Do You Think Other Hip-Hop Fans Understand Em's Lyrics?

[CrashBand]

Add "quotables" to the list of terms in rap culture that I don't like.

And yes, I used to say half the shit I now rag on. LOL.

How about 'classics'?

[Elision]

And yes, I used to say half the shit I now rag on. LOL.

gotta love the real-as-fuck members

[kkaniff]

by 'other hip hop fans' do you mean black people?

Get the fuck out.

im black,so chill.its a pretty common question actually since em apparently gets a lot of hate from most african americans on hip hop forums cos they dont get his music.i also spend some of my time in africa also so i suppose i can speak quite authoritatively on em and the perception of his music by africans and african americans.

[kkaniff]

by 'other hip hop fans' do you mean black people?

Get the fuck out.

read my reply to revolutionary.....and chill bro

[CrashBand]

I don't think it's a reach to say Black people don't relate to Eminem as much, therefore don't 'understand' as well.

But it's not fair to say black people don't 'understand' as well because they don't get wit/sarcasm etc.

[kkaniff]

[/quote]
im black,so chill.its a pretty common question actually since em apparently gets a lot of hate from most african americans on hip hop forums cos they dont get his music.i also spend some of my time in africa also so i suppose i can speak quite authoritatively on em and the perception of his music by africans and african americans.[/quote]
It wasn't necessary to mention black people as I have talked to so many black stans around the world.

And the ones you're talking about are probably 14 white year-old kids.[/quote]
i thought you were trying to be...i dunno, delicate? it was necess to ask for clarification

[Nvgt]

Ignoring the casual listeners, I do believe Hip Hop fans comprehend Em's lyrics for the most part (atleast when they try to), but like The Candy Man said - not many are exactly capable of appreciating them. His art is like The Mona Lisa, everybody knows what makes it so great (the enchanting mystery that surrounds the whole scape and a quizzical smile) but not many can sit and admire it. You got to have a knack for dry British humor, or atleast an ear for it to see what Em is doing. I see people (even on this forum) discrediting his lyrics for not being deeply layered with metaphors or having multiple meanings behind them and I can't help shaking my head at them, I personally find most of the puns pretty cheesy and cringe worthy (Recovery and HTS had a fair share of them) but many find them clever; beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

That pretty much is the reason why MMLP doesn't get as much credit as Illmatic, or more. We see Illmatic #1 on many Greatest Lists, but not MMLP.

[momentsgolden]

Most people understand Eminem's lyrics. They are very simple to digest. Its actually what attracts me to his music compared to a Jay Z. I mean, jus a day ago an article came out where a 16 year old girl could tell eminem was joking on My Fault and Criminal.

Yes, i do think Hip-hop fans in general (including Tr) first listen to how something sounds. If they like it, they listen to it. That is why revionist listeners like myseld (those who went back after Recovery to the discography) are almost always attracted to TES. Its not necessarily because its got the most complex lyrics or the subject matter is emotional.... Its because it sounds good. And thats what it should be all about.

[momentsgolden]

A good example to illustrate the point is fans outside TR who listen to Relapse. I could bet the majority would find Stay Wide Awake and 3 am to be forgettable filler while gravitating towards Same Song and Dance and My Darling. The reason being on the latter two, he uses less layers of metaphors, less complex words, less intricate rhymes less "technical" yet he says more meaningful things that people can understand and love. To me, a good "quotable" is a line you know what it means and can instantly get that rush that "that was dope" not one you gotta spend days researching for triple meaning.

[Accor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyLLmByA6Y0

I've always found his lyrics pretty straightforward and and simple (not talking rhyme schemes if that's what you guys are talking about lol but what's hard to understand about them, and I can't really recall any complex metaphors or entendres n whatnot).

I could see someone not realizing a song like Deja Vu's comedic irony and and the layered emotions of that song though

[mwm5952]

I think a lot of hip-hop fans would not appreciate the reasons why prime-em was as good as he was.

They would understand the insane rhyming and flows of course.

But the subtlety, irony, sarcasm, wit and dark themes--I'm not so sure.

What's funny is some of my friends who love em CAN'T understand the rhyming. I'll break it down for them and they either don't care and say I'm looking too deep into the lyrics or they say things like "uh isn't a syllable" So no, I don't think even the MAJORITY of even his OWN fans don't understand how complex of a writer he is. I feel like they can decipher audible things tho, like his flow, sarcasm, wit, etc.

[Mr Change]

I hardly know anyone who can actually understand multi-syllabic rhyming, let alone Eminem's lyrics.

Then again these are the same people who tell me Lil Wayne and Kanye West are better rappers than Tech N9ne.

[sbolli1]

I wonder what the casual listener would think of a song like "'97 Bonnie and Clyde"

[Whitefox]

I wonder what the casual listener would think of a song like "'97 Bonnie and Clyde"

"omg this guy is talking bout murdering his wife in front of the daughter, he's crazy yo"

[SliK]

Lil Wayne and Kanye West are better rappers than Tech N9ne.