I remember riding in a 15-passenger van for the program I worked with at the time full of adolescent youth on juvenile probation in Bloomington, IN. The kids were listening to somebody new who they were all excited about. Not the normal go-to-the-bathroom-come-out and the artist has come and gone already type of excitement. It was a fascination with him as someone who was about to build a legacy. He did and is still building it. Eminem Lose Yourself.
At the time I did not appreciate the music. Eminem Lose Yourself seemed like he was ‘acting’ like the other rap artists more than one who was actually one of them. Time has demonstrated that he is one of them and I think it is time he stops being labeled as a White rap artist and becomes a rap artist. It is sad that people choose to identify him as a White rap artist, as if skin color is what determines your ability to rhyme and make beats. I remember that Jimi Hendrix went through some of this at the time, he was the best Black guitarist in rock. Eventually time and acceptance changed it to one of the best, if not the best guitarist in rock for that period. For a minute or two, Tiger Woods experienced this as did some of the first NFL Black quarterbacks.
The movie that Eminem Lose Yourself was made from a documentary of life in a certain section of Detroit and his family experiences was a bold move for a struggling artist. It paid off and continues to do so today. Eminem Lose Yourself provides professional DJs an opportunity to expose a genre to people that would otherwise not be accepting of the music or culture.
Eminem Lose Yourself
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ