This is my interview about Eminem which was posted on a French Eminem website , The Eminem World (http://the.eminem.world.free.fr/). I’d like to share it with you.
Isabelle,how did you discover Eminem ?
My son Marcus is very fond of music channels and he made me discover Eminem in August 2001. He wanted me to watch the ‘Stan’ video and he insisted so much that I finally accepted to see it.
A white M.C rapping was a real mystery to me and I decided to investigate more on Eminem.
I watched an ‘Eminem weekend’ on MTV. I particularly admired his performances, his sense of humor and the particular kind of relationship he has with his public.
I heard him talking on an interview and I was impressed with his sincerity and his integrity as an artist.
I wanted to study his lyrics and that’s how I discovered a talented wordsmith with a wonderful sense of humor.
As a mom,aren’t you sometimes scared Slim Shady could be a bad influence for your son?
Absolutely not!Why? Simply because I think the parents’ role is to teach their kids (Em also said it in his interviews) to distinguish between right and wrong.
I took time for my son and me to have fun with Eminem’s music and also to study his lyrics with him.
If you take a serious look at his lyrics, you will be able to know when he’s joking or not.
‘Do you think that Eminem’s success is related to his skin color ? Doesn’t he walk in the footsteps of Elvis Presley?”
No, I don’t think that the success of Eminem is related to his skin color but rather to his pugnacity, his determination to fullfill his dream and especially with his great talent to handle the words. Some of his enemies such as Benzino and Ja Rule strongly point out his skin color and and accuse him to have stolen the culture and music of Black people. He has not choosen the color of his skin!
Moreover, Eminem grew up in the black hood of Detroit. He embraces the black culture, his best friends, such as Proof de D12 are Blacks. I don’t think that one can really compare him with Elvis.”
“Do you make a difference between Eminem, Slim Shady and Marshall Bruce Mathers III? If so, which of these three characters do you prefer?”
“Yes, I make a great difference between Marshall Bruce Mathers III, Eminem and Slim Shady. Marshall corresponds, of course, to a real person, the one that I admire and who went through many torments in his childhood. I completely distinguish him from Eminem and Slim Shady which are characters of scene.
That’s why I decided to tattoo Marshall Mathers III on my left shoulder, in reference to his person and not to the artist. Eminem is his name of scene which represents its initial M&M. Eminem, for me it is the artist full with humour who fascinates his public on stage and who is so talented.
Slim Shady is the dark character who haunts Eminem. It’s its bad side, his baser instincts, his impure thoughts. And like he says it so well in “The Real Slim Shady”, “there is Slim Shady of each one of us”. Slim Shady is an alarming character, a psychopath killer and that what makes him so interesting! Because the public know he is fictionnal.
“Which of his music defines best Eminem… And which music defines best Isabelle Esling?”
Difficult question… I would say “If I had” and “Rock Bottom”, for his hard time period. “8 Mile Road” and “Lose Yourself” for his faith in his dreams; “The Way I Am” when it is exceeded
“Marshall Mathers” refers to the relationship he has with his “family”. In fact, Eminem is very complex. “Hailie’s song” can also define Eminem, it is an hymn of fatherly love.
The music which defines me best?
”Rock Bottom ” for the hard periods also…
“8 Mile Road” for my dreams and hopes. “The Real Slim Shady” for my provocative side. “Cleaning Out My Closet” for the rage accumulated since my childhood…I would also say that I find myself in Eminem because while having lived at different places and in different contexts, we have something in common. My two children are metis and I’ve been influenced a lot by African culture.