They may look like him, but they are not the Real Slim Shady

Because they try to imitate his clothing, his body attitude, because they dyed their hair blonde, many lookalikes may pretend to resemble Eminem.
A few of them can be viewed on the following websites:
http://www.lookalikes-usa.com/list.cfm?NAME=eminem
http://www.splitting-images.com/eminem.html
When you examine all of them (not even carefully), you perfectly know they are not Marshall Mathers. They don’t really look like him.
But I must say that the same rule doesn’t apply to the man who is following Eminem when he’s on tour. I have met this person at Paris Bercy on June the 19th and I was really confused when I discovered he was not Eminem. He has the same height, he exactly walks like Marshall and it may happen that die hard fans like me may confuse him with the rapper many times.
When I saw him walking out of the bus, I started talking to him, thinking I was talking to the real Marshall. Maybe I should have noticed that his voice sounded different and that his eyes were a little bit too blue to be Marshall’s eyes. But well, I was concentrated on my goal and I wanted to give a short presentation of the bio I had written on him.
I started talking and Eminem’s lookalike listened to my whole speech without saying anything.
Then he suddenly aswered:
‘It is not about me!’
He probably must have been amused , although he didn’t show anything. He just showed me his shoulders: no tattoos on them!
Then I understood my mistake and started laughing at myself.
For obvious security reasons and knowing that the number of his enemies has increased, Eminem has hired some body doubles:
http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/0/532C387E7800EAE780256D4F0045687B?opendocument
One of them is a man named Joe Pace who lives in Shelby Township, Michigan:
http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/embox12_20030712.htm
His nickname is even ‘Partial Mathers’, which means that he must look ‘ at least partially- like Eminem.
Eminem’s body doubles are doing a dangerous job that requires lots of qualities. They deserve a lot of gratitude, even from us fans, who may sometimes be disappointed to meet them rather than the Real Slim Sha

Good Die Young

The D12 song from the D12 World album ‘Good Die Young’, which is dedicated to D12’s deceased member Bugz sounds like a prayer and also like a big complaint.
When dramas happen in our lives, we often feel so weak and so useless. Sometimes we also do reproach ourselves what happened. But we should certainly take into account that we don’t master such events which are totally independant from our will.
Accidents that happen like the tragic death of our beloves ones teach us a lesson about the fragility of life. That’s why we should try to enjoy life as much as possible, particularly when we’re young. We should try to be happy and satisfied instead of wasting our time on useless problems. Each day should be lived up as the last one.
The way the D12 members mention tragical circumstances in the song is quite philosophical. It teaches people how hard it is to survive in the ghetto.
Kon Artis shares his double struggle with us, how he had to fight to survive and to succeed for his family:
‘Its true that everybody heard, there mama say every days like this
When you see, one of your friends die in the mist
In the struggle, went through circumstances
Arrested every day just to prove a point to a friend
Even then, accidents are prone to happen to any man
A woman is dumb enough to pretend
That her, god won’t hold them accountable for sins
If they commit, they try to repent to ??
But I guess (thats just the way things go)
I was blessed to see 24 (24)
To wake up to that “Hi, my name is” video
Motivated me to write what i wrote
And I knew my little brother sold dope
An mom and daddy want to move our road
I did it, I still got a lot to prove and show
I just which we aint have to lose Bugz to the struggle
Cos you know…’
Bizarre expresses how much he misses his lost friend Bugz. But the part that can make you cry is certainly Kuniva’s part. He recalls when Bizarre told him the tragical news:
‘I came back on that tragic, my phone rung
And Bizarres voice tellin me, Bugz was gone home
It was like a knife piercing my chest and I couldn’t breath
I didn’t wanna accept it, didn’t wanna believe it
I swear with this weight dawg, I cried so hard
Literally, Denaun had to carry me to the car
While I stand in this booth now its tearin me apart
But I had to let it out cos it was tearin at my heart
Cos he died over somethin so petty and so small
A human life is so very precious I hope ya’ll
Understand how I’m feelin cos I love you bugz
I wanna rhyme wit you, laugh wit you, hug you bugz
But I can’t and you was so close to seein dreams
A coward came along and took you away from the team
So don’t mistake this track, its just another song
This goes out to everyone who lost a loved one
Cos you know…’
Swifty and Proof share the same pain. Their heart is broken.
We learn from Eminem’s mouth how Bugz died:
‘He got shot in the face twice, then run over by a car. It was over some stupid shit. He wetted this girl with a water gun and these dudes came over and got their revenge.’
As Swifty pointed it out, the D12 crew prays for Bugz before each concert:
” He’s still with us, tough. Before we go on stage, we pray and he’s right there, over us.”
If you took time to listen to the ‘Bugz ’97’ track, you probably noticed that Bugz had skills and a huge talent.
We miss you and we will never forget you. R.I.P Karnail Pitts aka Bugz.
Good Die Young
[Intro]
Dawg….I shouldn’t have left, They wouldn’t have tried this shit if I was wit ya
Maybe we would have picked another time
Or chose anotha way
Or maybe my prayers would have convinced him to choose another soul
Shit, its just me and my mentoni now
Man you look so peaceful now…how can I argue wit that
They say…
[Chorus]
They say the good die young,
Thats why I think that you should have fun (when your young)
Cos time won’t wait for noone (uh huh)
When god calls, you gotta go home (go home)
They say the good die young, (die young)
Thats why I know that we go’ have fun,
In this life cos you only get one
When god comes for me, don’t cry till I just went home
[Kon Artis]
Its true that everybody heard, there mama say every days like this
When you see, one of your friends die in the mist
In the struggle, went through circumstances
Arrested every day just to prove a point to a friend
Even then, accidents are prone to happen to any man
A woman is dumb enough to pretend
That her, god won’t hold them accountable for sins
If they commit, they try to repent to ??
But I guess (thats just the way things go)
I was blessed to see 24 (24)
To wake up to that “Hi, my name is” video
Motivated me to write what i wrote
And I knew my little brother sold dope
An mom and daddy want to move our road
I did it, I still got a lot to prove and show
I just which we aint have to lose Bugz to the struggle
Cos you know…
[Chorus]
They say the good die young,
Thats why I think that you should have fun (when your young)
Cos time won’t wait for noone (uh huh)
When god calls, you gotta go home (go home)
They say the good die young, (die young)
Thats why I know that we go’ have fun,
In this life cos you only get one
When god comes for me, don’t cry till I just went home
[Bizzare]
I know you used to Bizzare on some silly shit
But Niggas in my cliq, is dying quick
In detroit, niggas don’t party
They pull a .44 out, snatch off bacardis
Thats why I keep the pistol under the trunk
Im 27 years old, too old to be gettin jumped
And fuck rap, I miss Karnail Pitts, b-u-g-z
Tattoed on my wrist
Me and you in the jeep, listen to ?? beats
Its a shame me and Fuzz don’t even speak
I got married, my wife name is D
Peace to 31 and 51-50, miss you
[Kuniva]
I came back on that tragic, my phone rung
And Bizarres voice tellin me, Bugz was gone home
It was like a knife piercing my chest and I couldn’t breath
I didn’t wanna accept it, didn’t wanna believe it
I swear with this weight dawg, I cried so hard
Literally, Denaun had to carry me to the car
While I stand in this booth now its tearin me apart
But I had to let it out cos it was tearin at my heart
Cos he died over somethin so petty and so small
A human life is so very precious I hope ya’ll
Understand how I’m feelin cos I love you bugz
I wanna rhyme wit you, laugh wit you, hug you bugz
But I can’t and you was so close to seein dreams
A coward came along and took you away from the team
So don’t mistake this track, its just another song
This goes out to everyone who lost a loved one
Cos you know
[Chorus]
They say the good die young,
Thats why I think that you should have fun (when your young)
Cos time won’t wait for noone (uh huh)
When god calls, you gotta go home (go home)
They say the good die young, (die young)
Thats why I know that we go’ have fun,
In this life cos you only get one
When god comes for me, don’t cry till I just went home
[Proof]
They say its never too late, to have an early childhood
If I could, turn back the hands of time, God should
Forgive what i did as a kid to run blocks
Now my dreams are just dream cops and gun shots
The fun stops when your homies up in a box
My dudey bole, rest his soul, snuffed by the cops
I use to ?? a lot, if theres a guy by me say somethin
If you love her so much why didn’t u gave nothin
When he took my homie, snuck was only in 11th grade
Now I hope to see your face at the heaven gates
It aint never late in the game, this hatin remains
With a grudge to see slugs straight through my frame
My heart aches with the pain, the life in his breath
We gotta have fun now, theres only minutes left
In the depth, distress young as a ??? did
To ??
[Chorus]
They say the good die young,
Thats why I think that you should have fun (when your young)
Cos time won’t wait for noone (uh huh)
When god calls, you gotta go home (go home)
They say the good die young, (die young)
Thats why I know that we go’ have fun,
In this life cos you only get one
When god comes for me, don’t cry till I just went home
[Swifty]
When I was younger I knew four brothers that wasn’t wise
That crash and the driver died,
My partner on the passenger side was paralysed
And Im surprised by the look of that ride that the other peeps survived
Nine months later another one died
Somebody shot him in the side when he was startin up his ride
3 years go by, I made a hell of a run
And thats when funky got done, a joey playin wit guns
And ??, karty was my man
And reggy, I wish that I was wit you in that van
And Bugz if it wasn’t for you
You know I wouldn’t be standin in this booth,
Thats the truth, I miss ya’ll…
[Chorus x2]
They say the good die young,
Thats why I think that you should have fun (when your young)
Cos time won’t wait for noone (uh huh)
When god calls, you gotta go home (go home)
They say the good die young, (die young)
Thats why I know that we go’ have fun,
In this life cos you only get one
When god comes for me, don’t cry till I just went home

Standing still (freestyle, by me)

You may claim your rhymes to be so ill, but I’m the only one to be standing still
No need to swallow the pill to chill, I’m standing still
You ask why ? Dawg, no need to claim that I have the fame
Inside I got a burning flame but you’re a shame to the game
Calling yourself a villain, reaching you’re level of stupidity, look, it’s plain
You’ve been the prisoner of your own chain
No need to sound tragical, philosophical, rethorical or intellectual,
I’m a knife, I’m surgical and logical
I do cut fast, in no time your mouth gets shut.
Thinking you’re a dinosaur ? Man, just go and close the door.
Why should I kiss somebody I’m supposed to diss in an eternal torture and bliss ?
But even then, when i get wild, I have the decency not to insult your child
Man, I can face your fake ass attack while you’re trying to sell your whack track, come back !
I’m getting personal, I shoot at you (bang, bang !) with my arsenal
You soon gonna know who’s who cuz you all know I am true
Don’t try to sound so clerical, my attack is technical, antitheoretical, structural,
I’m breaking off the wall
I can hear the sound of your SOS calls.
You claim to be ill, but I know that I have the will
To lyrically kill a man deprived of any skill
Who claims to be as good as Cypress Hill,
Man, I’m standing still.

Detroit rapper DJ Rick

DJ Rick is a Puerto Rican rapper from Detroit. He used to live in the most dangerous parts of Detroit.
He started rhyming since 1996.
Although he is far from being talentless, he had to face some problems in recording 10 of his songs in 1997.
His nickname ‘ DJ Rick ‘ comes from the name he had on-air at 89.3 WHFR, a College radio station.
DJ Rick has collaborated with many artists like Detroit’s MC Skully, Da Hardheads, DJ Butter.
DJ Rick’s discography is quite impressing :
http://www.dashadyspot.com/djrick/disco.php
He is a hardworking emcee who struggles for recognition.
DJ Rick has also collaborated with Cuban rapper Link From NYC and another New york emcee Jelani Wray.
DJ Rick has finished his ‘ Wanted For No Reason LP ‘ in January and he is supposed to release the album for Summer 2004.
You will learn more about the talented artist on his official website :
www.DJ-RICK.com
There are many interesting tracks to discover on the audio part of the rapper’s website which is really worth visiting

Rapping the “D-town”

How could we define the Detroit underground rap?
The Detroit underground rap has something raw and dark inside. You can feel the harshness of the industrial city inside of the Detroit rapper’s rhymes.
Although the influences and the variety of artists are numerous in Detroit, they all have something in common: the Detroit stamp.
Detroit rap is like the mirror of the city, it is a savant combination of horror trips that can be found in acid rap.The horrorcore you will find in artists’ music like Esham has its roots mostly in reality.
Detroit City is well known in America for its dangerosity. Crime belongs to the evey day life, particularly in the ‘hood.
The Detroit hood is a place where it is hard to survive. People have to deal with guns, drugs and poverty. The many pressures and the pain people keep bottled inside is reflected in the music of people who ‘rep the D-town’ like Kage and T-Roy who are both Detroit native and residents artists:
http://www.sbr-network.com/
Their songs are about real life experiences.
I had the chance to be in touch via email with Detroit rapper Backstab The Kingpin. Although we don’t share the same points of views about Eminem, we had the occasion to exchange some constructive ideas and I have learnt a lot from him about Detroit. I have interviewed him and my interview has been posted on a French hip hop website:
http://www.lehiphop.com/articles/backstab.php
The typical Detroit style can also be found in Backstab’s second album for instance. If you listen to tracks like ‘Raw Raps’ and ‘Madd Rhyma’, you will enjoy a typical Detroit sound.
Have you ever heard about an artist called Hysteria? She is white. She a Detroitresident and she is an emcee. Moreover: she is a genuine artist and she is talented. It is really worth listening to her rap that can be classified as hardcore rap. She raps with conviction and her voice sounds like the voice of a black woman.
She deserves credit for her work. You can discover more about her on this website:
http://www.hysteria1.com/
It is really worth having a deeper look at the Detroit underground artists. Many of them are talented and all of them have (even if they don’t like each other), something in common: the Detroit flavor.

Obie style rhyme

Obie- style rhyme
December 5, 2003
Obie Trice is a rarity in the conceited world of hip-hop – a relatively modest MC, writes Khalil Hegarty.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/03/1070351645091.html?from=storyrhs
Detroit hip-hoppers have been busy this year. Since Eminem asserted his world dominance of hip-hop and bared his underground roots in the film 8 Mile, there’s been a growing interest in the city’s talent. The Motor City’s newest prodigy is an MC by the name of Obie Trice. In the past few months he’s been flat-out. He released his debut album, Cheers, two months ago, and he’s now on tour with the biggest-selling rap artist of the year, 50 Cent.
“This is my day off and I’m doin’ these f—in’ phone interviews,” the 26-year-old says from a hotel in Cincinnati.
For an artist in the middle of an international tour, Trice sounds remarkably fatigue-free. Through the Detroit street-drawl he sounds completely relaxed.
“Touring is excellent,” he says. “I’m seeing the world. Coming from where I’m coming from, you don’t get the opportunity to go to Europe in your 20s. You’re either dead or you’re locked up. For me to be seeing the world and doing what I’m doing is a beautiful thing.”
Trice isn’t exaggerating. There were more than 400 murders in Detroit last year, and more than half of the state of Michigan’s prison population is African-American. Indeed, Trice’s past was a life of cutting school, petty crime and mixing with the “wrong” people. Yet he managed to turn this life from the mess of drugs and guns into an international career.
“It’s either this or the hood,” he says casually. “I did my share of wrongdoings coming up. It was easy for me to turn it around and do what I’m doing now.”
Obidiah Trice was a typical Detroit kid, growing up in the suburb of Lauder. But anyone who has been to the city knows it can’t be compared to anything typical of a relatively safe Australia.
“Like any other city, you had crack, you had police, hustlers, you had murder, you had all that,” he says of his childhood. “Same shit, different city. You just had to watch your ass.”
Similarly, Trice’s years at high school were – to him – unremarkable, even though he attended the celebrated Cooley High, a school that has seen a bevy of talented musicians grace its halls.
“Cooley High, for me, I had a good time there. But I was like a drop-out. I’d go in there and just walk the halls and f— with the hoes.”
It would be easy to mistake Trice’s low-key tones for indifference. But he’s something that few rappers in today’s industry would ever contemplate being: humble. While 50 Cent wears his gunshot wounds like military decorations, Trice tries to keep his past to himself. It’s not that he’s ashamed; he just doesn’t think it’s worth dressing up. Rather than taking an on-stage alias, Trice is known by his name. Even a particularly violent period of his teen years – when he was thrown out of home – is something he talks about reluctantly.
“Yeah, I’ll talk about that,” he says quietly, but it doesn’t take long for Trice to become emotional and start raising his voice. “I went and stayed with my girlfriend for a bit. My chick was with this older nigger. He came to the crib one day when me and my girl were laying in bed. He just walked into the house and started picking a scrap with me. I was 15 years old; this motherf—er’s 38. So I’m dodging the blows when her bigger brother grabs him in a choke-hold and says, ‘What you doin’? That’s a little boy.’ I called my homie and got him to bring a gun over, and he brings a pistol through. So I’m about to shoot this nigger, and everyone’s saying to shoot him and nobody would know. But thanks to the grace of God, something was on my shoulders that stopped me. I almost killed him that night. Who knows, I might have got away with it. He could still be there, dead . . .”
Trice tails off, giggling slightly, not in a malicious way, but with the same manner that most people reminisce over adolescent mischief.
For Trice, life on the street is something he wants to keep in the past. Even Detroit’s underground clubs such as Hip Hop Workshop and Lush – where MCs such as himself and Eminem would battle on a regular basis – are low on his radar.
“I still go to those things every now and again,” he says hesitantly, “but I’m trying to have a major tour.”
Much of Trice’s ability to tear himself away from Detroit’s streets is thanks to his older brother, Terry.
“When I was young, he was like a father figure to me,” says Trice. “He gave me the push. He’d say, ‘Go do that music, you can do that.’ He guided me through it. That’s my brother-slash-pops. He’s still my manager. He’s on the road with me now.”
And the fraternal prodding has worked for Trice. After spitting rhymes through the window of Eminem’s car, Trice was signed to his Detroit record label. Soon, he was being flown to Los Angeles to work with Dr Dre, one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. And Trice is more than happy to admit that meeting and working with hip-hop’s heavyweights has been astounding.
“I’ve been working with Eminem since the end of the year 2000, but it’s not overwhelming any more. With Dre, I went out to LA, a car picked me up, took me the studio,” he says.
“There’s Ferraris outside of the studio and I’m like, ‘Ohhh man.’ So I walked into the studio and Dre says, ‘Obie! Wassup nigger,’ like he’s known me for years. We got in there, finished five bottles of Hennessy, worked for two days straight, and I knocked out five songs.”
Despite Trice’s reformed ways and new upmarket lifestyle, he still wears his allegiance to Detroit on his sleeve.
“All the people I grew up with, I’m still cool with,” he says. Ain’t nothin’ changed. I ain’t no snooty, arrogant type of motherf—er. I never turn my back on my people. I know that my people have been with me all the way.”
In fact, Trice sees no need to move to the glitz of New York or the laid-back climes of Los Angeles. “I’m still livin’ in Detroit,” he says proudly. That’s where I was born and raised and that’s probably where I’m gonna stay. It’s al

Silly Sound (freestyle, by me)

Lonely in the crowd, man you’d better applaud
The silly sound of the words I created, words I found
Words that will put you on the damn ground
Words that hammer, better let them stammer
Like rules of grammar
Inside of my brain, keep me prisoner of a chain
Punching rhymes
Words you could confuse with thousand birds
Results of my stress and my huge madness
I’m sick, sicker and nobody could be more nameless
Stop saying ‘God bless’ in your sarcastic mess
Hide you huge pride, there’s no ticket to ride
Each detonation is my inspiration
Stop being such a piece of trash
You’re the one I’d like to smash
I’m dizzy like D12’s Bizzy
You’d better leave me alone
I’m crazy in my insanity
Man don’t bother me I’m too busy
In my rotten universe I do curse
I’m getting from bad to worse
From verse to verse
My mind is perverse, my behavior is reversed
Guess why so much mess, there is too much stress
In my madness which increases my badness, my sadness and my addictedness
Really silly inside of my brain, there’s a huge complain,
Follow me and sing what is supposed to entertain, my silly refrain!

Eminem’s early talent

Many people will argue that Eminem wouldn’t have been noticed by the public without Dr Dre.
If it is true that the talented rapper and producer has influenced Eminem’s destiny for a large part, it is also true that Eminem had managed to impress some people on the local Detroit scene and even at school.
Among them, the Bass brothers, DJ Lisa Lisa and his former drafting class teacher.
Of course, Eminem has learnt a lot of technique from Dr Dre, but his ability to rap is a real gift. The way Marshall handles words and sentences is extraordinary.
Lisa Lisa recalls her open mic sessions on Detroit radio WHYT-FM. She had noticed Eminem and he used to be one of her favorites:
‘He was probably one of my top five rappers. But his style was nothing like it is now. He was kind of comical. He would always have a lyric or two that would make all of us bust out laughing.”
I didn’t know who Lisa Lisa was until I saw her on Todd Nelson’s video tape ‘The Man Behind The Mask’ where she expressed about how she had noticed Marshall at his early starts.
She remembers a shy and nice person, but also somebody very serious in the work he did:
“He was like a perfectionist. He would work with the producer mixing the track right up to the last minute before he would have to go on.”You will find some infos on Lisa Lisa on her website:
http://www.drqradio.com/showdj.asp?DJID=2644
Marshall’s friends who constantly work with him know it is true.
Bob Blair, Eminem’s former drafting class teacher was also impressed by Marshall’s talent. He recalls Marshall rapping at the school talent show:
“I would give anything to have a tape of that’
Bob Blair will also confirm that Marshall was a nice and well behaved young man:
‘He was a nice, quiet kid who had a group of friends and blended right in, I knew Marshall Mathers. I never knew Eminem or Slim Shady (Em’s alter ego).”
The Bass Brothers, who were both used to work mostly with black artists, simply because they were better changed their mind when they heard a young white rapper freestyling at a local radio show in 1992. Eminem’s rhyming skills had impressed the Bass Brothers who are still collaborating with him.
Nobody could describe Eminem’s early talent than insiders who have known him since he was a teenager.One thing is sure: Eminem was born to rap.
Marshall Mathers is a hardworking artist who hasn’t stopped improving his style since he started rapping. Each album is better than the preceding one. I guess his next album, which shall be entit