Whatever You Say I Am_ The Life and Times of Eminem - Anthony Bozza [73]
Eminem is the white rapper who integrated mainstream accolades and credibility most successfully; he’s raised the bar on white rappers immeasurably, and on all rappers significantly. He has proved himself to be the highest form of white rapper: an authentic innovator in traditional hip-hop terms.
“The top two rappers right now, as far as skill, writing, and delivery, are my partner Big Boi and Eminem,” says André of OutKast. “That’s truly how I feel about it. I mean, I can tell that it’s real for Eminem. It’s a passion for him, you know. It ain’t just like fly by night, he’s jumping to it.”
“What Eminem does particularly well among many other things,” says music critic Soren Baker, “is that he actually makes you care about him. A lot of the whole ‘keep it real’ mandate that rappers purportedly adhere to is obviously totally false because there’s not enough time in the day to kill as many people, have sex with as many women, and sell as many drugs as these guys claim to, and still have a recording career and national tours.”
Eminem’s rhyme style has also evolved while remaining true to the battle tradition that weaned him. He’s met the challenges of other MCs and has always responded, even to less-than-stellar lyrical opponents, with battle rhymes as intricate and fresh as the verses he pores over for his albums. “Being in battles keeps Eminem grounded I think,” says Sway Calloway. “Back in the day, that’s what helped develop and shape who he is. The only thing that was at all good about his whole ‘beef’ with Benzino is that it reminded Eminem where he came from. This is still rap, and guys like Cannabis or Benzino or whoever are still gonna come for you and you gotta prove that you’re still a warrior, a gladiator, no matter how many millions you sold. That’s what keeps a rapper’s arrogance, his spirit, his edge, going.” In addition, Eminem has moved into production, helming tracks for Jay-Z and Nas, proof enough that he is a rare talent, one who is authentic, passionate, different, and gifted enough to communicate his reality so universally that fans of all ages, colors, and musical preferences can feel it—every single time.
“Eminem came out of the box with this surreal violent thing going on. It wasn’t just that, it was also really funny, even more because he aimed so much of it at himself,” says the Village Voice’s Sasha Frere-Jones. “That was the huge difference. Everyone in rap has shot everyone else a hundred times, and everyone’s done mean things to people, and I really don’t need to hear that again. But, like, suicide and self-mutilation analogizes a useful state of mind—which is, ‘okay, I feel bad about myself.’ That’s a huge, not very well-explored part of hip-hop. I know people who think even that part of Eminem is a moral force for bad. But, you know, I don’t know anyone who thinks he’s not a good MC. He’s like Biggie, and I’ve never heard anyone say that Biggie wasn’t dope. Nobody didn’t love Biggie—and it was the same thing when Eminem first came out; everyone’s running around with the same look on their face like, ‘Did you hear this shit?!’ When Ready to Die came out, it was the same thing—you couldn’t open the door without somebody quoting Biggie.”
On The Eminem Show, the rapper makes reference to retiring his jersey at thirty. He knows that hip-hop isn’t a forgiving medium: Fans move quickly, and a weak album may be a rapper’s last—as a white rapper of his stature, the pressure is double. “I’m gonna stop when I’ve got nothing left to say,” Eminem says. “As soon as I don’t feel it, that’s it, it’s over.” If that happens tomorrow, history has dictated that, statistically, another skilled Caucasion will hit it big in hip-hop in nine years. Those who have followed in Eminem’s wake, such as Bubba