I have grown up with Eminem; I clearly remember listening to his creative rhymes as a toddler, lounging in my brother's room as I stared up at the "SLIM SHADY" posters plastered all over his walls. My daily rides to school were characterized by the phat beats of Marshall Mathers blaring through my brother's car speakers. My obsession with Eminem sometimes makes me feel as if I was born in the wrong decade; by the time I was a mere five years of age, Eminem had already made his first strides in the predominantly black world of hip-hop. I guess what makes Eminem such a important figure in my life is my obsession not only with his songs, but the individual he personifies. Slim Shady (Eminem's alter ego) is someone who I admire tremendously. I find his expression of confidence and humor to be captivating. Eminem has the innate ability to live his life without any filters or blinders blocking his view. More specifically, he voices his opinions without worrying about the consequences they may have on the general public. Some may say this is disrespectful, but they are simply ignoring the fact that he is verbally expressing himself through an art form.
Unless they have been living under a rock the past decade, mostly everyone has heard of Eminem. He personifies the modern American dream of "rags to riches"-- a poor white boy growing up on the rugged Streets of 8 Mile turned into mega famous rap star. He has made strides in the social scene, although they may be considered infamous, through his attacks on celebrities, parents of the modern generation, and political figures. In my mind, Eminem is simply taking advantage of the rights our founding fathers wanted us to have: the freedom of speech. Controversy with the frequent censorship of his songs has often been a hot topic in the media, eliciting questions about if his artistry is appropriate for the adolescence of today's society.
"I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There's no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it."- Eminem
Did listening to Eminem with your brother most of time influence your affection for him? For example, I used to listen to John Butler Trio with my brother on the way to school all the time and that has created a sort of sentimental value and appreciation for the music that I otherwise wouldn't have had.
ReplyDelete