There aren’t many other music artists that I would say come close to how much Eminem (Marshall Mathers) riled up the media and suburbia with his music, more precisely his lyrics. It seemed that every song he put out onto the air pressed the boundaries of acceptable radio language as well as what can be released on an album, even with an “Explicit Content” label.
I do understand both sides of the debate. Eminem argues that he himself is not making decisions for his fans and/or the listeners of his music (for example, he does not tell them to pull a trigger). However, as much as some people would like to deny it, musicians and celebrities alike do carry some weight of responsibility in that no matter what they do, it will influence others. I’m not saying that a fan who shoots someone because they heard it in a music download can rightfully blame the artist. However, I am saying that spoken enough and portrayed in a certain light by celebrities, does make certain things appear more acceptable. This could very well indirectly influence choices, especially those of minors who look up to stars as icons and role models.
And those lyrics aren’t even the half of Eminem’s rebelliousness. How many court cases has this artist endured? I remember three: sued by his own mother, Debbie Mathers, for defamation in his album My Name Is; sued by Miad Jarbou for assault in a strip club bathroom; sued by his old schoolmate DeAngelo Bailey for defamation of character by “ruining his reputation” with lyrics about him in Eminem’s song Brain Damage; and of course sued by his ex-wife Kim for defamation in his lyrics in many tracks including Kill You.
Results? The $11 million lawsuit Debbie Mathers sought from her own son ended up in a $25,000 agreement, of which it’s been reported that Debbie will only receive about $1,600. The $25,000 lawsuit by Miad Jarbou in 2008 for the assault incident two years prior, was dwindled in the press and therefore leads me to believe was never pursued by Jarbou. The $1 million case filed by DeAngelo Bailey was dismissed by the judge. As for the $10 million lawsuit filed by Kim, that ruled in Eminem’s favor as well. Talk about an excellent legal team.
Oh and let’s not forget Eminem’s slight mishap with the law in back in 2000 in Michigan, where he got arrested (twice) for gun charges. One charge was for a concealed weapon, and the other was an assault charge at a club. He was slammed with probation for two years, but avoided any jail time.
Is this a case of more money more problems? Either way, Eminem is a classic example of a music rebel and is one of the most controversial artists of our time.
