Eminem is a very controversial artist and subject. People either like him or hate him, there isn’t really a gray area in between. I have talked about Eminem in my blogs several times before this. I am actually a fan of Eminem even though I don’t agree with everything he raps about, some of the things he says even scares me a little bit. Of course I do not personally know him so I don’t really know what his life was like as a child or even now, but I do believe that it was not easy.
In the essay “The Angry Appeal of Eminem Is Cutting Across Racial Lines” of our Music and Culture reading, it is mentioned that some teenagers who grew up with single mothers say they find it unfathomable that a mother would treat a child anything like Eminem would describe in his song “Cleaning out the Closet.”Personally I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very loving household with a mother and a father who worked hard to support our family and, gave us all the love and support in the world and continue to do so to this day. Unfortunately not everybody has that same luxury. I have personally seen mothers who just don’t care about anything in the world including their own children. My mother grew up in a household with a father that was emotionally and physically abusive. It is very sad but it does happen so I do think that Eminem is telling the truth about his childhood and is “keeping it real.” The truth isn’t always pretty and what people want to hear. I think by him being so honest and real is why so many people do respect Eminem.
He also talks about real issues other than his personal problems, for example, the song “Stan.” As I’ve said before I think Stan is a horrible song for young impressionable teenagers who are just listening to music like this to rebel against their parents or whoever. But Eminem brings up real issues in this song that most people wouldn’t because they would be worried it would give them a bad name. Eminem talks about things like this to get the message across to people and I think to freak people out a little bit. Either way he does keep it real. He doesn’t rap about Bentleys and money and all the other materialistic things most rappers rap about. It is always real issues about life with Eminem.
I think lyrics that are reality based have so much more meaning, not only to the artist but to the listener as well. Every now and then people like to listen to music to escape from their own reality and that’s when music that is fantasy based come in handy. But mostly people listen to music to have something to relate to and the average Joe can’t relate to flying to Paris on their private jet to go shopping. Just saying.
You brought up some very interesting points in your blog. Though I do not agree with you that Eminem is a good rapper, I personally feel that rap music is not truly music at all and that rappers are just out there for the shock value, but I can agree with you that Eminem is true to real life issues and for that I can respect him. You mentioned that Eminem was basically criticized for composing a song about an abusive mother. I think the only reason people were so discourage about it was because it was about a mother hurting her child, something that people cannot phantom. In this sense Eminem is making people aware of domestic and child abuse, he actually told it how it is. Because he sticks to reality based themes he is not like the other rappers out there. Since I have never listened to any of his songs I do not know if he is vulgar or explicit but I can understand why he is so popular. Like you stated people sometimes when they listen to music just want something that they can relate to and apparently Eminem does just that.
ReplyDeleteIf you are looking for reality based lyrics, Eminem is a good place to start, for sure. A child abused by his mother is a very sensitive topic, indeed, but it is such a reality. Have you ever read the book "A Child Called 'It'"? Oh my goodness! It is just heartbreaking. I read that book before I became a mother, and now I can't even imagine reading it. I would be devasted. As a high school student, I remember it being so depressing and just so crazy that a mother could possibly treat her own child like that. For Eminem to go into a topic like that, he was taking a risk. He was putting himself out there where his listeners are going to judge and form opinions. You are absolutely right when you say that he is a controversial subject. I have never met someone (who actually has listened to his work) that was simply like, "Meh, I don't have any feelings one way or the other about him." No. You either like him or you don't. I tend to draw towards those controversial artists. I like the ones where you are either in or out. There's no sitting on the fence. That's all part of reality.
ReplyDeleteReality based lyrics are very popular. I think they appeal to everyone and whatever their reality may be.We have discussed if a person has violent tendencies they will gravitate towards violent music. That whatever a person’s reality may be it will supported by their choice in music or their general lifestyle. I understand abuse but I do not like music about it. I don’t like violent lyrics either.
ReplyDeleteI choose to think about lovlier things. To think on things which are lovely. Is all of life a meditation?
When you are abused what is lovely about that and what are you conditioned to think about? We are living expressions of what we believe to be true. Our everyday live’s are filled with just that. What we believe to be true and acting upon it. Fantasy is not reality. Eminem’s song about being abused as a child is an ugly reality of this world. Abuse comes in many forms. Abuse means abnormal use of a thing. Abnormal use? Meaning not normal. My question is whose to say? Who and what dictates to your reality? Does the media tell you how to live? Do other people have the right to tell you what to believe or is that your choice? There was a time in my life when I was not a Christian but I am now. I have been down many paths and I have chosen to walk the path with God. In America today we have a strange anti-American custom going on. Any reality even fantasy is acceptable but not God. We can profane all day long, talk about any sex practice under the sun, and openly condemn murder while slaughtering thousands of unborn Americans every day, but don’t talk about God. This is my reality as a Christian in America today. Everything is indeed “kosher”(haha) but having your beliefs about the culture and God and speaking openly about them. How un-American.
Where freedom of speech and equality is our right, what does censorship look like in the U.S.A today? Well America, it has a new face and its not created in the image of God.