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Interview
by Scott Sterling-Wilder
1-9-2002
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| Em is pondering an '8 Mile' trip |
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Does Em solitaire?
Shady/Eminem/Marshall stand up to speak out
Eminem has ruled the American album charts for the past 5 weeks with ‘The Eminem Show’ sales heading back to the commercial heaven of 10 million, where his previous two albums, ‘The Slim Shady LP’ and ‘The Marshall Mathers Album’ ended up residing. There is no dispute that Em (that’s how we, who have met him few times, are allowed to address him) is the most successful rapper, ultra-controversial and influential as sin.
But there is a real concern that Em’s edge has been blunted on ‘The Eminem Show’ due to the pressure of media/industry, the outrage is toned down and musically, Dr Dre wasn’t at the controls full on which has stagnated the musical expression. But Dre disagrees by saying that Em’s stuff is still “really crazy”.
“It’s what most people are thinking,” Em comments on his lyrics, “and the difference is that I’m brave enough to say it out loud. I want to piss people off. I want to make a statement… I knew that if I came out with something regular, no one was going to pay any attention. I wanted to say things that folks would listen to, still do… A lot of people are shocked when they hear my s**t. My lyrics are sick.”
Em’s rhymes are expression of freedom of speech and he’s argued that he can’t be accountable for any influence. Parents, families and schools should educate people to be able to discriminate; rather than censoring, to inform and illuminate for clued-up choices. Valid point but utopian…
Still, shock has a very short expiry date: repetition creates familiarity that breeds indifference.
Papa was a (rolling) ballboy
Success has a price tag and it appears that totalled a fair high in Em’s case: divorce from his school sweetheart, a number of court cases, two-year probation for two separate gun related offences, regular probing by media and constant counter-attacks for his gay-bashing… It was a heavy burden for a trailer-park kid from Detroit and he originally tried to tame it with drugs, alcohol and violence, but has now found peace and contentment with his daughter, Hailie.
“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” he proudly states. “F**k all the shit and fame. Haile is far more important. She keeps me from being too extreme. I realise that no matter how crazy I act onstage or how wild I may get, there is got to be a limit. Her father has to remain alive and be with her ever step of the way.”
Unlike his father who split when he was a toddler. Em’s parental instinct is understandable but the big question is that triality of characters he displays: Marshall, Em and Shady. Any conflict there and who babysits?
“They are all me, different sides of me,” Em comments casually, “and there is no conflict. They are creations, not delusions, I’m not a psycho (debatable – ed)… They are different creative sides of me that have all been explored on individual albums. I’m Marshall in everyday life and Em and Shady only surface in studio and on stage… Don’t worry, Marshall is here.”
Man, I only have your word for it…
Anyone for tennis?
To digress for a mo (and what is life but digressions from the intended?), it feels like in another lifetime I interviewed Guns N’Roses on their first London visit. It was during the Wimbledon Championship fortnight and the band members were found watching a match. Upon complimenting their interest, Axl W. Rose said, “There was nothing else on; we don’t know what this is. It looks interesting, the ladies especially.”
The point being that GN’R, as well as Em and all of American musos, are from another set of life’s experiences. Em’s Detroit childhood was far tougher than growing up in Manchester and is far from his lyrics relating to a Manc’s life. There is huge difference Europeans, British in particular, view races (are racist?) than Americans. Imagine this kind of music invading a redneck’s household but you can’t imagine a catastrophe it brings to parental ‘value system’.
“I find offensive people dwelling on me being a white rapper,” Em confesses. “That s**t makes me sick to my stomach. It doesn’t make what I do any less valid. I’ve lived as hard a life as anybody in America. I’ve been to all-white schools, all-black schools, mixed schools, I’ve seen it from every angle.”
Which made his first film job a doddle; alongside work on songs that would form the current album, Em managed to squeeze in a debut role in a film, ‘8 Mile’, that could be a biopic. His co-star, Brittany Murphy, has said of Em “to be quite an amazing actor… this is a natural crossover for him.” His movie-mum is Kim Basinger and the soundtrack album will contain two new songs by Em… (Please, see the related news item.) Movie or music, what can take him further?
“I’ve pushed it, but I can go further,” Em states convincingly. “I’m putting my heart and all of my time into music… I can always go further.”
That’s where we had to leave it for now; we planned to find out about ‘personalised’ etymology of words like ‘faggot’, explore in depth “being misunderstood” and religion, whether God has got a regular gig in Em’s mansion? But, it will keep until the next time… (12/07/2002)
Scott Sterling-Wilder
1-9-2002
Eminem’s album ‘The Eminem Show’ is available now UNIVERSALy
‘8 Mile’ original soundtrack is issued on 08 November 2002 by Universal
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