of using, what some view as, the most hurtful slur in the English language.
I done touched on everything, but little boys, that’s not a stab at Michael
– Eminem from Just Lose It
Recently Eminem has been under fire again. This time for the portrayal of Michael Jackson in the video for Encore’s first single Just Lose It. While it escalated into a racial issue, it didn’t begin as one, and thus won’t be discussed.
In Conclusion (based on deductive reasoning)
In the end we have an artist that some disregarded because of his race and others viewed as a threat because of his race. We have an artist whose appeal is largely dependent on his race. Essentially we have an artist who, talented as he maybe, appears to have succeeded primarily because he of the color of his skin.
