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In many ways, rap super star Eminem is an anomaly. He stands out because he is a white artist who is enormously successful in a black genre of music. Despite this fact, Eminem blends into the hip-hop culture with ineffable ease. In John B. Martin and Gust A. Yep’s article, “Eminem in Mainstream Public Discourse: Whiteness and the Appropriation of Black Masculinity,” the pair argues that Eminem’s extraordinary success stems from the fact that he blurs the line between Blackness and Whiteness. Martin and Yep feel that Eminem’s “white trash” label gives him credibility with black fans, whereas his rough childhood gives him credibility in the eyes of neglected whites who sympathize with him. Furthermore, Martin and Yep believe that Eminem’s appeal stems from his appropriation of Black masculinity. One could argue that the sinister, dark nature of Eminem’s music is fostered not by his Black masculinity but by his personal life and his views on American masculinity in general.
Eminem is the most successful artist to ever appear on the rap scene-one of his albums, The Marshall Mathers LP, sold “over ten million copies worldwide” and became the “fastest selling CD of all time” (Calhoun, 205, p. 268). He won an Academy Award for his song “Lose Yourself” from the motion picture 8 Mile, and he is a multiple Grammy winner. Eminem has been heralded by music critics around the world-many of whom consider him to be a “rapping genius” with “poetic lyrics” (Calhoun, 205, p. 268). Although his talent is undeniable, researchers believe that Eminem’s success has as much to do with his image in the media than it does with his rapping prowess.
The public persona of Eminem is a mystifying one. Two prominent features stand out in Eminem’s media image (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). First, “Eminem acts, sings, dresses, and talks like an African American” (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). He wears the same style of clothing that other (black) rappers wear, and he speaks in African American Vernacular English (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). In other words, Eminem mimics African American lifestyles and, in a sense, “embodies Blackness” (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229).
But of course, Eminem is not black. In fact, Eminem is characterized as “white trash”-a poor white man on the outskirts of a rich, white America (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 230). “White trash,” like other minority groups that deviate from the norm, are ostracized in American culture and are viewed as inferior to the rich, white majority. However, people who are considered “white trash” have certain social advantages that people in other minority groups do not have. White males-even “white trash” like Eminem-have “the ability to cross cultural borders and assume the identity of others” because whites are portrayed as “seemingly race-less and culture-less” (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 230).
It is no surprise that Eminem refers to himself as “white trash” because the label serves two major functions for him (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). First, the “white trash” label gives him “credibility within the hip-hop community” because it flaunts the fact that he, like many blacks, has been oppressed by society’s skewed social hierarchy (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). Because Eminem grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood where poverty was commonplace, blacks feel that he is in possession of an “authentic” voice (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). The second major function of the “white trash” label is that it allows “disenfranchised White youth” to feel connected to Eminem (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). Many white youths feel connected to him because he raps about parental neglect, poverty, and other life experiences that all young people go through regardless of their ethnicity (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). In other words, Eminem appeals to a large variety of people of multiple races because he markets himself as a “universal subject, the ultimate shape shifter who cannot be pinned down” to one race or another (Calhoun, 205, p. 270). It is important to note that in one of Eminem’s songs-“White America” from The Eminem Show-Eminem “suggests that his whiteness, far from being a hindrance, is actually a key element of his success” (White, 2006, p. 65).
Eminem is portrayed in the media not only as being white, but also as a heterosexual male with a disadvantaged upbringing (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 232). Martin and Yep (2004) ask their readers to think critically-would Eminem receive the same attention if he was black or a female (p. 232)? Would people think differently of him if he was gay (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231)? Would he have the same credibility if he grew up in a rich family (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231)? It is easy to see that Eminem’s position as a white heterosexual male with a disadvantaged upbringing gives him the freedom to access social locations that other rap artists cannot.
The second prominent feature of Eminem’s persona is the one that continues to make headlines to this day. Eminem’s lyrics are, for the most part, wildly “disturbing” (Poniewozik, 2001, p. 70). His “dark lyrics reveal suicidal thoughts” and are enormously “homophobic, misogynistic,” and violent (Calhoun, 2005, p. 268). His songs describe rape, murder, and physical abuse of women and homosexuals in vivid and heart-wrenching detail (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). People who criticize Eminem-gay and lesbian groups, women’s groups, and many others-focus on “the rampant misogyny, homophobia and extreme violence” that pervade his music (White, 2006, p. 65). Some people believe that “the bitterness and hatred that come through his lyrics can only breed more anger and bitterness” (Lutes, 2001, p. 30). Other commentators view Eminem differently-they feel that Eminem is a “playful trickster” whose lyrics are “so extreme that [his music] is clearly situated in the realm of parody” (White, 2006, p. 65).
It is impossible to understand Eminem and his influences without discussing his upbringing to some extent. Eminem grew up in the slums of Detroit with his mother (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). He dropped out of school in the ninth grade (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 229). In a few of his songs, Eminem refers to his mother as a welfare dependent drug user (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). Eminem’s mother sued him for over ten million dollars on defamation charges because of her portrayal in his music (Calhoun, 2005, p. 269). Eminem also had a “weapons conviction” and a “very public divorce with estranged wife, Kim Mathers” (Calhoun, 2005, p. 269). One of Eminem’s most controversial songs-titled “Kim”-is about a man murdering his cheating wife.
Eminem is not the only rap artist who emphasizes crude topics-in fact, almost all hip-hop artists do. Like previously stated, Eminem appropriates black masculinity. He does this by mimicking other rap stars. Many rap artists-Eminem included-“desire to appear invincible and without weakness,” which can be seen as a “cause for the prominence of homophobic lyrics and attitudes in hip-hop” (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). In hip-hop, “manhood is often defined in opposition to womanhood,” and the result is overly violent lyrics that glorify the objectification of women (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 231). Furthermore, the black masculinity that Eminem embodies is viewed as “inherently angry, physically threatening, and sexually aggressive” (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 232). Martin and Yep (2004) believe that “one manifestation of Black masculinity is a claiming of physical and psychological space to call one’s own in a world where such spaces are often not readily available” (p. 232). Clearly, Eminem’s disadvantaged childhood caused him to seek a physical and psychological space to call his own.
Although Martin and Yep spend quite a bit of time discussing how Eminem appropriates Black masculinity, they do not spend enough time addressing Eminem’s connection to American masculinity as a whole. In an article titled “Rude Boys” by James Poniewozik (2001), Poniewozik groups Eminem with other famous men (such as Jackass’s Johnny Knoxville and wrestler “The Rock”) who are constantly “in your face” and challenge societal norms by acting inappropriately (p. 70). Poniewozik suggests that Eminem lashes out not only because he is “angry white trash,” but because he has “an uneasiness with maleness itself” (Poniewozik, 2001, p. 70). In other words, Poniewozik (2001) believes that the cause of Eminem’s disturbing lyrics is the way he interprets what it means to be a man in America (p. 70). In his article, Poniewozik (2001) quotes the theme song of a popular show called The Man Show-“Quit your job and light a fart/ Yank your favorite private part” (p. 70). Poniewozik (2001) shares with his readers what young men take away from this message-“The patriarchy ain't what it used to be, kid, so shut up, scratch yourself, and check out the jugs on this girl” (p. 70). Of course, television is not the only medium that has the power to influence America’s youth. In print venues, “advertisements often encourage women to be attracted to hostile and indifferent men while encouraging boys to become these men” (Kilbourne, 1999). When studying Eminem and things that influence his dark lyrics, it is important to remember that every day men and women in America are bombarded with images that promote violence, sexual arousal, male dominance and the objectification of women.
As consumers of media, everyone should take the time to critically analyze media personas of super stars such as Eminem. As Martin and Yep explain, some people will suggest that Eminem’s popularity is based solely on his talent, while others will argue that “Eminem’s talent and hard work, along with market conditions and musical trends, determined his success in the hip hop world” (2004, p. 233). Still others will feel that Eminem’s success is not necessarily attributed to his talent-his success is attributed to his race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation (Martin & Yep, 2004, p. 232).
Eminem is a white man who has found enormous success in a generally black profession. He continues to be a controversial figure in America, not only because he constantly blurs the line between Whiteness and Blackness, but also because his overtly violent lyrics have reached millions of ears in America. While one could argue that Eminem’s childhood is the main reason why his lyrics are ineffably dark and twisted, others might say that his lyrics are the result of a pervasive patriarchal masculinity that permeates all levels of American culture and affects people of every race, gender, sexual orientation, and economic standing.