For those who thought I was predictable, this should be a lesson that I am not. This week, we look at a man who was told for the longest time that he couldn’t succeed in the rap industry. He proved everyone wrong as he's had greater success than most rappers could ever dream of. It is not so much the man we are looking at as the evolution of his use of the English language over the years. I’m not interested in judging Eminem; that is not my place, but I am interested in examining his message over the years and how it has evolved.
When Eminem first came on the scene, the message seemed to be, "Look at me and how outrageous I am with my rhymes and words. You never know what I will say next." Then he looked inward after fame hit him. Then we got more outrageous stuff that was more tempered — kind of a balance between the two.
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Eminem's third album had some pieces that reached out to people and made them think. “Mockingbird,” for me, was a cry out to fathers. It portrayed how we want to be good dads though it isn’t always easy and how things sometimes go crazy, but we should keep trying to be good dads. "Toy Soldiers" was about how he doesn’t want to bury fans who are fighting for him and that rap fame isn’t worth the cost to him. There is also a song about how rap influenced some people’s behaviors and how people need to think for themselves instead of following trends. Another song is about how one follows their dreams no matter what.
Mind you, I lost track of Eminem other than his song from "8 Mile" for a while. “Lose Yourself” was inspiring and encouraging people to go for their dreams as well as showing the turning point for him and being an anthem for the movie. The language was also richer in that song. It was as if he was trying to lift the vocabulary of rap as a whole.
The next song I heard from Eminem was “I Am Not Afraid," which I have played to death. And when I say to death, I mean to the point one of my friends was ready to beat me if I played it again when he was around me. But the wording was so nice, and it was like he was talking to his fans. It was like an apology letter as well as a pledge to do better. I don’t mean just with life but also what he puts out for art. He was selective with his words, and it was like he was letting us in on his thinking as he recorded the song. On that same album, there is the song “Monster," which for me speaks to a writer’s mind.
Even in some of his newer stuff, he is trying to repair broken bridges as well as take rap back to its roots, which is to help people get through life and be care free and joyous. He is trying to bring the message back to rap and help people get through stuff it seems.
Eminem as an artist has gone from being all about the fame and himself to reaching out to people. He has evolved beyond what some artists never master. He is on another level from most in the music business. He is trying to make his music touch people and help them through their difficult times.
Whether he knows it consciously or not is debatable. But he is making a statement on two fronts. First, he is working on making things as right as he can in his personal life and letting us all see it as a good example. And then, he is trying to help listeners through their difficult times as well as bring joy to rap in general. So, make that three fronts maybe. Could I be wrong? Of course, but this is what I see at this point. He could change direction at any point. Although, personally, I hope not. I enjoy watching him strive for higher heights with the English language, as well as lyrical melodies, and be a good example for people through his albums. I don’t follow celebrities' personal lives much at all. Take a look at some of the other artists you listen to and see how they have evolved since they started out. You might be surprised. *Tips his hat and walks out the door.*
