With over
a decade of commercial success, multiple Grammy awards and the title of best
selling artist of the 2000s, Marshall Mathers aka Eminem has made an
outstanding career using his quick and clever lyrics to produce a great
following of fans and critics. Known for his ability to vary between
playful and hard-hitting raps, Eminem has firmly established his versatility.
Yet, both critics and fans are still pondering upon certain decisions the
artist has made in his choices on wordplay.
In 2009,
with the release of his sixth studio album “Relapse,” the artist was confronted
for his blatant and insulting use of offensive language. Within his
verses, he targeted famous artists (Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken) who are
identified as homosexuals. Eminem’s delivery suggested prejudice towards the
artists for their sexuality. Homophobic slurs were riddled within his
rhymes on his first two albums back in the early 2000s, bringing many to
question his position and attitude towards the LGBT community.
When confronted
on the matter in 2009, Eminem was quoted as saying that his lyrics should not
impress upon his fans or other artist that he, as an individual, is homophobic.
However, his defense hasn’t been enough to soothe critics. It seems that Eminem
has found himself on the wrong side of changing times.
In the
past several months, new policies and old laws have been both instituted and
struck down. One of the greatest victories for the LGBT community came during
this year’s Supreme Court decision to end DOMA. DOMA prevented same-sex couples
from gaining the same benefits as legally recognized married couples under
federal law.
Such
dramatic change has had its impact on the rest of society. Attacks on gays and
lesbians are now frowned upon by the larger part of America, and has resulted
in the destruction of many reputations. Upon his newest release, “Marshall
Mathers LP 2,” a follow up to his hit 2000 album, “The Marshall Mathers LP,”
Eminem has once again found himself in the headlines of newspapers and magazines
for the wrong reasons. “Rap God,” a single from his newly released album,
takes shots for about a quarter of a verse, demoralizing “gays” with lines
like: “So gay I can barely say it with a straight face…”
Amidst
the flare of critics and artists posting comments and articles bashing Eminem
as homophobic, the rapper is managing to stand his ground by responding to the
media, stating that his words do not entirely reflect his positions.
Chalking up his use of gay epithets as commonplace for him having been
involved in rap for over two decades, the 41 year-old states that he is not
anti-gay and uses such language out of the context of homosexuality.
Whatever the case may be, the negative attention, along with his
seemingly unsatisfactory explanation, may sully the established rapper’s image
for old fans and new ones alike.
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Chikira
Bennett,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew
Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief