The average rapper wouldn’t be able to grace the pages of Rap Pages, VIBE, Spin, The Source, URB and Stress and go on a national tour months before their major label debut album is released. Then again Eminem isn’t the average rapper.

Marshall Bruce Mathers a.k.a. Eminem. Born October 17, 1972, grew up in Kansas City. From there he began his career as an individual white rapper. Not many white people are able to succeed in the rap industry, but Eminem has proved everyone wrong. He is now one of the most talked about persons on the earth. His lyrics offend some people, this sparks controversy and censorship. His lyrics containing things such as drugs, alcohol, death, homosexuals, sex and suicide. In some of his songs he includes lyrical slander towards bands like NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Brittney Spears and Puff Daddy. He views these bands as manufactured and as he calls them “faggots”. In one of his songs called “Marshall Mathers” he says “Boy girl groups make me sick, and I cant wait until I catch all you faggots in public, I’m a love it.” Most of the songs off his records he is bad mouthing homosexuals. This creates a ruckus in the media because the gay and lesbian parties protest outside of his concerts and award shows. These groups want Eminem to be either banned, have his records changed or a heavy censorship on his records. In response to these claims Eminem said “I am who I am, I don’t compromise my stuff for nobody.” That’s the way he is and that’s the way he is going to stay. A fellow rapper, Dr Dre (Eminem’s producer) said “Its working, we are creating controversy, this means record sales, if you don’t like this record, wait for the next one, if you don’t like this one then you ain’t going to like next one much better.” And that’s what happened. The next album was worse. The critics had lots to complain about and still are complaining. In my eyes being an Eminem fan, I liked it. But some people didn’t see it my way.

Not long ago Eminem was in court for gun charges. He hit somebody over the head with a gun because he was hitting on his wife, Kim Mathers. Eminem was fined thousands of dollars, put on a good behaviour bond and monthly drug tests. So to stay out of trouble Eminem gathered a few of his unsigned rapper friends to create a rap group. This forming D12 a.k.a. Dirty Dozen. Eminem and D12 recently released a single called “S**t On You.” This song is about the critics continuously harassing Eminem about him and his lyrics. Eminem explains he is sick of it and doesn’t care who you are or who you know he will s**t on you.

Groups of anti Eminem protestors are trying to have him band from television and radio. They are also trying to get his record company, Interscope records, to stop him from producing any more records. Eminem isn’t really bothered by this. In an interview with Channel V he said “I’m not alone in the way I feel, I believe that a lot of people can relate to my stuff, whether white, black, it doesn’t matter. Everybody has been through some stuff, whether drastic or not drastic. This is how I deal with my stuff, through songs.”

I’m not complaining about Eminem. I am a very big fan of his. I believe Eminem shouldn’t be banned. I think he is a genius. When I listen to Eminem I don’t listen to it because it has lots of swearing in it or he talks about violence, I like it because he has such a skill in writing songs. He is able to make song humorous and enjoyable. As Eminem said “I do say things that may shock people, but I don’t say things to shock people.” If the anti Eminem protestors actually sat down and listened to his music and not singled out the controversial parts they might actually like it, and if they don’t like it don’t listen to it. It’s as simple as that.