Month: July 2004

Eminem has knocked out many of his enemies verbally. Can you remember the lyrics of his song ‘Marshall Mathers’? The second refrain goes like this:
‘Cause I’m, just Marshall Mathers (Marshall Mathers)
I’m not a wrestler guy,
I’ll knock you out if you talk about me (you talk about me)…’
It is aimed at ICP, principally.
As a lyricist, no doubt that Eminem is a wrestler. You have probably also seen a picture of Eminem posing as a wounded boxer next to Paul Rosenberg last year…
But can you imagine Marshall Mathers boxing in real life? If the answer is yes, you’re not very far from the truth.
Eminem is interested in boxing. He has even hired a retired boxer-Emmanuel Steward -to teach him some boxing lessons. According to his teacher, Marshall is a good pupil who seems to be gifted for wrestling:
“I put him through his paces and I was amazed that he was as good as he was.
“Since then, he’s trained regularly and I’ve put him in the ring with some top-notch sparring partners. He’s improved enormously. He’s aggressive – a real slugger’ He moves a lot like Muhammad Ali.”
It is also rumored that Eminem wants to perfect his punches for his second acting role. He is supposed to play undefeated Jewish Ukranian boxing phenomenon, Dmitri Salita.
With the release of 8 Mile, Eminem has certainly proven his great ability to act. As far as I am concerned, I think he will be credible in a wrestling role. Why? Simply because Marshall Mathers is a fighter in real life as well as i

Many artists have probably written their greatests songs ‘under the influence’. We may ask: what is the relation between drugs, drug addiction and artistic creativity?
Why do songs sound more colorful and more intense when they were written under drugs’ influence?
Maybe because they help the artist to have a better self control, maybe he doesn’t feel the stress and the pressure of being obliged to produce something real good.
There must be something true in Bill Hicks’ statement:
”drugs have done some good things for us. If you don’t think drugs have done good things for us then do me a favor [sic]. Go home tonight and take all of your records, tapes and all your CD’s and burn them. Because, you know all those musicians who made all that great music that’s enhanced your lives throughout the years? Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreal fucking high on drugs, man.’
It is a secret for nobody of us that the ‘Slim Shady LP’ has been produced while Eminem and Dr Dre were enjoying some ecstasy.
In one of his songs ‘Let’s Get High’, Dr Dre talks about the effects of ecstasy:
‘Yeah — I just took some Ecstasy
Ain’t no tellin what the side effects could be
All these fine bitches equal sex to me
plus I got this bad bitch layin next to me
No doubt, sit back on the couch
Pants down, rubber on, set to turn that ass out
Laid the bitch out, then I put it in her mouth
Pulled out, nutted on a towel and passed out…’
‘I’m Shady’ and ‘Drug Ballad’ are all about drugs Eminem used to take. I like both songs very much and what I admire most is the poetic way Eminem manages to describe his addiction. But he also manages to do much more if you listen to ‘Drug Ballad’ carefully: the rythm of the song, the way he spreads his words introduces you in the world of addictiveness. You can easily feel what he feels like everything spinning all around him.
In the ‘Devil’s Night’ song, Bizarre says:
‘Taking drugs is cool
That’s why I buy ’em’
His statement is sarcastic. You will realize it while discovering the next sentence:
‘Shoot ’em in my ass
Let your little brother try ’em
Ten years is what I’m facing
Police breaking in my house’
So are drugs really that cool? Shall we believe James Kent when he states : ‘Drugs are cool, but you may not be…’
I found his original theory about drugs on this website:
http://66.102.11.104/search?q=cache:6rjH66-y3U0J:www.tripzine.com/features.asp%3Fid%3Dcool+drugs+and+artistic+creation&hl=en
Although you may strongly disagree with him, it is worth checking out. James Kent also argues that ‘drugs often give people cool thoughts and inspire people to create cool things’. I am not here to debate whether taking drugs is cool or not, but rather on how drugs may influence artistic creation.
I’m not an addict nor a big substance user, but my few months experience with cannabis makes me think that weed can help us to relax and that it certainly changes our perception of things. Because of this change of perceptions and of sensations, I do think that weed might be helpful to artistic creation. You don’t see nor feel things the same way you did after smoking a blunt.
That might explain the colorful descriptions and impressions of songs like ‘Purple Pills’.
Because he probably understood the impact of mescaline on artistic creation, Aldous Huxley talks about mescaline in very poetic terms:
‘To make this trivial world sublime,
Take a half a gramme of phanerothyme.’
The now very respected Beatles also used to take drugs. Who would deny that some of their songs are sublime? The song ‘Hey Jude’ is all about the use of heroin, though…
But don’t misinterpret me in my statements: they aren’t an invitation to take drugs in any case. Drugs are bad for health. They might make you feel cool, but they can also alter your sense of reality and make you more vulnerable than you think you are.
Remember that, even at the time Eminem was taking lots of illegal substances, his introduction of the Slim Shady LP sounds like a warning to the youth: ‘Don’t do drugs’.
If well known and talented artists have felt the need of using drugs, you don’t have to do the same to feel like them. Just close your eyes and be ready to fly. Follow the sound of the music and the voice of the artist will lead you into his hidden and colorful universe.

You have probably heard about a story that has made the headlines a few years ago. It’s an after show story:
http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_486372.html?menu
Two girls, who appearently were both physically very attracted to Eminem, followed the rap star after his concert. Both were that obsessed with their own feelings that they didn’t even notice Marshall didn’t want to spend time with any of them:
“I didn’t like either of them so I left the room.”
When Mashall eventually walked away, he could see both girls fighting over him in the hotel car park. Many people (except for both girls) may have found this story funny.
In fact, this story is revealing: many females would probably have behaved the same way, without questionning themselves about the reciprocity Eminem’s attraction towards them.
I don’t blame them, I just think those girls should try to envision the fact that Marshall is a regular human being. As well as you cannot force sympathy, you cannot force physical attraction.
Despite the fact Eminem describes himself as ‘an attention freak’ and that he might be flattered by his female fans’ attention, both girls have really started making fools of themselves, blaming each other for Eminem leaving:
“Each was blaming the other for me leaving. I mean, they were scrapping on the floor. Little did they realise I didn’t like either of them.”
Maybe Marshall underrates himself when he says:
“If it wasn’t for this rap stuff, I could never get a girl.”
Besides his exceptional rhyming skills, Marshall has also shown character and attitude. Which would certainly not leave girls indifferent.

Eminem has decided to go one step further in his fight for freedom of speech. Years ago, the FCC had censored a Colorado radio for playing ‘The Real Slim Shady’. The Colorado radio channel had to pay $ 7000:
http://www.thefileroom.org/documents/dyn/DisplayCase.cfm/id/363
The FCC complained that the song ‘contains unmistakable offensive sexual references … that appear intended to pander and shock.”
The Real Slim Shady is back and ready to piss you off on the aiwaves. He will take the mic at his own radio station:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/apmusic_story.asp?category=1403&slug=Eminem
Until the Autumn, you will be able to listen to Eminem who promises you to go on cursing on air to the greatest delight of his fans. But his radio is not only about Eminem. It will host guests such as DJ Green Latern and the purpose of his future radio station that Eminem defined as ” cutting-edge hip-hop music and lifestyle channel” will be to promote rap music.
Hip hop lovers will certainly appreciate this radio channel that is all about rap and free speech.

Whether people like to admit it or not, Eminem has influenced hip hop history in a major way. Since the death of Tupac, he is the rapper who has influenced the hip hop scene most.
Unlike many people’s opinion, Eminem is not the first white rapper. The Beastie Boys and Vanilla Ice have preceded him. But Marshall Mathers is the first white rapper to rap so well, to handle wordplays the way he does.
Some would argue that Eminem gets a lot of attention because of his skin color, which is only partly true. I’d say he gets lots of attention mainly because of his huge talent and his amazing creativity.
Eminem has been particularly influential in rap music, he has started a revolution, because he has changed some rules in the rap game.
Many people were used to commercial rappers with big chains talking about big cars, money and girls. Eminem is one of the rare rappers to show up on stage with great simplicity in his clothing. No big chains, no big diamond rings. Nothing external to seduce his public, but himself. Eminem is certainly the first in the rap game to expose himself the way he does. His songs tell his story. Never has a rapper been that close to his fans. His songs are also an explosion of true feelings. His personality and his attitude are an inspiration to many people.
Because his intentions are so often misinterpreted and misunderstood, Eminem has also been reproached to expose his life in his lyrics by some negative critics.
The fact that Eminem is white shouldn’t only be interpreted as a disadvantage for rap music, but rather like a real enrichment. Being described as a ‘culture stealer’ by closed minded people like Benzino, Eminem has opened hip hop to a larger audience, which is something highly positive. Nobody will deny that rap music is a genre created by Blacks. But like any musical genre it has a universal vocation.
Eminem is not some white man who had no idea about rap music and hip hop culture and who suddenly decided to rap. Eminem grew up, has grown roots within hip hop culture. He cannot be compared with some white guy who suddenly decides to collaborate with Blacks just to add to his credibility as a white rapper. His D12 crew he sarcastically calls ‘My Band’ are long term friends who grew up in the same place as him.
Eminem is a living proof that hip hop can break intolerance, racism and that people from different ethnies can work together. Since the beginning of his career till now, Eminem has contributed to the enrichment of hip hop culture. His sophisticated rhyming style makes a brilliant form of art of his music.
Eminem’s determinant role in rap music and ‘by extension- in racial relations could hardly be ignored. His music is a bridge between Blacks and Whites.
His success may have encouraged other white rappers, but it has also made it harder for them at the same time, knowing it is rather difficult to reach his level.
Eminem has also opened people’s eyes about white people’s situation in the ghetto. Maybe it started breaking down the myth of the ‘American Dream’ in many suburban people’s mind.
It also helped white people focusing much more on rap music and thus, on black history.
No matter if they’re white or not, true hip hop lovers won’t ignore black people’s history.

Eminem will have his own channel on satellite radio starting this fall, a major provider announced Monday:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/apmusic_story.asp?category=1403&slug=Eminem
Sirius Satellite Radio said it has teamed up with the Detroit-area rapper – along with his label, Shady Records, and Interscope Records – to create “a cutting-edge hip-hop music and lifestyle channel.”
Eminem’s DJ Green Lantern will host a weekly show, while Eminem himself and other Shady Records artists will also host occasional shows that will include call-in segments.
The channel, which does not yet have a name, will feature hip-hop from across the spectrum, not just the two labels, the company said.

This story begins like a scary tale : a 47 years old man gets murdered during his sleep by a 18 years old teenager. The scene takes place in 2001, Newcastle, England:
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_743289.html?menu=news.latestheadlines

David Pallister admitted committing a murder. He happened to like Eminem’s music. It has been reported that this tragic incident happened after he had listen to Devil’s Night’s ‘Fight Music’. Coincidence? Or did ‘Fight Music’ really lead to this murder?
‘Fight Music’ happens to be my favorite song from the Devil’s Night album and the video is actually my favorite D12 video. I cannot even count the number of times I have been watching the ‘Fight Music’ video with my kids. We have even been mimicking the D12 members, because we are very fond of this video. Matter of fact: none of us has become violent after watching the video. I really doubt the average teenager would act violently because of ‘Fight Music’: I rather think that he he does, it actually means that he already has a great inclination for violence.
Of course, ‘Fight Music’ is offensive in the lyrics and the video offers its viewers some aggressive action. The main question is to know whom this offensiveness is aimed at.
As far as I am concerned, I’d say ‘Fight Music’ has three main targets:
– The negative musical critics: Ice T clearly introduces you into the context at the beginning of the video. Eminem and his crew get accused of destroying the music industry.
– President Bush’s policy: the lyrics and the video clearly show D12’s criticism against the Bush administration.
– Troubled youth: many times Eminem has expressed his sympathy for kids experiencing difficulties and ‘Fight Music’ is a “sick” song dedicated to any kid who gets bullied at school.
According to me, the agressivity and the violence that are expressed in ‘Fight Music’ can be used by kids as a positive force. Particularly kids from broken homes who are experiencing real difficulties in their families and at school will find in Eminem’s dedication a message of hope.
When Eminem says ‘Fuck you’ is the positiveness that you will find in his music, many people interpret it as a sarcasm. Although Eminem is a master in the use of sarcasms, I don’t think his statement was a sarcasm this time. ‘Fuck you’ is not necessarely a negative expression when it gets addressed to a corrupt government, a rotten society and to irresponsible parents.
Many kids manage to canalize their violence and to work out their deceptions through Eminem and D12’s music. Unfortunately, a few of them misinterpret the message contained in the lyrics and act in a dangerous way. Most of the time, they are unable to handle deeper and hidden mental problems. Despite the fact those fans are giving their favorite artists a bad name and that their behavior often leads to bloody and bad dramas, remember they are exceptions to the rule.

The youngest rapper in the world is only 7 years old. This kid is a child prodigy: he started his career in 2000, when he was only 2 years and a half. His name Lil Maxso aka Maximillian Justn Flores.
No doubt: this little young man can rap. You gotta watch his video: you will understand that he is gifted for rap. You will be amazed by his performance: he was only 4 years old when his video was filmed. Lil Maxso has charisma, he moves on stage like the greatest entertainers of our time and his rap sounds good.
Lil Maxso was born on December the 17th 1997 in LA. He began performing in February 2000.
From 2000 to 2004, Lil Maxso has performed with the greatest entertainers. Among them, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit. He has made an appearence on 50 Cent’s ‘Wanksta’ video. Lil Maxso has also met Eminem .
His debut single was called ‘Like That’.
You will learn more about this little young man on his personal website:
http://www.lilmaxso.com/biography.html
Of course, his voice sounds childish. He is only seven. Let him time to grow up: he’s gonna make it big.

Luke Bass is what we could call an obsessive and dangerous Eminem fan:
http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/06/02/nbass02.xml
He is the kind of fan Marshall would warn us against in his song ‘Stan’. You could have confused him with ‘Stan’ in Eminem’s video. He used to bleach his hear blonde and to listen to Eminem’s albums all the time.
Luke Bass went so far in misinterpreting the lyrics of his favorite track ‘Stan’ that he beat his girlfriend with a bicycle chain. This tragedy happened in Newark, England. Donna Grimwood, the victim, was left injured and unconscious, lying in a pool of blood.
Luke’s behavior clearly shows that he needs some psychiatric help, which has been ordered by the Court.
It seems like we don’t listen to the music with the same ears, because the lyrics don’t have the same effect on different persons. The great majority of the Eminem fans have been listening to ‘Stan’ without acting weird nor harming or hurting anybody. Exceptions like Luke Bass make us think that they had mental problems since the beginning and that those persons would have started acting crazy even without listening to Eminem’s music.
The story mentioned in ‘The Portal Telegraph’ is like a scary tale. This young man didn’t even realize that he was wrong acting this way. Moreover, he was actually thinking in his mad mind that Eminem was encouraging him act like a monster towards his girlfriend.
We may ask how Luke interpreted those lines from ‘Stan’:
‘I really think you and your girlfriend need each other.
Or maybe you just need to treat her better.’
Eminem clearly states in his song that he doesn’t encourage any foolish behavior from his fans. Stan’s crazy behavior in the lyrics as well as in the video appears to be a warning that Marshall addresses to his huge fans. It sounds like this: ‘Be my fan, but never act crazy in my name…’. When Marshall wrote ‘Stan’, he also wanted to express his own fear of mad fans who misinterpret his lyrics.
The fact that Donna Grimwood has been totally disgusted by Eminem’s music is understandable. But still, Luke Bass is the only to be held responsible for his actions.
Don’t blame Marshall Mathers for Luke Bass’ mental problems.

When I bought the Marshall Mathers LP, I think that ‘ Remember Me ‘ used to be my least favorite song from the whole album. Probably also because it sounded more ‘metal’ than ‘hip hop’ to me.
But when I took time to have a look at the lyrics, I noticed that the song was intelligently written and funny.
The repetion of similar sound and the melody add to the apocalyptic dimension of the song. The whole structure of the song will make you think about a huge nuclear weapon that spreads rapidly and leaves lots of damages behind.
‘Remember Me’ features rapper RBX (who has also collaborated with Snoop Dogg) and New York rapper Sticky Fingers.
The chorus starts like a huge threat:
[RBX]
Remember me? (“Step in, execution”)
Remember me? (“I have no remorse”)
Remember me? (“I’m ‘High Powered'”)
Remember me? (“I drop bombs like Hiroshima”)
The whole song si fullfilled with provocative and funny lines. The repetition of similar sound, the rapid rythm of the sentences make the song interesting.
You could hardly ignore Sticky Fingaz’ part which is fullfilled with wordplays and similar assonances:
‘Better come better than better to be a competitor
this vet is ahead of,
The shit is all redder, you deader and deader
A medic instead-a the cheddars and credda
Settle vendetta one metal beretta from ghetto to ghetto…’
You will probably be amused by Sticky Fingaz’ line:
‘I get more pussy than them dyke bitches Total’
But the most provocative verse is certainly the last. Eminem targets his critics with lots of humor. The first lines are as sarcastic as hell:
‘When I go out, I’ma go out shootin
I don’t mean when I die, I mean when I go out to the club, stupid
I’m tryin to clear up my fuckin’ image,
so I promised the fuckin critics
I wouldn’t say “fuckin” for six minutes
(*click* Six minutes, Slim Shady, you’re on)…’
Can you imagine Slim Shady stop cursing? Of course not!
Nobody can escape from Slim Shady’s rage, Debbie and Kim in particular. Slim Shady makes some clear allusions to his former track ’97 Bonnie and Clyde’and goes on mocking Debbie who appears as the main responsible of his crazy thoughts:
‘My baby’s mom, bitch made me an angry blonde
So I made me a song, killed her and put Hailie on
I may be wrong, I keep thinkin these crazy thoughts
in my cranium, but I’m stuck with a crazy mom…’
The most interesting lines are probably Eminem’s direct allusions to the Columbine shooting where Bill Clinton’s hypocrisy is targetted in first line:
‘Came home and somebody must have broke in the back window / Stole two loaded machine guns and both of my trench coats. / Sick sick dreams of picnic scenes, two kids, sixteen / with M-16’s and ten clips each / And them shits reach through six kids each / And Slim gets blamed in Bill Clint’s speech to fix these streets? / FUCK THAT!”
‘Remember Me’ is an explosive song. If you are used to take his statements literally, Slim Shady will piss you off, once again.
“Remember Me?”
(feat. RBX, Sticky Fingaz)
[*spray can being shook up and sprayed several times*]
[RBX]
Remember me? (“Step in, execution”)
Remember me? (“I have no remorse”)
Remember me? (“I’m ‘High Powered'”)
Remember me? (“I drop bombs like Hiroshima”)
For this one it’s the X, you retarded?
Cause I grab the mic and get DOWN, like Syndrome
Hide and roam into the masses, without boundaries
which qualifies me for the term “universal”
Without no rehearsal, I leak words that’s controversial
Like I’m not, the one you wanna contest, see
cause I’ll hit yo’ ass like the train did that bitch
that got “Banned From TV” — heavyweight hitter
Hit you watch your whole head split up
Loco-is-the-motion, we comin through
Hollow tips is the lead, the .45 threw
[Sticky Fingaz]
Remember me? (“Throw ya gunz in the air!”)
Remember me? (“Slam! Slam!”)
Remember me? (“Nigga ‘Bacdafucup'”)
Remember me? (“Chka-chka-Onyx!”)
Niggaz that take no for an answer, get told no
Yeah I been told no but it was more like, “No, no, no!!!”
Life a bitch that’ll fuck you if you let her
Better come better than better to be a competitor
this vet is ahead of,
The shit is all redder, you deader and deader
A medic instead-a the cheddars and credda
Settle vendetta one metal beretta from ghetto to ghetto
Evidence? NOPE! Never leave a shred-of
I got the soul of every rapper in me, love me or hate me
My moms got raped by the industry and made me
I’m the illest nigga ever, I told you
I get more pussy than them dyke bitches Total
Want beef, nigga? PBBT! You better dead that shit
My name should be “Can’t-Believe-That-Nigga-Said-That-Shit”
Probably sayin, “He ain’t a killer”, but I’m killin myself
Smoke death, fuck 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 shit 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
‘Round the clock hustlers, you cannot touch us
I’m gettin wires niggaz wantin me dead, wantin my head
You think it could be somethin I said? {*echoes*}
[Eminem]
Remember me? (“I just don’t give a fuck!”)
Remember me? (“Yeah, fuck you too!”)
Remember me? (“I’m low down and I’m shifty!”)
Remember me? (“I’m Shady!”)
When I go out, I’ma go out shootin
I don’t mean when I die, I mean when I go out to the club, stupid
I’m tryin to clear up my fuckin’ image,
so I promised the fuckin critics
I wouldn’t say “fuckin” for six minutes
(*click* Six minutes, Slim Shady, you’re on)
My baby’s mom, bitch made me an angry blonde
So I made me a song, killed her and put Hailie on
I may be wrong, I keep thinkin these crazy thoughts
in my cranium, but I’m stuck with a crazy mom
(“Is she really on as much dope as you say she’s on?”)
Came home, and somebody musta broke in the back window
and stole two loaded machine guns and both of my trenchcoats
Sick sick dreams of picnic scenes, two kids, sixteen
with M-16’s and ten clips each
And them shits reach through six kids each
And Slim gets blamed in Bill Clint’s speech to fix these streets?
FUCK THAT! PBBT! Tou faggots can vanish to volcanic ash
and re-appear in hell with a can of gas, AND a match
Aftermath, Dre, grab the gat, show ’em where it’s at
(What the fuck you starin at, nigga?)
Don’t you remember me?!
Remember me?!!
Remember me??!
REMEMBER ME!!!!