I know I've been all over music the past couple of posts, but I just have to do a writeup on this man! I don't particularly condone to constant spews of vulgarities and conventionally considered crude profanities, but Eminem, you got to love.
I remember over hearing a couple of his songs from radios and my sister browsing through music, and I just always recognized his voice. The first song I really listened to, was Mockingbird. I didn't honestly understand what the song meant till later, but it was a song I definitely never forgot. I didn't listen to him for a while, in fact, it wasn't until When I'm gone. After replaying it for a bajillion times, I pulled out every Eminem song I could find online and listened through the lyrics.
For Eminem fans, you would know that there are two sides to Eminem. Eminem - Marshall and his alter ego Slim Shady, and often mentioned character I never really understood. If I were to go on and on, I probably wouldn't finish this post, and it may turn out to be a wikipedia-like written piece, but I guess this is all opinion, and basically what I see most in Eminem.
On the surface, you can categorize his songs into two types. Shallow -Fun, or Deep -Emotional. Then when you peel that surface off, what I see, is a human being who has a fun side, and an emotional side, it is no longer just the song, (Cause to be honest, most of his raps are about his life, and I don't think it's just how wicked the rap is that we listen, because well its now our life) it is like knowing a bit of a person in yourself. Strangely put, its like there's an Eminem inside of us.
He has many beautiful emotionally drawn songs that expresses so much about his life, and I know there are various interpretations of why he raps what he raps, and why he puts out to public what he wants to, but I'd like to take my hat off to a man who lets light on a part of him, just to show that there's another human out there, who thinks the same way some of us do, feels the same way, and that its not stupid to love someone so much (Reference to song: When I'm Gone), or to feel that you've done enough for someone. As I begin to ponder over this, I start to realize that it is in the emotions that we see expressed through his songs that we like him so much. Maybe is a partial sympathy, or maybe its because we/I find some similarities to how I feel in his songs, or maybe its this subconscious sense of happiness that I don't feel that way particularly at that point in time, or maybe its just a whole load of crap I'm writing, but I can't deny the fact that it is in the emotions of his more emotional songs that I find a tinge of solace.
He puts himself out as a person we can all admire to be like. Taking our emotions and spooling it into something we can feel accomplished about. Like, taking the emotional traumas, sadness, anger, angst, and turning it into a drive to achieve something better. Maybe thats why some people, or I, like listening to the lyrics over and over again. Yes, there's some vulgarities, and I hope it doesn't influence me into acting against my principles of speaking vulgarities on a regular basis, which I sometimes do lightly, or privately, but I just can't help but love Eminem's work. For those who just would not accept listening to vulgarities, maybe try listening to the clean versions available and feel the emotions brought across, rather than the words. Take the lyrics, blank out the profanities, and see the story in every song for what it is. Maybe you'd see the poetic edge and the literal story brought across and appreciate it for what it presents, and not what you think it shows.
Many people love Slim Shady because of all the fun and carefree breeze he brings into Eminem's rap, and I do enjoy it, I really do. Its the type of upbeat songs you'd listen to when you want to feel fired up and full of fuel. He brings a lot of bounce and just a whole new Eminem out. However, I'd choose Mockingbird over anything on the fun side, and I guess its because emotions play a part too. But I'd play We Made You and Just lose it ANYTIME of the day just to get a little pumped.
Then again, Slim Shady is said to be Eminem's alter ego, and alter ego he blames for the bad things in his life. So I wonder, why is Shady still around in Em's albums? Then I watched on Jonathan Ross, that Em wasn't so happy with Relapsed either, because quote "it was really humorous and shock value... these songs on relapse weren't making me feel like those(past songs) used to" end quote. I think I understand, but I don't think I would really know what he meant, but in my interpretation, his more emotional songs, and past songs have had more impact and made more a difference than his fun and upbeat songs. I don't mean its just Emotional songs, but his past songs just had more adrenaline-pumping vibe. However, Eminem never fails to give his best, and like how he loves to write out his rap music, I think I am going to write lots of descriptive stuff just to get my writing juices flowing.
Eminem is a true legend, and what I'd like to call the MJ of rap music.
I cannot rate Eminem, because he's already a legend, and rating him is impossible because he's awesome like that!
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Side note: He always has this overly intensed look on his face, its almost charming.
XOXO
C
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