Music would not be what it is today if it weren’t for amazing artists who not only create, but perform for everyone as well. All music artists aim for fame and fortune. However, fame and fortune is not guaranteed to just anyone who wishes to enter the music world, and some probably don’t realize the impact that they truly make to the world of music. Eminem is one of those artists. He was not destined for much in his life with the way he was born and raised, but he went for what he wanted, and didn’t realize just how important he would become to the music world, more specifically, the rap genre. Eminem changed the music world with his race, determination, and style.
Eminem came onto the scene as a “white boy rapper,” and everyone was not only shocked, but doubted that he would ever get to the top. Rap was first presented by black men with affiliations to big named gangs, but Eminem was sure to change all of that. Race should not matter, but in this particular case, it really did have a lot to do with Eminem’s fate as someone who would change music forever. There were two bigger white rappers before Eminem and that was Mark Wahlberg and Vanilla Ice. To which both made a mockery of the rap genre. They jumped around the stage with their hats turned to the side and their pants nearly falling off while trying to rhyme as many words as possible, regardless if it made sense or not. Even worse was the screeching of records that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck that they had considered a “cool beat.” Because of these two, it is no wonder that Eminem was first seen as a complete joke. Honestly, they probably made it even harder for Eminem to be taken seriously.
The color of his skin was considered first, and if he wanted to make it in the music industry he would have to really prove his worth. Eminem really didn’t act as if he was better than anyone; instead he acted as though he was good enough and equivalent to the other rappers regardless of his appearance. Even though his race may have been against him while trying to get his name out there, he really opened the door for other white rappers because he showed everyone that the color of your skin does not determine your true skills. Not only that, but he opened rap up to a wider audience, the “white” audience. Before Eminem not many white people listened to rap, probably because it was so race specific. However, Eminem continued and more people began to listen to the genre as a whole.
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This really allowed even the older rappers to be acknowledged by the newer audience, which in turn, allowed them to sell even more albums. More people listening meant more money being earned for every artist. Eminem burst through the music industry and proved that race doesn’t matter and that rap can be enjoyed by everyone. He definitely beat the odds and earned the respect from all of the other rappers. Big named rappers heard what he had to offer and many of them invited him to be a part of their albums as well. Which clearly also helped the other rappers get noticed and make more money. The rap genre really boomed after Eminem came out, and he really closed the gap on race and rap.
Race is not the only reason that Eminem changed the music industry. He also changed it with his determination. First Eminem had to prove that the color of your skin does not determine your talent, but then he had to prove to everyone exactly what he had to offer. Many people laughed at his dreams and even more people denied him the opportunity to prove it. However, he persisted. Every time that Eminem was turned down, he worked that much harder. Every artist must work hard to become noticed, and even harder to become famous. Some artists are given the luxury of being born into a famous family. The instant fame of their birth alone keeps a slot open at many recording studios.
However, for those who do not get that instant fame, they must work real hard to prove their worth. Eminem had it even harder. Not only was he a white man trying to enter into a well-known black genre, he grew up in very poor conditions on the wrong side of town. Honestly, nobody would have given him a moment of their time had he walked in wanting to be taken seriously. But again, he persisted. He is definitely someone to be looked up to because many people would have given up their dream with the amount of rejections he received and how forcefully people tried to push him out. However, Eminem knew what he wanted and he wasn’t going to stop for anything. He really had a lot that he wanted to say and he knew that if given the chance, everyone would hear what he had to offer.
There were a few times throughout his career where he would just disappear and many people thought that was the end of him. He was probably laughed at for those brief breaks because so many people figured that he would fail. But he always came back, and with each new entrance, came a whole new strength. Sure the odds were highly stacked against him, but his dream crashed into those odds with every new album he recorded. He was determined to succeed and that is exactly what he did. Maybe his dream was to just perform for others and have his voice heard, but he ended up going so much further. Eminem’s determination really changed the music industry because he proved that he was worthy of the success that he was destined for.
Race and determination helped Eminem in changing the music industry, but his style created a whole new genre, and that alone changed the music industry forever. The rap genre was hard enough to really get started because of the content and stories behind the rappers, and still today there are many people who are not too keen on the genre. Nonetheless, it has come a very long way. Eminem changed the tune of rap and turned it into a whole new genre, pop culture. He rapped clear enough for people to understand what he was saying instead of just rhyming words. He puts the words together so that they flow into a musical story to be told.
The beats that are played in the background of many of his songs are subtle, yet enjoyable. His style is much different than the old scratching of records and screaming into a microphone full of swear words. Sure he swears in every single song that he records, but the words become more enhancers than the moral of any of the stories. By changing the tune to the rap genre, more people began really appreciating the music as it was. Eminem’s music became so enjoyable that most radio stations began playing the new genre on their channels. Some people who had always been anti-rap probably didn’t even realize what genre it belonged to as they were singing along to the words on their way into work or bobbing their heads to the beat.
Rap became more than it had ever been once the radio stations began playing them. Eminem brought rap into a whole new light for everyone to enjoy and all other artists were able to reap the benefits as more and more songs were played daily on the radio stations. Eminem just wanted to reach his own goal of becoming a rapper, he really didn’t plan to change the music industry entirely, but he did. He changed it not only for other artists, but for the listeners as well. Everyone got a taste of rap even if they considered it pop culture. Eminem not only changed the dialogue of rap, but changed the entire way of how people viewed it.
Eminem really changed the music industry with his race, determination, and style whether that was his plan all along or not. He really doesn’t give himself the credit that is due for all that he has done for the industry. Artists really don’t think that they will make an impact on the world, but Eminem did just that as he went for what he wanted and proved that it is something that can be enjoyed by everyone. Sometimes his words are offensive and cold, but when listening to the entire song you can tell that it is just a story that must be told.
Eminem is an artist that really speaks his mind and that can turn some people away, but really he is being himself and that can only be respected because so many people go out of their way to please others and end up miserable in the end. More and more artists began singing about their personal lives in hopes to be as successful as Eminem. Eminem speaks his mind, he swears in his songs, he gives people a raw view into his life, but because of that, rap is much more respected and understood. Eminem probably didn’t realize the impact that he would truly make on the music industry, but nonetheless he changed it forever.
