Findings and Discussion

Word Bending 

From reading lyrics and watching interviews I have found that Eminem is unique due to his manipulation of words. In the interview below he talks about how he bends the way words sound to make them rhyme with more words. For example instead of saying orange he would say or-ange like door hinge so that he can make it rhyme. He uses this technique in all of his songs. He bends words to his advantage so he can create rhymes that no one else would have thought of. It is this unique ability that gives his raps a distinct sound and rhythm. He also is one of the fastest rappers in rap history due to his dedication to practice. He tries to always have a notebook with him so he can write down words and phrases throughout the day as he thinks of them. He said in his interview his is constantly writing. He has everything he has ever written saved in a box and refers to it for ideas when writing a new song.

Negative attention is better then no attention 

 Being a white rapper meant that he had to work harder, be smarter, and be the best in order to have a chance of making it in the rap world. He knew that he would be underestimated and judged based on his appearance but he used his whiteness to his advantage. Even though people were quick to give him negative attention it was better than no attention. He used any attention he could get and would rap to get them on his side; in hopes they would realize that he was actually a good rapper not just good for a white guy.

Use of explicit language 

Eminem uses explicit language in his raps just like any other rapper but it hasn’t always been a good thing for him. Use of explicit language is a staple in rap music and is a unifying factor between Eminem and the rap community. It has allowed him to have a connection with the rapping community without getting rid of his unique sound and style. Unfortunately many people are upset by his use of explicit language. He has had parents be upset because their sons or daughters look up to him and are picking up on his language. This controversy doesn’t happen with other rappers as publically as it happens with Eminem.  He believes because he’s white he is expected to be a clean rapper and edit himself for his audience. This is an unrealistic expectation to have of any rapper unless their known for not using explicit language.

Conclusion 

Eminem has had to prove himself in every song he writes because there are a lot of people ready to call him out if he fails. Many rappers hate seeing the success he is having as a white rapper because he doesn’t fit the image of what they think a rapper should look like. But despite all the hate he is still improving and growing as an artist. He will go down in history as a word artist. He has figured out how to use words to paint the picture the way he wants better then any other rapper. He has mastered this skill and many have studied and learned from him. 

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