Eminem: a major influence in hip hop history

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.

17 thoughts on “Eminem: a major influence in hip hop history”

  2. Absolutely right, Eminem is a wonderful rap artist and he has brought a new confindence to some of his fans

  7. Em is da best i hav gr8 respect 4 him and his lyrics r so true and meanin full. he is fukin ace n ma insperation xxxxxxx

  8. I LUV G unit 4 eva XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX LV LEA FRM BUILTH

  10. Eminem is my fav rapper and there isn’t any song he made that I don’t love. I want to go see him in concert one day and get his autograph. Shady is the best rapper ever, and I bet he’s better than everyone one of y’all JK 😀

  11. co-sign with femsucks but infinite was dope, ‘connects with his fans’??? ehat about B.I.G? KRS-One? MC Serch was the baddest white rapper who could spit as good as anyone back in the day, don’t compare vanilla ice to Beastie Boys, before Em there weren’t a lot of rappers being commercial and em not commercial? what about ‘ass like that’, ‘superman’, hate to break it to you but em isn’t as good as you’re making him out to be.

  13. i think enimem is real and thats why i like him i can relate to ery thing he talk bout.. i can feel him on most his shit and we both from the fuckin d. im happy for him that he got his shit together and not mater what his real people who feel what he had to go thro will be there to saport him …

  14. dat dude reperture in rap/hip hop music is damn so highly advanced nd sophisticated, rappers barely feature him in their songz coz he gon kill ’em on their ish, you must be either a gud lyrical mc or a phenom in delivery or both, only mc’s like pac, b.i.g, rakim, krs one, busta rhymes, nas, andre 3000, e.t.c cud take EM on nd kill him.

  17. Eminem’s music has gotten me through hell on earth and helped me conquer this rollercoaster called life, the only people that really hate on him are jealous or close minded like Benzino’s gay ass.

Comments are closed.