In a few short months,
Eminem has gone from being one of the most heralded emcees in independent
hip-hop to one of the most provocative, controversial rappers in contemporary
pop music. The overnight success of his debut album, The Slim Shady LP,
literally rocked the rap world, making him one of the biggest music success
stories of 1999. But Eminem is more than the latest rap artist to
blow up. He's spent the last several years paying his dues, and his lyrics,
which cover topics such as poverty and single parenthood, reflect a rough
upbringing. His unlikely acceptance by the pop mainstream has made some wonder
how his popularity will affect the future of hip-hop music.
While most in the hip-hop community greeted
Eminem with open arms, others took a more cautious approach, wondering
why rock stations across the country who never played rap music added "My
Name Is
" to their playlists. Was it because Eminem was the
first "legitimate" white rapper to gain widespread popularity? "I'm white
in a music started by black people. I'm not ignorant to the culture and I'm
not trying to take anything away from the culture," he said in his defense.
"But no one has a choice where they grew up or what color they are. If you're
a rich kid or a ghetto kid you have no control over your circumstance. The
only control you have is to get out of your situation or stay in
it."