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08.unplugged.Dec.2013
No matter how horrific and traumatizing some experiences may be, they often mold the character of our world’s greatest artists. My sister Ryleigh recently developed a new appreciation for this fact, as she dove into the second era of music I wished to share: the early 2000s. As with the gangsta rap era, it was necessary to understand the state of the world to fully appreciate the music’s cultural significance. Clothed in a post-Clinton, pre9/11 complacence and a euphoric, absent-minded *NSYNC/Britney Spears bliss, Americans were generally at ease. This apparent obstacle did not delay the next figure I wished to share with my sister: Eminem, who by his own account, “came to the world at a time when it needed a villain.” A welcome reception was
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neither the norm or a necessity. “I was mad at first,” Ryleigh said of her experience with the controversial emcee’s work. “I was really put off by his music. I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to listen to it, but now I just feel bad for him and I really hope he’s gotten better.” Having been born in 1999, just weeks after Eminem’s first major release, Ryleigh had no previous experience with his work but was not surprised to find that her reaction was similar to that of the general public’s. Lance “DJ Elements” Soto, one of Northern California’s premier nightclub DJs, started his career around the time of Eminem’s debut and clearly remembers the industry’s initial response to the Detroit rapper. “He made a real big first impression. It’s kind of poppy but his lyrics
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made him (hip-hop),” said Soto. “He had the emcee flow, but he wrote those hooks the kids wanted to sing along to and their parents didn’t want them singing along to. The old DJs savor it.” Over time, Ryleigh came to appreciate the rapper’s disposition, as earlier generations did. “I think I sort of developed a soft spot for him. Even though I might not like everything he does, or agree with his lyrics, I can appreciate (his feelings),” she said. In addition to the stark contrast between himself and his “candy pop” counterparts, Eminem also demonstrated a quality that made him unique to his hip-hop predecessors. While the gangta rap era Ryleigh has become so fond of seemed to represent an entire culture, Eminem acted out of loneliness. She attributes her less favorable response to this apparent difference in sentiment. “They [‘90s gangsta rappers] sounded calm and at peace [with their misfortunes],” she said. “The vibe of their music didn’t give me a reason to feel uncomfortable. Eminem’s music sounded like all he was trying to do was make me feel uncomfortable.” As a preteen, I admired Eminem’s ability to represent on a grander scale the things he felt internally. I learned from his music that “the real Slim Shady” was truly no different from any person’s perceived shortcomings. Though Ryleigh and I were not able to share the same appreciation, she believes his career was timely and helped the industry maintain a sort of balance. “It could have gone straight to pop music and rap could have been (forgotten),” she said. “Because of him, it stayed in the picture. He kind of picked it up like a rolling wheel and kept pushing it along.”