Eminem: Disgusting Rapper or an Artist?

[Epitome]

[size=1][color=SeaGreen]I heard some of Eminems new songs that will be coming out on his new album this month, and I must say, this is probably his best from what I heard. All of the songs have excellent beats and all of them have excellent lyrics to go with it.

If you really listen to what he is listening to, his music is very deep. Most people only here "**** your mom" or "god damn your a retard," but if you really listen to it, it effects you, it effected me at least.

But there are some songs that are just plain funny. And thats always fun from Eminem.

But what do you all think about the situation. Do you think he is an artist or a disgusting and perverted rapper?[/color][/size]

[Skye]

[size=1][font=veranda][color=indigo]I am with you all the way, Eptiome.

I personally [i]love[/i] Eminem's songs(okay, raps). All of them (goofy/serious, ect.) have emotion and power in them, and its great. *starts singing Lose Yourself* That has to be one of the most meaningful songs [i]out there[/i] for me. I have always been in self denial, but it makes you think about what you can do, and makes you want to get out and show everyone else you can.

Peace out. Eminem rocks! (Meaning: Epitome said what there was to be said.)[/size][/font][/color]

[Guest demented5051]

I don't think he is an artist because in my eyes he has no talent.....he is a rapper

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]He makes some good music. What more can I say? If people just say that he is a rapper, and therefore [whatever], then they are putting their own views on it. His songs not only sell well, but are pretty good to listen to. I don't actively seek him out, but I do think he's pretty good, yeah.[/size]

[James P. Galvatron]

[quote name='demented5051']I don't think he is an artist because in my eyes he has no talent.....he is a rapper[/quote]


What is that supposed to mean rap is music they are artists the music is good I grew up listening to rap not the kind out now but the Gangster Rap played back then East Coast and West Coast rappers and stuff.

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1] Honestly I think Eminem is one of my all-time favorite rappers, Why? Not because hes white, but because he writes personal things about his life in his albums. It's different then the usual "yo im a p.i.m.p biatch" over and over again. not that i dont listen to the mainstream stuff XD but the fact that he usually has a personal message in his songs if you listen to them closely. In a way, he has evolved rap, not only because of his race, but because of his lyrics. They speak about his view of his life, and also pokes fun about how people take the things that don't matter too seriously. Theres always going to be controversy. I think he makes that quite clear. But yeah gotta love slim shady, infact i need to buy his new album soon! [/FONT][/SIZE]

[DeathBug]

[QUOTE=Eminem, on "Kill You"](AHHH!) Shut up slut, you're causin too much chaos
Just bend over and take it like a slut, okay Ma?
"Oh, now he's raping his own mother, abusing a whore,
snorting coke, and we gave him the Rolling Stone cover?"
You god damn right *****, and now it's too late
I'm triple platinum and tragedies happen in two states
I invented violence, you vile venomous volatile bitches
vain Vicadin, vrinnn Vrinnn, VRINNN! [*chainsaw revs up*][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Eminem, on "Remember Me?"]My moms got raped by the industry and made me
I'm the illest nigga ever, I told you
I get more ***** than them dyke bitches Total
Want beef, nigga? PBBT! You better dead that ****
My name should be "Can't-Believe-That-Nigga-Said-That-****"
Probably sayin, "He ain't a killer", but I'm killin myself
Smoke death, **** bitches raw, on the kitchen floor
So think what I'ma do to you, have done to you
Got niggaz in my hood who'd do that **** for a blunt or two
What you wanna do, cocksuckers? We glock busters
'Til the cops cuff us, we'll start ruckus and drop blockbusters[/QUOTE]

[QUOTe=Eminem, on "Criminal"]My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge
That'll stab you in the head
whether you're a *** or lez
Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest
Pants or dress - hate fags? The answer's "yes"
Homophobic? Nah, you're just heterophobic
Starin at my jeans, watchin my genitals bulgin (Ooh!)
That's my motherfuckin balls, you'd better let go of em
They belong in my scrotum, you'll never get hold of em[/QUOTE]

[i]That's[/i] art? That's garbage.

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]I'd agree with that Deathbug: But from most of his publicly successful songs, he does a lot better than that, you must admit.[/size]

[DeathBug]

I'm not surprised at all that the singles he releases are more tame than the other songs he sings; pleanty of rock bands do the same thing. Nothing wrong there. But, you know, if you only listened to what Blink or Offspring released on the radio, you'd think they hardly swore.

What songs does he write that don't get into the public eye? Well, there we are.

[Epitome]

[QUOTE=DeathBug]I'm not surprised at all that the singles he releases are more tame than the other songs he sings; pleanty of rock bands do the same thing. Nothing wrong there. But, you know, if you only listened to what Blink or Offspring released on the radio, you'd think they hardly swore.

What songs does he write that don't get into the public eye? Well, there we are.[/QUOTE]
[size=1][color=SeaGreen]I do agree with you to a certain extent. But thats his way of expressing what he feels. And like on the song "Criminal," thats supposed to be funny, not serious. The refrain is quote:
[quote= Criminal]I?m a criminal
Cuz every time I write a rhyme, these people think it?s a crime
To tell em what?s on my mind - I guess I?m a criminal
But I don?t gotta say a word, I just flip em the bird
And keep goin, I don?t take **** from no one[/quote]

To me, that doesnt sound like he was being serious... But on the other hand take a song like this.

[quote=8 Mile Road]Trying to chase rap, gotta move A.S.A.P,
Gotta get a new plan, momma?s gotta new man,
Poor little baby sister, she don?t understand,
Sits in front of the tv, buries her nose in the pad,
And just colours until the crayon get dull in her hand,
While she just colours her big brother and mother and dad
There?s no telling what really goes on in her little head,
Wish that I could be the daddy that neither one of us had,
But I keep running from something I never wanted so bad...[/quote]

That is deep in my opinon... I dont know about you.[/size][/color]

[Pumpkin]

[quote name='DeathBug][i]That's[/i'] art? That's garbage.[/quote]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1] Oh man. you better stay away from rap then because there is way worse stuff out there then that. Basically all the crap gets sent to him and not other artists because alot of the stuff he does talk about (Not beating up women and all that other crap) is truth and about how he views things. Yeah it might be bad sometimes, but if you just label everything bad without looking into the deeper side in it you'll never get anything. There is always a sadness behind every word of anger, it explains him. and that is a gift of the freedom of speech and self expression thats in the Bill of Rights, a part of the constitution. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[Manic Webb]

Before I comment on Eminem...

[quote name='Inuyasha7271']What is that supposed to mean rap is music they are artists the music is good I grew up listening to rap not the kind out now but the Gangster Rap played back then East Coast and West Coast rappers and stuff.[/quote]
Periods, commas, and question marks. Remember them. Embrace them. Use them.

[quote name='demented5051']I don't think he is an artist because in my eyes he has no talent.....he is a rapper[/quote]
While I respect your opinion, I think Epitome was asking your opinion [i]relative[/i] to rap as a whole, not music as a whole. I think it's a little short-sighted to say rappers have no talent. One has to actually be very articulate (although English skills tend to vary) to be a rapper. Free-style rapping alone takes a keen mind (although education varies). It may not sound good to you at all, but it still requires a degree of talent to be a good rapper, in the same way it takes talent to make any other kind of popular music (blues, country, jazz, rock, ect.)

As for Eminem...
The man thrives off of contraversy he generates. Everytime his music video gets banned on BET or MTV, the news hits the airwaves, and his record sales go up. So while I think Eminem is entirely capable of writing an entire album that doesn't offend homosexuals, mothers, and famous figures; he's going to keep on doing it, because it keeps him popular. If every song he wrote was like "8 Mile Road," "Lose Yourself," "I Am," and "Stan," nobody would care about him at all. He'd still be talented, but he'd fall back into obscurity as "just some white rapper." It's the songs like "Kill You" and "Criminal" that keep him in the headlines and popular. People either love or hate Eminem, but they still know who he is. And frankly, I think that's all he cares about.

[Lunai]

[font=comic sans ms][color=goldenrod]I think he is someone who knows what it takes in order to make alot of money. I am not sure whether I think it's talent or not...but I am sure that I am quite tired of seeing him whenever I watch music videos.[/font][/color]

[DeathBug]

[quote name='Pumpkin']Oh man. you better stay away from rap then because there is way worse stuff out there then that.[/quote]

I do stay away from rap, mostly because the musical refrains are, to me, only slightly more comfortable than having my nails ripped out with plyers. But I'm disparaging the content, not the actual music or rythem, so that's niether here nor there.

If there is way worse stuff out there, I will not hesitate to call that as I see it as well.

[QUOTE] Basically all the crap gets sent to him and not other artists because alot of the stuff he does talk about (Not beating up women and all that other crap) is truth and about how he views things.[/QUOTE]

Oh, so I should feel better because he really is an Edipal homophobe, instead of just playing one for the cameras? Thanks; that makes him seem so much better.

[QUOTE]Yeah it might be bad sometimes, but if you just label everything bad without looking into the deeper side in it you'll never get anything.[/QUOTE]

If he can't express himself artistically without singing about raping his mother and murdering homosexuals, he doesn't deserve to have people look at the "deeper side" of his "music". Plenty of people, rappers included, can express the same philosphical quanderies without such filth.

[QUOTE]There is always a sadness behind every word of anger, it explains him. and that is a gift of the freedom of speech and self expression thats in the Bill of Rights, a part of the constitution. [/QUOTE]

And I am exercising my freedom of self-expression, to express my view that his music is garbage. And, quite frankly, I can't figure out why you, as a woman, are defending such misogenestic drivel.

[quote name='Epitome']And like on the song "Criminal," thats supposed to be funny, not serious. [/quote]

Yes, it was so funny when the woman was begging for her life, and he shot her anyway. Frickin' hilarious.

[QUOTE]That is deep in my opinon... I dont know about you.[/QUOTE]

Life sucks and I wish this kid had a better home? It's not that deep, and, coming from the same guy who wrote "Kill You", is absolutly ridiculous.

[Epitome]

[quote name='DeathBug']Yes, it was so funny when the woman was begging for her life, and he shot her anyway. Frickin' hilarious.[/quote]

[size=1][color=SeaGreen]I did, and Im not ashamed to say it. Its a joke. You take his music that supposed to be funny way too seriously.

Also, about him raqping his mother and killing homosexuals, you may think its wrong and it is, but the truth is, he would kill homosexuals and he wouldnt rape his mother. So, maybe you shouldnt take this so seriously when listening to his music.[/size][/color]

[DeathBug]

[quote name='Epitome']I did, and Im not ashamed to say it. Its a joke. You take his music that supposed to be funny way too seriously.[/quote]

Forgive me for thinking some things shouldn't be taken as jokes. Let's be sure to make fun of the mentally handicapped next. Helen Keller jokes all around!

[QUOTE]Also, about him raqping his mother and killing homosexuals, you may think its wrong and it is, but the truth is, he would kill homosexuals and he wouldnt rape his mother. So, maybe you shouldnt take this so seriously when listening to his music.[/QUOTE]

Tell me, then, what great purpose is served by singing about it?

[Epitome]

[quote name='DeathBug']Tell me, then, what great purpose is served by singing about it?[/quote]

[size=1][color=SeaGreen]Because thats what he wants his image to be portrayed as. He wouldnt do it, but he wants to look like the badass that no one should mess with. He knows that that look will sell.[/size][/color]

[DeathBug]

[quote name='Epitome][size=1][color=SeaGreen]Because thats what he wants his image to be portrayed as. He wouldnt do it, but he wants to look like the badass that no one should mess with. He knows that that look will sell.[/size'][/color][/quote]

And why would you, or anyone, want to buy that image? He can sing about reprehensible and disgusting things, but it's okay because "it's just a song"?

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

My personal opinion of Eminem is that he is simply a rapper, he produces material typical of his genre and that's about all there is to it. Yes some people will find some of these lyrics offensive, I rarely hear anything by him so that discounts me, and others will say that it's normal. I don't really care for rap music in general and as such I wouldn't be a fan of Eminem but he's an artist as much as anyone else who produces music, he just happens to make music that appeals to a different audience.[/SIZE]

[Onix]

[quote name='DeathBug']Helen Keller jokes all around![/quote]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1]I take it you don't like South Park, then?

I don't like much rap, I'll get that out of the way. I can tolerate most of it, but don't necessarily enjoy listening to it, and generally won't chose to listen to it, given the option. Eminem is one of the few exceptions.

I'll agree that with some of his songs, he takes things too far. It can get a little annoying, obscene, and even offensive. However, on the whole, he's good at what he does. And that's make himself known, good or bad. It's like they say; there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Experiment: you walk down the street with boombox, playing one of Eminem's more popular tunes. I guaruntee you that, if you ask any people if they know who's playing, at least 75% willl know it's Eminem. Whether they tell you to turn it up or turn it off is unimportant. They know who he is. They will tell people who he is. And he will be known as long as there is breath in his lungs enough to rap with.

Eminem is walking publicity, because he is an intelligent person. He knows how to get his name out. And whether you like him or not, you will remember him.

-ULX[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Brasil]

I think using South Park as a support point for liking Eminem's music isn't quite valid, actually, because there's a difference in fundamental approach between the two.

Eminem is a pop singer, essentially. He relies on catchy tunes and essentially vapid lyrics to get attention. He's really a publicity stunt with legs, now that I think about it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, necessarily, but I think it's noteworthy. And really, that's most of the problem right there. His image is both a major selling point and a major lightningrod for criticisms.

But at the same time, even if he were to become something like Peter, Paul, and Mary, I don't think his lyrics would be appropriate even then.

He's essentially rapped himself into a corner. He has nowhere left to go, really, and I think his recent 80s music video is an example of that. Yes, he released a Bush mockery in the weeks following, but even then, Bush-bashing is becoming a tired trend. We just need to look at Michael Moore, who is quickly wearing out his welcome, even among the Democrats here on OB.

So, I think that's the major issue; Eminem is going to have an incredibly difficult time continually re-inventing himself, because he's so dependent on the same type of popular culture approach of other pop singers.

South Park, on the other hand, it knows exactly what it is (a vulgar, satirical cartoon), and achieves that. It doesn't try to become something it isn't. The show makes a political statement nearly every episode, and often that political statement is very astute, but the boundaries are being pushed in a way that doesn't lock Parker and Stone into any precise social expectation.

Yes, you watch South Park and expect to see Cartman hating on Kyle, various examples of racial injustice and so on, but like Quentin Tarantino, I think South Park is one of those shows that mock the whole convention of absurdity, and have stayed versatile and flexible enough to incorporate various social and political issues without it seeming hackneyed.

At this point in time, I don't think Eminem has been able to do that, and based on what I've seen and read, it appears his career, or at least, the reactions to his career, are beginning to echo those sentiments, that Eminem [i]isn't[/i] a Madonna.

[Transtic Nerve]

There's nothing in the book that says ART cannot be disgusting.

Therefor, it all depends on your view of digusting. You can no tlike him and think he's disgusting all you want, or in my case think he just sucks period, but you cannot deny that what he does is a form of art anyway you look at it.

[Orb]

When I fist heard eminem, I thought "how could anyone listen to this?? This is so horrible and evil. It's the worst thing ever!" But, I got used to it and now he is one of my favorites. Probably because back in the day, everyone in my neighborhood listened to it. I remember riding in the car to places with my brothers and sister and the neighbor kids. I was 12 and they all were younger. The youngest was 3. And I remember having eminem blasting on the stereo. Even though I was 12 I was still thinking how bad it was, especially for the young kids. That seems really wierd to me now though. Now that I actually listen to the lyrics, I see that they're not all bad. And he is very talented. It's so annoying when people say rap isnt real music, because not just anyone could do it. Not everyone likes it, just like all types of music.

[Onix]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1]Actually, I wasn't linking South Park to Eminem. I was referencing the Thanksgiving episode that featured Timmy in their school play of [I]The Miracle Worker[/I]. It could've been considered as making fun of Helen Keller. In attempting to make a joke, I instead created more controversy. Great.

-ULX[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[CaptainAnarchy]

I guess art can be disguisting...look at Maplethorpe's "art"....I am definetaly an Eminem hater.