> > The following article discusses Eminem's rise to fame in a genre predominately ruled by non-whites.
It focuses specifically on Eminem's first album.
Who is Slim Shady? Some remember the name as the title of an album put out by rapper Marshall Mathers. Others might be more familiar with his alias, Eminem. Yet all three names refer to a white rapper who finally made it big in the last few years with help from his producer, Dr. Dre. Most know the story by now - after working with Snoop Dogg, Dre stumbled upon a demo tape by Mr. Mathers and was so impressed with what he heard, decided to spend the next couple years helping co-produce The Slim Shady LP. Dr. Dre immediately took criticism for working with a seemingly goofy white kid from Detroit, as Dr. Dre was, after all, an established figure in the world of west coast gangsta rap. Even after the album was released and sat atop the Billboard charts, rapper Eminem still received little respect for his rapping abilities in the gangsta rap community. More significant than that, however, is the lack of respect he rightfully should have received than just his rhymes - he overcame many of the politics of race and gender inherent in the rap world. In the following I will attempt to interpret the concepts of rap analysts and apply them to a non-traditional rapper, focusing specifically on race and gender issues.
Eminem sticks out of the rap community like a sore thumb. He is one of the only prominent white rappers that have managed to make it big, but before we consider how significant the differences are between him and other popular rappers, I think it would be best to start our analysis with a look at how similar Eminem and other black rappers are. Rap discusses many issues, but a few prominent ones that always arise center on urban life, race and discrimination, and interactions with women. Eminem is no different. He came from a poor family that was unable to provide anything more than the basic necessities. In "If I Had" and "Rock Bottom" he complains about having to work for minimum wage and the difficulty of holding a steady job in the city. Growing up in largely black high schools, he raps about the beatings he took for being white. He's dedicated no less than three songs to drug abuse, and raps about his many problems with the opposite sex. While arguably few would raise an eyebrow if these lyrics were sung by a non-white rapper, Eminem's color immediately raises controversy.
So Mr. Mathers has clearly established that he faces the same issues as most everyone else in the rap community. But so do many other white rappers; what makes Eminem so special? Namely, the backing of Dr. Dre, one of the founding members of gangsta rap. This helped ease Eminem's transition into the rap community. After all, as Tricia Rose notes in Black Noise, "some rappers have equated white participation with a process of dilution and subsequent theft of black culture," viewing Eminem as a threat (p. 5). Yet with the help of such a prominent figure behind him, Eminem has gone, as Dr. Dre puts in it "Still D.R.E." off his own album, "triple platinum, doing 50 [thousand units] a week, still." Without the backing of Dr. Dre, Eminem would have been just another nameless rapper in the rap community.
Considering the rap community's hesitance to accept white rappers, it's of little surprise to see "My Name Is" as Eminem's first released single. The song is the only real spoof on the entire album, and combined with a ridiculous video, makes Eminem appear to be just a ridiculous white guy trying to rap. In the song, Eminem makes fun of such non-trivial topics such as the Spice Girls, Pamela Anderson and Usher fans. The video has Eminem stupidly parodying parts of the song, dressed up like Marilyn Manson or as a young high school student. Clearly, an effort was made to separate Mr. Mathers from the black gangsta rap world, and place him neatly into white culture, where some would consider he belongs.
