Has Eminem sullied his legacy with his recent stuff? Yes, of course he has. But I think it’s still important to remember just how important he was — and still is.
This immediately made me think of Elvis. A comparison that Eminem himself draws.
SHADY'S BACK:
I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley,
To do Black Music so selfishly
And use it to get myself wealthy
Young, thin, cool Elvis lasted long enough and had enough impact for almost everybody to overlook those last few years. Elvis put his pants on, just like the rest of us, one leg at a time, but once his pants were on he made gold records. Plus, he made movie after movie. Sure, some are of questionable quality. But the man was a cultural tsunami.
Eminem, on the other hand, is a great rapper, but is not the cultural force Elvis was. So, I think Matt overstates things here:
And I think that’s why we have to recognize his amazing three album run as one of the most culturally significant moments in recent history. Has there been anyone else who sold as many albums as he did with so much self-consciousness and such obvious vulnerability? His best songs were about his tortured relationship with his wife, his issues with his mom and an obsessed fan who was something of a doppelganger for himself. When Jay-Z raps about himself, it’s him saying he’s the greatest, when Eminem does, it’s about his incredible dysfunction.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I think one album, The Chronic, by itself, had more cultural impact than Eminem's entire career, especially as far as mainstreaming hip-hop goes. Furthermore, if we are talking about white rappers' cultural footprint, then the Beastie Boys' impact dwarfs Eminem even if the latter's technique is superior. Yet, if we are talking about impact on the genre of hip-hop, then perhaps Eminem's vulnerability is a huge deal.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment