Tyisha Allen

Christine Olding
College Writing II
12/18/15
Marshall Mathers
Eminem has really brought us great music over the course of his rap career. He has really
focused on the anger that in the beginning of his rap career that he was feeling. You could hear it
in how crazy the songs were and violent they were. There was always something violent in one
song out of any of his albums. Hes really showed that if you could put your mind to anything
than you can do it. It doesnt matter if youre black or white. It was about the music being
produced.
Eminem was born named Marshall Bruce Mathers. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri
on October 17, 1972. Eminem never really knew who his father was after being abandoned at a
young age. His mom, Deborah Mathers, was the one who raised him. They moved around a lot
because she could not hold down a steady job. Moving from Missouri and Detroit, Michigan
living in housing projects to the public. (Biography.com)
Being the way he was raised, he grew up bullied and never had any close friends. Having
dropped out of Lincoln High School at the age of 17. Even though he dropped out of high school,
he still read the dictionary and comic books. Eminem was really good at English. He wanted to
be able to use the English language at his disposal. (Biography.com)

He started to get into rap music because the nihilistic rage appealed to him. All of his
anger and use of language started to have a use. He really enjoyed N.W.A., who was a gangster
rap crew out of Los Angeles. Back then, rap music was the face of black people. Marshall would
go to compete in rap battles in Detroit. Rap Battles are when two rappers take turns rapping
insulting things to each other. (Biography.com)
It was usual for someone who was white to be scene at these types of scenes. Marshall
quickly gained respect for his skill from the underground rap scene. He became one of the most
respected figures. He ended up getting the name Eminem from his stage name M&M. Marshall
started writing Eminem later on. Marshalls story later created 8 mile, a semi-autobiography.
During this time, he started dating Kim Ann Scott and had his daughter Hailie Jade Scott. To help
support their daughter started to really focus on his rapping career releasing his first album called
Infinite. (Biography.com)
A year later, Marshall released The Slim Shady EP. It was discovered by Dr. Dre who was
the rapper and former producer of the rap group N.W.A. He was really impressed by Marshalls
cassette tape and signed him to Interscope Records. After two years, Marshall released his first
single My Name Is, which was on the album The Slim Shady LP. It was a big success selling
over three million copies. (Biography.com)
Marshall later released his second album The Marshall Mathers LP, in 2000. It sold over
19 million copies worldwide helping him win the Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. He also
received a nomination for Album of the Year. However, The Marshall Mathers LP was criticized
for the use of its profanity, glorification of drugs and violence. Others though think These critics
suggest that the violent and sexual material found in many rap lyrics need not and indeed should
not be taken too seriously. (White) (Biography.com)

In 2001, Marshall decided to get together with friends from his scene in the underground
rap scene to form D12. They recorded an album called Devils Night, featuring Purple Pills. A
year later, Marshall released The Eminem Show, with great tracks like Without Me, Cleaning
Out My Closet, and Sing for the Moment. The next album, Encore, was not as successful but
still put out successful songs like Like Toy Soldiers and Mockingbird. (Biography.com)
Marshall Mathers known Eminem is one of Hip Hop's best rappers. A Person who
displays behavior inconsistent with societal expectations is often evaluated more extremely than
is a person who behaves consistently with expectations. (Dickson, Giuliano and Morris)
Eminem had to prove himself through his music multiple times. Fat Joe even turned down
Marshall six times before he was finally signed to Dr. Dre. Hip Hop wasn't just a thing for black
people. It started to branch out to anyone who had the skills to be a rapper. "Three years after
Eminem himself became the most famous rapper in hip-hop history, a new wave of Caucasian
emcees is swelling." (Farber)
In the song My Name is, by Eminem, he is making fun of everything that is him. He
doesnt want you to take the lyrics to seriously. The purpose for the song was to introduce a
character called Slim Shady. (songfacts.com) Eminem reminds you of David Bowie with
changing his identity performing like he was in a play. You get the same feeling from Eminem
when he creates Slim Shady.
The lyrics in the song kept repeating Hi! My name is... (what?) My name is...
(who?)/My name is... [scratches] Slim Shady. He wanted you to know exactly who he was and
who he was rapping as. You could tell that he wanted everybodys attention on him to know that
he was also a rapper. He didnt want to just be there for a one hit wonder. You needed to
remember who this white boy was. Another lyric My English teacher wanted to flunk me in

Junior High/Thanks a lot, next semester I'll be thirty-five, shows how he didnt complete high
school because he kept failing. He realizes that English was his best subject but not in the way
the teacher wants him to be good at English. Its actually the only class he talks about in the
whole song about his high school career. Eminem doesnt want you to get his lyrics too easily.
There was a lot of anger in the song My Name is, like hes trying to prove that he can be a
rapper. (azlyrics.com)
The instrumentation sounds like a cartoon. It has this sound of an opening for a cartoon
show on Cartoon Network. The sound is really upbeat and a joyous sound. The beat repeats itself
over and over again with the beat getting faster during the course. The whole time the
instrumentation is a slow steady beat. It helps you focus on more about what hes saying. It goes
well with his personality Slim Shady.
The way Eminem is singing the song is almost in a sing-a-long voice. You want to repeat
after everything that hes saying. He has this thing with Slim Shady to have this high pitched
voice when rapping his lyrics. He sounds like hes talking to a child trying to explain something
complicated. It could be that he wants people to know that hes white and its not a really big
thing for him to be rapping. Its something that he grew up on when he was younger.
In the song, The Real Slim Shady, by Eminem is trying to stop anyone whos trying to
be like him. He was not trying to change things and help other white rappers come forward. He
just wanted to put his music out there. You can hear it in the song that he doesnt want anyone to
copy him or people to think that hes pop. Eminem wants the world to know that hes the only
Slim Shady. Hes also a rapper not a pop artist like the usual white guys. He wanted to be
different just like how Glam artist wanted to be different and not the norm.

The lyrics of the song Y'all act like you never seen a white person before/Jaws
all on the floor like Pam and Tommy just burst in the door, Eminem knows that people just look
at him as a white guy who raps. He starts to play of that instead of ignore the fact that hes white.
You can feel that he wants people to be uncomfortable about the fact that hes white. The next
lyrics Will Smith don't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records;/Well I do, so fuck him and fuck you
too!, let you know how hard it is to be a rap artist whos white. Its like they have to do way
more to attract the attention of anyone who listens to rap music. He has to be unusual and curse
more in his songs than the average rap artist. You get the feeling that he wants to be able to get
people to think about him in any way possible. Its like getting your name in the media and then
people will look you up to see exactly who you are. (azlyrics.com)
The instrumentation in this song is way faster than in My Name is. The song has this
faster beat as it gets to the course making what hes saying catchier. The instrumentation makes
you want to hum it even after the song was over. You just could hear how he wanted you to get
addicted to his song. Closer to the end of the song too, the instrumentation is faster and upbeat.
The very end of the songs instrumentation sounds kind of crazy. It makes you think that this
person is crazy and a good sense in beats.
The voice of Eminem in the song The Real Slim Shady, is faster but still has this high
pitch sound. In the chorus of the song though, his voice isnt as high pitch as the rest of the song.
Its like the chorus is him trying to find the real Slim Shady just like everyone else. His voice in
this song is more like a rap artist trying to let people know who he really is. He has a really
unique voice unlike anyone before him.
Eminems song Lose Yourself, is the theme song to his movie 8 Mile. This was more
about Eminem being Eminem and not Slim Shady. He changed his character because he was in a

different part of his life. Eminem started to mature the more he got into his career.
(Biography.com) He changed his alter ego to B. Rabbit for his first movie. The movie being
about Eminems life growing up in Detroit and being a part of the underground rap scene.
Actually when 8 Mile first trailer was revealed, the song itself didnt exist. (songfacts.com) The
song was made during the filming in between scenes.
The lyrics to the song hold a really deep meaning to Eminem himself. In the lyrics,
Look, if you had, one shot, or one opportunity/To seize everything you ever wanted. In one
moment/Would you capture it, or just let it slip?, you can see that Eminem took the chance to
become the rapper that he always wanted to be. Its like hes telling people to not give up on their
dreams to become something that isnt usually the norm. He wants people to break out of the
shell that has been set for them. In other lyrics, I've got to formulate a plot or I end up in jail or
shot/Success is my only motherfucking option, failure's not, he doesnt want to live the same
life that he always has lived. He wants something new. Eminem wants to be a successful person
rather than be another number that ended up being in jail. He knew that people thought of him as
white trash and wanted to change that. It was more to Eminem than him being white. This lyric
You can do anything you set your mind to, man, wants people to try even if it seems
impossible. He wants people to know that if he could make it, then you could too. It just takes
hard work to get into where he is now. Eminem lets the people know that you can do what you
really want to do. (azlyrics.com)
The instrumentation in the song has a combination of horns, woodwinds, strings,
keyboard, drums and other effects. (songfacts.com) You can really hear all the different
instrumentation. It really works with his voice. The instrumentation has this continuous keyboard
beat to it that makes you bob your head. It starts to get higher when the chorus is about to start.

Its like warning you that the chorus is the next thing up. The beginning of the song has a really
mellow beat towards it but then picks up. The instrumentation also sounds like a clock ticking in
time with his words.
Eminems voice in this song makes him seem more like his character and not his
character Slim Shady. There is not a high pitched sound to his voice. It sounds manlier, like hes
been through the ringer. You can hear the pain in his voice that his life has caused him to work
hard to get where hes at now. There is a lot of emotions in Eminems voice with Lose Yourself
than the songs before then.
The song Just Lost It, played on Eminems side to make fun of famous people. He
started to have more fun with his rap. More like he started to get out of control. He started to get
into prescription drugs. Eminem just wanted to play around when he got into the studio. The
song makes fun of Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and even Pee-Wee Herman. Things
started to get out of control for Eminem. The pressure got to him a little and started to make him
wonky. (songfacts.com)
The lyrics in the song were crazy and were just making fun of people. In the lyrics Now
everyone report to the dance floor/Alright Stop!.....Pajama time, Eminem makes fun of the
dance move Hammer time. He probably thought that it wasnt really a good dance move to
addict to. Nothing stopped him from making fun of anyone. Other lyrics like I done touched on
everything, but little boys/That's not a stab at Michael/That's just a metaphor, I'm just psycho,
Eminem even tells us that hes just a crazy guy. That could also be another reason why Eminem
decided to make a parody rap about a bunch of celebrities. He even told Michael Jackson that is
wasnt a joke about him playing with little boys. But you could tell that was the reason why he
said that about Michael. It was a joke about how Michael Jackson was said to have been a

pedophile. Eminem just played off that even more. Scary Movie 3 even made a joke about
Michael Jackson playing with little boys. Eminem even makes fun of his own movie with the
lyrics It gets real intense, no one makes a sound/Everything looks like it's 8 Mile now. He
didnt care who he was making fun of. It just kind of went together. Eminem was just that type of
guy in that situation.
The instrumentation of the song was fun and light. It also made you want to dance with
him. It made the lyrics easy to learn like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. In the beginning,
Eminem was singing with the opening of the song. It made it fun to listen to; grabbing your
attention right away. The instrumentation reminds you of a party back in the 90s. It just sounds
really crazy but well-choreographed.
The tone of voice that Eminem uses is one that takes you back to Slim Shady. Slim was
the one who made fun of others and himself. He even makes sounds with the instrumentation
himself to make it seem like hes really into it. His voice again went back to being the high pitch
voice. It makes you think that hes embracing Shady again instead of making fun of him.
Eminem reminds you of Glam artist in the past focusing on self and drugs. He had
multiple characters that he played when he came to put out an album. Sometimes he alternated
his characters between songs or albums. Marshall Mathers let people know and wasnt afraid to
let people know that he was crazy. He was and still is an influence on white rappers. He,
however never meant to be lead people this way but he has. Never giving up on your dreams is
what Eminem always let people know. You can get to your dreams with hard work.

Citations

HENDICOTT, JAMES. "Fat Joe Turned down the Chance to Sign Eminem Six times |
NME.COM." NME.COM. 6 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.nme.com/news/eminem/88110>.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.biography.com/people/eminem-9542093#rehab-relapse-and-recovery>.

Dickson, Allison J, et al. "Eminem Versus Charley Pride: Race, Stereotypes, and
Perceptions of Rap and Country Music Perdormers." Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate
Research (2001): 6.

Farber, Jim. THE CHANGING FACE OF HIP HOP New wave of white rappers includes
first woman DON'T CALL THESE RAPPERS 'VANILLA ICE' Street cred's of whites
aiming for the hip-hop heights. 17 April 2003.

White, Russell. "'Behind the Mask': Eminem and post-industrial minstrelsy." European
Journal of American Culture (2006): 16.

""My Name Is" Lyrics." EMINEM LYRICS. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/mynameis.html>.
""The Real Slim Shady" Lyrics." EMINEM LYRICS. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/therealslimshady.html>.
""Lose Yourself" Lyrics." EMINEM LYRICS. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/loseyourself.html>.
"My Name Is by Eminem Songfacts." My Name Is by Eminem Songfacts. Web. 19 Dec.

2015. <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1441>.
"Lose Yourself by Eminem Songfacts." Lose Yourself by Eminem Songfacts. Web. 19

Dec. 2015. <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2524>.

""Just Lose It" Lyrics." EMINEM LYRICS. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/justloseit.html>.
"Just Lose It by Eminem Songfacts." Just Lose It by Eminem Songfacts. Web. 19 Dec.
2015. <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4011>.