Eminem, hip hop and rap: why would I care?
One of the things that really used to annoy me about hip hop and rap is that the lyrics seemed to be about showing how "I" am so good and what that same "I" does is always so great and pimp.
I couldn't relate.
Thus, that part of the US culture was, as far as I was concerned, not worthy of attention except for the occasional trip to a club, because at those places I'll listen and dance to whatever is playing. Fun is there to be had, so who cares?
In 2002 a movie called 8 mile, that had a track called Loose Yourself by a white rapper called Eminem whom I had only previously seen on MTV dressed as Robin, on some weird video.
I got around to watching the movie, but only after reading several harsh critics on the web. My mind was blown away, because it was just so visceral and touching.
That I can relate to.
Of course, the artist is always doing the same thing over and over again. Just like any painter: the same painting over and over again. Refinements of the same theme.
In 8 mile this was already present: if you try to accomplish anything, we get to laugh at you fail.
In Recovery this is the theme of the whole album. I admit I didn't like it at first. Some people still have the habit of listening to an album the way it was meant to be heard by the artist. I thought it was too dirty, unnecessarily violent. It's not. About halfway through I was already enjoying every single rhyme.
By the last song I was in tears.
I couldn't relate.
Thus, that part of the US culture was, as far as I was concerned, not worthy of attention except for the occasional trip to a club, because at those places I'll listen and dance to whatever is playing. Fun is there to be had, so who cares?
In 2002 a movie called 8 mile, that had a track called Loose Yourself by a white rapper called Eminem whom I had only previously seen on MTV dressed as Robin, on some weird video.
I got around to watching the movie, but only after reading several harsh critics on the web. My mind was blown away, because it was just so visceral and touching.
That I can relate to.
Of course, the artist is always doing the same thing over and over again. Just like any painter: the same painting over and over again. Refinements of the same theme.
In 8 mile this was already present: if you try to accomplish anything, we get to laugh at you fail.
In Recovery this is the theme of the whole album. I admit I didn't like it at first. Some people still have the habit of listening to an album the way it was meant to be heard by the artist. I thought it was too dirty, unnecessarily violent. It's not. About halfway through I was already enjoying every single rhyme.
By the last song I was in tears.
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