Eminem is above rap's expectations?

[Tomer666]

A famous rapper has around 50 Million views on Youtube on good songs of him, like Kanye West he has a few good songs with 40~70 million views and the rest has 8~30 million views, but Eminem's most famous songs has 300~400 million views while his other songs has 70~100 million views.
How come? I mean I know Eminem is godlike but he's still a rapper, it's the same amount of population who listen to rap, do you think that there are people who doesn't really like any other rapper but Eminem? Do you think that generally there are people who doesn't like rap only a single rapper?

[EminemBase]

It's because Eminem transcends genre.

There are many rock fans who don't typically listen to rap, but listen to Eminem. And it's because he has always had rock influence and a punk attitude in his lyrics, and he's self-deprecating and he reaches whole other areas of humuor and self-awareness many rappers don't.

Also - musically, Em has an infectious grasp of melody. He's more than a rapper: he's a musical mind. If you think back to Em's classic songs, think of any one of them and they usually all come with a unique flow from each other as in, you can immediately hum along and hear this musical structure... most rappers don't do this.

There are many rappers with awesome flows but not many which create unique melodies with every other flow that defines the structure. Em doesn't do it nearly as well now but I believe it's partially because he's not producing or involved with the production of his own music much now.

There's a ton of reasons Em is huger than any other rapper and none of them are because he's white (before anybody starts that shit) - as if being white and good was the formula or the main or even A main reason, don't you think Yela would be gigantic too now? regardless of promotion. Eminem didn't need promotion, his music was that special: artistically, he's far beyond any mainstream rapper that's ever been heard of. To those who understand the true genius of his best work... it's no mystery why his fame and recognition are out of this world.

[Fleka]

It's because Eminem transcends genre.

There are many rock fans who don't typically listen to rap, but listen to Eminem. And it's because he has always had rock influence and a punk attitude in his lyrics, and he's self-deprecating and he reaches whole other areas of humuor and self-awareness many rappers don't.

Also - musically, Em has an infectious grasp of melody. He's more than a rapper: he's a musical mind. If you think back to Em's classic songs, think of any one of them and they usually all come with a unique flow from each other as in, you can immediately hum along and hear this musical structure... most rappers don't do this.

There are many rappers with awesome flows but not many which create unique melodies with every other flow that defines the structure. Em doesn't do it nearly as well now but I believe it's partially because he's not producing or involved with the production of his own music much now.

There's a ton of reasons Em is huger than any other rapper and none of them are because he's white (before anybody starts that shit) - as if being white and good was the formula or the main or even A main reason, don't you think Yela would be gigantic too now? regardless of promotion. Eminem didn't need promotion, his music was that special: artistically, he's far beyond any mainstream rapper that's ever been heard of. To those who understand the true genius of his best work... it's no mystery why his fame and recognition are out of this world.

I agree. He is one of a kind.
You have the likes of Pitbull-famous because his music is what masses want-simple, banging lyrics over the most mainstream beats with the biggest mainstream stars.
And then you have Eminem. Incredible lyricist with tons of charisma. He is so good that people can`t ignore him.

[Tomer666]

Let me know if I got it straight, it's been caused due to a mix of him being also a musician and mixing between rapping and singing in his songs? For example, Love the way you lie, Not Afraid, Beautiful etc.. when it features singing.
Second part is because of his lyricism, he's not singing about money bitches and stuff like typical rappers.

Did I get it straight?

[momentsgolden]

To be honest, i think some of these people are famous simply because people want them to be!!! LoL. Like, there is a ripple effect in the media and the masses where because something is famous, people look for it and it become more famous and the cycle repeats itself.

Examples- Is Justin Beiber really THAT good looking or a great singer? Is he that much better than Bow-wow, Romeo or you average Disney character? I think it just happens that he reached a certain level of fame, corporate america capitalized and he became more famous.

Same thing with Kim Kardashian, David Beckham, Barack Obama, Linkin Park... they are all good at what they do (making sextapes, playing soccer, politicking, and pop rock) but its their good-looks and commercialization capitalization that they make them household names.

What i find even more impressive actually is the fact that Eminem is still seem as a legitimate rapper by his peers and "real hip-hop heads" so to speak. Like, his BET cypher was genuinely a contender to be the best on the night at the same event he could have performed a cross-over hit like LTWYL.

I'm just going on now though, but either way, being the most liked person on Facebook is no mean feat!

[EminemBase]

He reached certain demographics that hadn't been reached before through Hip Hop, and it call comes down to him being white.

[12characters]

He reached certain demographics that hadn't been reached before through Hip Hop, and it call comes down to him being white.

Wow an Embase facepalm?
Damn, Hesky. You fucked up.

[slimfan94]

Yesterday I went to The Dark Knight Rises premier with a bud of mine and we were talking to this guy before the movie started and we started talking about music. He was into indie rock and classical music but said the only rap he can listen to is eminem. So yes, Eminem is bigger than hip hop.

[deaneedog]

What Embase said + he's white.

[JustEnjoytheMusic]

It's because he's white.

When Eminem rose to fame, how many young white kids became fans of him? How many young white kids from broken homes saw someone they could relate to? A lot. How many of them hadn't previously listened to the genre? A lot.

They could relate to the lyrics, why? They had experienced similar things. The reason? They too were considered 'white trash' in a dysfunctional family. It wouldn't have had the same impact on this demographic if he were black. Possibly even no impact at all.

After reaching this demographic, the world media realised how much of a global impact he had. Pretty much all young white kids were listening to his music, no matter what their upbringing, due to it now being so accessible because of his commercial success. The media portrayed him as some sort of demon that children should not be listening to. It was only natural for kids to rebel against this, and buy his music.

He reached other demographics around this time also. A lot of women aged 25-35 were buying his music. I wonder how many of them were buying Hip Hop albums before Eminem's success? None. I wonder why they were buying his albums? He was in the spotlight. I wonder why he was in the spotlight? All of the previously mentioned had been buying anything and everything Eminem related. I wonder why they idolised this man so much? He was white, just like they were.

A few years passed and he received a second surge after 8 Mile was released. After that shit came out, every white kid thought maybe someday they could be a battle rapper too; Eminem did it! This cued a frenzy of teens again buying anything and everything Eminem related. They saw him as a hero. Someone they could grow up to be. Why? Why could they see themselves as this white rapper? Possibly because they were white themselves?

You then have to factor in the "I dont lizten to da rapz but i listan 2 da eminemz" type of people. I wonder how many of them aren't white? Minimal. Very minimal.

"omg i luv u eminemz ur so hott!!!" I wonder how many of them aren't white? Minimal.

"thumbz up iv u tink dat eminem iz da best raper in da world!" I wonder how many of them aren't white? Minimal.

So many of those type of people listen to his music. It all stems from him being white, and appealing to those broken home white kids all those years ago. Without them supporting his music in such a hardcore fashion, he would not be where he is today.

I agree to a point.

I'm not saying that all of his success is due to him being white. He is an exceptional artist and that's why he's still big after more than a decade of being famous.
The incredible heights his fame reached however is due to his skin colour... He says so himself in his lyrics (If I was black, I would have sold half). It was something new... Vanilla Ice doesn't really count because he wasn't good quality-wise and the Beastie Boys were a group. It was in 2000 not 2012, a whole lot changed these past 12 years and talented, white rappers are no longer a novelty just like Hesky said.
Fact remains that Eminem reached an entirely new audience (which has a lot to do with the colour of his skin... Of course, you can't ignore that his subject matters were different from "traditional hip hop" and a lot of people responded to that "IDGAF" attitude, the matter of broken families, bad relationships with parents, being broke, while at the same time he was distanced from "typical" subject matters such as "the hood" - However, I doubt that he would have reached the same attention had he been black. He would have been big, but not THAT big) PLUS he was incredibly hyped in the late 90s. He was excessively promoted by Interscope and Dr Dre.
I guess that being white made it difficult for him when he was underground, but once he blew up it helped him. Of course, exceptional talent, a whole lot of controversy and powerful songs are reasons why he's still respected these days, but he became a superstar because of his image, which (for whatever stupid reason) includes the colour of his skin.

[Relapse.]

It's because Eminem transcends genre.

There are many rock fans who don't typically listen to rap, but listen to Eminem. And it's because he has always had rock influence and a punk attitude in his lyrics, and he's self-deprecating and he reaches whole other areas of humuor and self-awareness many rappers don't.

Also - musically, Em has an infectious grasp of melody. He's more than a rapper: he's a musical mind. If you think back to Em's classic songs, think of any one of them and they usually all come with a unique flow from each other as in, you can immediately hum along and hear this musical structure... most rappers don't do this.

There are many rappers with awesome flows but not many which create unique melodies with every other flow that defines the structure. Em doesn't do it nearly as well now but I believe it's partially because he's not producing or involved with the production of his own music much now.

There's a ton of reasons Em is huger than any other rapper and none of them are because he's white (before anybody starts that shit) - as if being white and good was the formula or the main or even A main reason, don't you think Yela would be gigantic too now? regardless of promotion. Eminem didn't need promotion, his music was that special: artistically, he's far beyond any mainstream rapper that's ever been heard of. To those who understand the true genius of his best work... it's no mystery why his fame and recognition are out of this world.

You should write a fuckn book. I promise you I would buy it. you say the most descriptive and detailed shit. its nuts. that was perfect lol.

[EminemBase]

as if being white and good was the formula or the main or even A main reason, don't you think Yela would be gigantic too now?

It's not the formula. It's the point in time. White rappers aren't anything new now.

Chris Brown is black and can dance, just like Michael Jackson. It isn't anything people haven't seen done before in a similar fashion, though.

White rappers weren't anything new when Eminem came about either.

Beastie Boys were one of the founding and most influential groups in rap. They didn't take over the world though. Vanilla Ice blew up from a song, but it was about a melody and a hit song, no different than MC Hammer, not because he's white. The novelty got attention, but because that's all he was, that's why he faded out, because he had no real talent.

Eminem may have been talked about more because he's white, but that doesn't sustain record sales. It's simply a novel talking point, and kids aren't racist, 2Pac is the second biggest rapper of all-time behind Em, why wouldn't another similar white rapper be behind Em if that was it?

It's talent. Plain and simple.

Is "Stan" any less groundbreaking if Em has black skin? is The Marshall Mathers LP any less of a masterpiece? Em being white turned heads, but what made Em HUGE, was his music. Not his race, at all, his MUSIC. Unless the talent is gigantic, it doesn't matter, and it doesn't last. Make Em black, and his best work doesn't become any less incredible, and his work is what is talked about, that's what made the impact; that's what sold. He hasn't been a focal point of music for 13 years for being white. Why do you think he's still selling huge? oh, yeah, white? sure.

Also, Em didn't even rap about much everyday life emotional struggle when he was at his peak, so this nonsense about him being some soundboard for white youth is silly as fuck. The Slim Shady LP began his major impact and that's a complex, ironic, character-driven, dark, twisted, adult album that is as creative as it is original... dumb white youth can't relate to fucking "Role Model". Em started out very creative and indulged in themes, it wasn't easy to digest or simplistic.

And nobody has ever even said why being white would make him sell more, oh as if 10 year old kids are going to go "WOW, HE HAS WHITE SKIN, AND SO DO I, I WANT TO BUY HIS MUSIC BECAUSE WE BOTH HAVE WHITE SKIN"... that's ridiculous. I didn't even think about the fact he was white when I found out about him, I just heard amazing fucking music and wanted to hear more.

Being white in rap doesn't and never did sell records. Being bat-shit insane talented, does.

[classthe_king]

Dude, even Eminem disagrees with you

"Let's do the math, if I was black I would have sold half"

[EminemBase]

Dude, even Eminem disagrees with you

"Let's do the math, if I was black I would have sold half"

So what. I disagree with Em.

Em's entitled to his own opinion about himself too, doesn't mean he's right.

[classthe_king]

Dude, even Eminem disagrees with you

"Let's do the math, if I was black I would have sold half"

So what. I disagree with Em.

Em's entitled to his own opinion about himself too, doesn't mean he's right.

But arguing that Em being white didn't make him sell more is just.....wrong