Scholarly Topics

After some brainstorming about interesting topics related to Eminem, here it what I came up with:

1. The censorship of Eminem's music: Immediately after reading the instruction sheet for this assignment, I knew I wanted to focus my paper on something controversial (since this is the foundation of Eminem's fame). Eminem has been labeled a minsogynst and homophobe, experiencing a lot of hatred from gay-rights activists and feminist. I think it would be interesting to research the purpose of Eminem's use of vulgar and offensive language. I found a scholarly source that argues Eminem is a not a homophobe but more of a genderphobe- I would like to research more into this topic.
2. Eminem's connection to Detroit: While this still may appear as a broad topic, I have always been curious about Eminem's strong affinity towards the city which he grew up in (he was actually not born in Detroit, but in Missouri- however, he references Detroit much more). I would like to look more into how the rough, 8-Mile impoverished landscape shaped Eminem into the artist he is today. I have found some articles that talk about the growth of rap within inner-city Detroit, as a form of popular self-expression. I could also bring in racial relationships  with this topic (for example, how exactly Eminem was able to form his niche in a predominantly black art form.
3. Eminem's attack on political figures: Eminem is known for his controversial attacks on political figures, such as former president George W. Bush. In his song Mosh, Eminem reprimands Bush for passing the Patriot Act and sends out a call to "bring troops home." I would like to analyze the root of Eminem's involvement and interest in politics. This sophisticated opinion is quite interesting, coming from an individual who failed the ninth grade three times! I know of several articles that analyze Eminem lyrics that I can use as evidence in my paper, in terms of Eminem's involvement in the political arena.