Month: August 2005

After enumerating painful events he went through during his childhood, Eminem claims in his Evil Deeds song:
« There goes poor Marshall again,
whining about his millions and his fortune and
his sorrow he’s always drowning in
and the dad that he never had and how his childhood was so bad
and how mom was a dope addict and his ex how they go at it.
Man, I’d hate to have it as bad as that Mr. Mathers claims he had it.
Man, I can’t imagine it. That little rich poor white bastard needs to
take some of that cash out of the bank and take a bath in it.
Man, if I only had half of it…
You only knew the half of it… »
Those lines are, of course, sarcastic. But it corresponds to an opinion many people have about Eminem now that he is rich and at the top. I wish people could drop this unpleasant stereotype of the « poor rich whining bastard » when they come to talk about Marshall Mathers’ wealth.
Yes, Eminem is a now a rich man. Do some of you realize how much he earned his money a hard way?
His childhood was a living nightmare…maybe his only peaceful years were his early years spent at his aunt Edna’s home. Eminem did not find the inside and outside security needed as a kid. Between a mom who popped pills and introducing him into pain killers and the school bullies who terrorized him and who nearly killed him, young Marshall realized how much his world was insecure.
His teenage years and the beginning of adulthood were a constant fight for recognition.
Eminem made up his decision to rap, but it wasn’t really easy for a white rapper to get some recognition. Before being signed by Dr Dre, Marshall experienced real difficulties in emerging on the rap scene. His personal life, his numerous arguments with Kim didn’t really leave time for a real peace of mind.
Some people, whose childhood has been difficult too and who have been through similar situations than Eminem have argued that they didn’t insult their mom, even if she acted as a « bitch » during their childhood…they argued that Eminem kept whining about the same things in his music.
To those people I would like to say: we are all different. 100 people can go through similar situations than Eminem’s did and react in 100 different ways. Marshall Mathers is a sensitive person, who has obviously been wounded by his painful past. His genius lies in the fact that he transformed his pain into art and that he managed to reach out to a large audience.
Why do you think that different people, from different countries, ages and backgrounds buy Slim Shady’s records? If you ask me, we buy his records because we can relate to most of the stuff he talks about.
When I first listened to Rock Bottom and heard Eminem say:
« My daughter’s feet ain’t got no shoes or sock’s on ’em », I had tears in my eyes. Back in the mid 90’s, I had been through the same kind of situation with my own son.
Eminem shared his story and his pain with his public. His music allowed him to let his emotions out of his chest, and also to touch people who could relate to his stuff.
Marshall Mathers’ career has been very successful. Thanks to his amazing talent, he has sold a lot of records. Within several years, he has reached a top level.
I have heard so many times: « Eminem is rich, he has nothing to worry about » or « he’s got the money, he should stop whining about his past! » « when you ‘re as rich as Eminem, any of your problems can be solved! »
Ok, if you think your statements are correct, then accept to walk a mile in Marshall’s shoes…You fools! Do you really think that money will buy you love, friends and prevent you from being sick?
First of all, Eminem’s « complaints » in his music are an outlet for his negative emotions and scars from the past.
Second, it is very lonely at the top. When you reach Eminem’s level of fame and wealth, you barely know who your true friends actually are. You have to be cautious in analyzing the reasons why people are trying to approach you, because many of them calculate about your money.
Many people have claimed to be Marshall’s friends and have betrayed him.
Third, I doubt you could ever face the pressures Eminem has been facing since the start of his career. Do you realize that Marshall Mathers has nearly no privacy?
He had to handle mad fans’ behaviors, many lawsuits (it is still the case), negative criticism, attacks from the GLAAD, from Lynne Cheney etc…
Some people who have been disappointed with Encore also allowed themselves the right to insult the talented rapper, which is despicable.
Being disappointed is one thing, becoming disrespectful makes you look like an arrogant prick when besides insulting him, you pretend to be his « fan ».
Let me tell you what regarding the Encore album. Encore is not as good as Eminem’s former albums, but still, it would beat many top emcees albums. Why? Simply because there are still some high quality songs on it like Evil Deeds, Never Enough, yellow Brick Road, Toy Soldiers, Mosh and Mockingbird…
I have been reproached to defend Eminem so many times. Yes, it is true, I always stick up for him when I find it right. However, I’m not afraid to express some criticism when needed: I was disappointed by Ass Like That and I said it clearly. Also, I don’t share each of Mr Mathers’ point of views. I don’t necessarily agree with the way he views Moby and his opinion about illegal downloads on the net.
A common mistake is to think that Eminem’s wealth has solved all of his problems.
One main reason why I have written about Marshall’s life, analyzing some of his family members is for people to acknowledge that despite his superstar status, he is a human being, with his emotions, his weak and good points. A man, who lives his life, goes through good and bad times like any of us- with the only difference that he is a public person. I intended to show you Eminem in the role of a daddy, a big brother and a responsible family man.
Some of his problems might have been solved through money, but money has also created a huge amount of issues in Marshall’s life.
And if you are convinced he is a « little rich whining bastard » step into his shoes and live his hectic life for 24 hours. You might totally change your mind about it.

I keep asking myself what’s going on in those people’s head who keep filing lawsuits against Eminem…particularly when those lawsuits are unjustified.
Last month, on July the 13th an accident happened near St Louis, Missouri.. Eminem’s tour bus run into a truck . On both sides, people were injured.
Among the bus passengers that were injured Alan Maman aka The Alchemist and
Stanley Benton aka Stat Quo. The Alchemist was in a quite severe health condition after the accident.
Breck Wyngarden, the Michigan truck driver and his wife Tina were suffering from injuries too. He was suffering from rib injuries and his wife injured her head, neck and back.
Eminem was not in the tour bus when the accident happened.
Mr Wyngarden and his wife decided to file a lawsuit against Eminem, bus driver Charlie Dilligard and the tour bus company, Entertainment Coaches of America.
As much as I feel sorry for the victims from both sides, I can’t find no logical reason to explain why Marshall Mathers is being sued in this affair.
Did Eminem drive the bus that caused this accident? No…obviously not.
He was not even present when the accident occurred.
I can understand that Charlie Dilligard, the bus driver, will have to respond for his action in front of the Court. I even understand that the tour bus company can be held responsible in this affair for the accident.
The only explanation for filing a lawsuit against Eminem himself is the greed for money. It is a matter of fact that Charlie Dilligard has less chances to make the couple rich « the good old American way ».
If Eminem happened to lose his fortune right now, he would suddenly be of no interest for Mr and Mrs Wyngarden. I bet they would drop the lawsuit against him in no time!

Another lawsuit has been filed against Eminem, but this time, it’s not from a family member. Michigan truck driver Breck Wyngarden and his wife, Ascension “Tina” Wyngarden, are seeking unspecified damages from the rapper, his Anger Management Tour bus driver and the tour bus company Entertainment Coaches of America for a July accident involving seven vehicles in western Missouri.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Eminem was not on the bus when the July 13 accident occurred about 25 miles east of Kansas City. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the bus was westbound about 6 p.m., on its way to a tour stop in Denver following a stop in Chicago. Attorney Jeff Lowe, who is representing the Wyngardens, said the tour bus swerved to avoid a collision, but struck the side of Wyngarden’s tractor-trailer.
The lawsuit said Breck Wyngarden suffered rib injuries, while his wife injured her head, neck and back. Seven people on the bus were reportedly among the 11 in total to be sent to the hospital, including driver Charlie Dilligard of Suitland, MD, Eminem’s DJ Alchemist (real name Alan Maman) and Em’s 26-year-old rap protégé Stat Quo (real name Stanley Benton).
Also hospitalized were Tina Wyngarden, two motorcycle drivers and a motorcycle passenger.
The lawsuit against Em follows another suit filed last week against the artist by his relatives, who claim he’s trying to evict them from the home he had built for them. Jack and Betty Schmitt, his uncle and aunt, are seeking more than $350,000 and possession of the home.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old emcee recently canceled his European tour, citing exhaustion. His publicist has said he is undergoing treatment for dependency to sleep medication.

If this info is correct, that’s actually great news!!!
Big Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre will be touring Europe next year. The tour will be the result of 2 of the biggest West Coast rap albums to date, Detox by Dr Dre and The Blue Carpet Treatment by Snoop Dogg.
Snoop performed in the UK only days ago for the Live 8 concert, and later spent an hour live on Radio 1 with DJ Tim Westwood.
Snoop announced that he will be appearing on Dr Dre’s Detox album which is due next year, and is in production right now. Snoop also stated that his next album entitled The Blue Carpet Treatment will feature production from Pharell and Dr Dre!
Tha Dogg Pound re-union album is also due for release early 2006.

Zack Groulx aka Solystic is one of those young Detroit rapping talents who managed to impress me. Let me reveal you some secrets about his upcoming album that will be entitled « The Diary ».
« I’m Solystic » will be one of the single featured on Solystic’s new album.
Solystic’s introduction to the world starts in a very funny way. While combining sounds of piano and violin, Solystic gets explicit and hardcore in no time. What’s his game? Pimping, bitches and hoes…you probably guessed it. Hustling is part of the game when you’re from the D. Solystic spits with a rapid delivery flow which makes the track enjoyable.
However, you have to expect a different « I’m Solystic » track than the one you have heard on his official website on Solystic’s brand new album. The young and talented artist is determined to surprise his listeners: Solystic has chosen a different beat for his single, a single that will be produced by DJ Marqious.
The song will be written in 16 bars verses.
The second single of the album, that is not available on Solystic’s album, will be entitled « Can’t Stop Me ».
Like a diary, Solystic’s upcoming album will be a mixture of funny, sad, mad and hard songs. It will remind you of your every day life.
5 songs are expected to be produced by DJ Marqious, Lyle Wolf and Solystic will produce the remaining songs.
A third song, « Split Second », is about the quick changes that can occur in life and the advices Solystic received from Obie Trice and Nate Dogg. It might become Solystic’s third single.
Now you know quite everything needed about Solystic’s upcoming album…don’t forget to check it out when it comes out, because Solystic is incredibly gifted.

It is sad to acknowledge that we seem to live in a world where money matters more than an individual’s health.
Eminem has cancelled his European Tour on August the 17th. No, it was not another of those superstar whims. Marshall did it for medical reasons. He was exhausted. Along with his physical (and maybe nervous) exhaustion, he had to handle his sleep medication dependency.
Marshall Mathers is currently treated for his addiction problem in a specialized hospital.
The news of the cancellation has hit many fans hard. However, Eminem’s loyal fans understood that Marshall didn’t act like that to piss us off and that he was actually sick. Of course, some arrogant pricks who thought that Eminem « owed » them a tour didn’t understand that he was facing some serious health problems. But that’s life I guess…
Since he has been hospitalized, it looks like the lawsuits won’t leave Eminem alone. His relatives Jack and Betty Schmitt are backstabbing him with a lawsuit. The victims of the car accident caused by the Anger Management bus driver are suing Eminem, despite the fact he was not in the bus when the collision between the tour bus and the truck driver happened.
Henry Mountcharles, the owner of the Irish Castle where Eminem was supposed to perform in Dublin , has decided to hit the talented rapper with a lawsuit.
Since he knew about the cancellation of the show, Henry Mountcharles was fuming.
Angry and bitter about the cancellation, he came up with such statements:
« I don’t think the Rolling Stones or U2 would cancel a section owing to nervous exhaustion »
First of all, Mr Mountcharles, it is useless to compare Eminem with the Rolling Stones or U2. Moreover, you don’t know how those performers would have acted if they had experienced similar health problems. You are just making assumptions out of anger.
June the 18th, 2003 also left some Linkin Park fans totally frustrated in Paris in front of Bercy, because they had cancelled their concert. One of the singers of the group had pneumonia. Things like show cancellations can happen. We don’t like them to happen, but we ought to realize that rappers and singers are human beings too. They can be sick like anybody of us.
Even if Eminem’s exhaustion was only nervous (which is not even the case), he had some good reasons to be nervously exhausted. Since Eminem had started his career, his personal and public life have been rather hectic. While seeing family members turning their backs against him, experiencing personal problems with ex wife Kim, Eminem had to face a lot of opponents like the activists from the GLAAD (Gays And Lesbians Alliance Against Defamation) and the government’s opposition against lyrics that were obviously misunderstood.
Eminem is one of those artists who had maybe more pressure to face than many others.
I can understand that the owner of the castle is quite bitter about the cancellation of the show:
« I’m very taken aback. I’m trying to be judicious with my words. I’m not very happy about what has happened. »
So much bitter that he doesn’t want to see Eminem again for a performance in his castle:
“I think he is a stunning artist but I don’t think he’ll get a slot in Slane again”
It is now rumored that he intends to sue Eminem over his financial loss.
Of course, Henry Mountcharles has lost a lot of money because Eminem cancelled the show, but frankly, I don’t think that this big loss of money will ever threaten this aristocrat’s financial security.
Because of the cancellation of the show, many of us have lost money. Some people had already bought their train tickets (I was lucky not to have bought it in advance) and prepared some expenses for the upcoming concerts.
Eminem himself has lost a lot of money in this affair…probably millions of dollars.
If Henry Mountcharles thinks that Eminem should have performed despite his growing exhaustion and his addiction problems to sleeping pills, does this man even realize that if Eminem had collapsed and died during the show, then he would have lost money for good!
Henry Mountcharles’ words sound really arrogant to me. Eminem did not cancel his tour on purpose, but he realized that he had to do it for medical reasons.
Eminem never cancelled any of his tours before, as far as I know and as I have already stated it in a former post, I even saw him performing live on a CD while suffering from pneumonia.
I am deeply convinced that Marshall Mathers took the right decision when he decided to get treated for his addiction problem.
So Mr Mountcharles wants to sue Eminem too while he’s at the hospital?
It is so easy to backstab somebody when he’s not in a good position.
Before considering Eminem as « a big pack of money », when will people start considering him as a human being?
Before being the superstar and the amazing artist he is, he is a man of flesh and blood with the same weaknesses as ours.

A tight artist
« I’m a hip hop head, striving to keep it real, keep it raw and keep it honest. I’ve tried the 9 to 5 and tried sports, but God keep sweeping me back to music. »
(Libretto)
During the current Summer holidays, I discovered a rapper who really impressed me with his originality, his lyrics, his flow and his mad rhythm. His name? Libretto.
The rapper from Portland, Oregon, brings some original sounds into a very rhythmic music. Not only does he tells you the streets how they are, but the talented artist manages to handle flow and rhythm in an amazing way. The start of the track Volume featuring Lifesavas is certainly an invite to dance Libretto who combines words intelligently with a rapid flows manages to give his raps a gangsta flavor.
Libretto totally masters his musically rich art…not only does he combine words the right way, he also marries different musical genres. The attentive listener will also enjoy the reggae influence in Volume.
You gotta love Volume and Libretto’s enthusiastic inviting words : «Bang your fists on the wall like this, lunchroom table session ’86… »
While spitting and putting words together, Libretto gets dirty in no time, which makes his track enjoyable for hardcore rap lovers like me.
Libretto defines his role that way: « I’m just here to plant a seed and it’ll get watered. ». He is open minded towards “anyone who’ll listen, white, black, red or yellow.â€?
Son of a Black Panther, Libretto was raised in Watts, near Portland, Oregon. However, the Portland rapper has spent most of his time in LA, California. Ten years ago, when his dad was in bad health and confronted by financial difficulties, he moved to Portland again. There he met Vursatyl, Jumbo the Garbageman and Shynes, three underground rappers who formed the Lifesavas group. Together with the Lifesavas,
Libretto formed the Misfit Massive crew.
Libretto has learnt a lot from his engaged father, who helped to create the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which registered black voters in the Southern States at a time the Klu Klux Klan was predominant there.
Libretto has integrated his ghetto experiences in his music.
Libretto has opened shows for NYC artist Talib Kweli. Signed to an indie label, Dim Mak Records, he had released « Volume/ Slumfunk 12’ »
In October 2004, Libretto came up with a bigger release, his album, Ill-Oet: The Last Element. His myspace account will give you a wonderful occasion to explore his sharp and original music.
Find out more about this amazing artist here.
Libretto is raw and real in his lyrics. He is definitely worth a look.

This amazing Portland rapper I discovered during those Summer holidays will probably amaze you too. With his unique sound, the way he words his lyrics, his rapid flow…you gotta check this talented underground rapper! Stay tuned, folks!

Published August 27, 2005
August isn’t a great month if you’re a Detroit-area rapper whose name sounds like candy.
Eminem, recently in rehab to deal with a dependency on sleep medication, is now being sued by a truck driver and his wife for a July 13 accident involving seven vehicles in western Missouri, including Eminem’s tour bus (he wasn’t on it at the time).
The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed in St. Louis by Michigan truck driver Breck Wyngarden and his wife, Ascension “Tina” Wyngarden, who was hospitalized. The suit also names the bus driver and the tour bus company.
Adding to Em’s woes: Just last week, two of his relatives filed a lawsuit against him claiming he’s trying to evict them from the home he had built for them.

This part of The Real Slim Shady video always made me laugh crazy…even when I was in a bad mood lol