Eminem a racist??????

Nigga please...

Everyone thinks racially. Anyone who says they don't think about race is lying. Most of us can keep our anger directed at individuals without qualifying them as a part of a larger group. Eminem did not do this and used the lowest blow possible to take a personal swipe at an enemy of his. Can we blow this off as childishness and immaturity? In some cases maybe. People do change, evolve and grow up. Has Eminem grown up since he sang this song? I don't know.

My feeling is that the tape is a recording Eminem did as a way to vent some anger over a bad relationship. Obviously he didn't intend it to be released. While disparaging racial comments are not acceptable I think its important to put the recording in the context in which Eminem probably recorded it. He was mad, he vented and he never intended the general public to hear it.

When you combine that with who is playing the tape for the press, Mr. Scott, who has had a long-standing feud with Eminem, one can conclude that this is just a smear campaign meant to do little more than embarrass Eminem.

The most offensive thing about it is the whack ass rhyme! Sounds like he borrowed some lyrics from ICP on this!

I must concur with some of the above statements. I don't have much love for Eminem, nor his music, but this sounds like a cheap smear. Yeah, he was being stupid when he recorded it, but everybody's stupid at times.

Craig is right. (Never thought you would read that, did ya?) You don't bring up the race of the person because you are upset with something she has done. (Blacks, Asians or Chicanos didn't irk you. She did.) If you do, then you've got some racism in you. As I've said before, racism is a continuum. I would not compare the E-Man to John Derbyshire, but it seems, when he felt scorned, some years ago I gather, he reached for the wrong weapon -- racism. Does that mean Eminem should curl up and die? No. But, he should try to work through any feelings of white superiority he has if he hasn't done so.

Right on Mac, well put.

Err, you do not like rap music but you like Eminem's? How does that make any sense? It's this sort of statement that makes Benzino's allegation that Eminem is only as successful as he is because he is white sound valid. If a majority of people made statements such as this, I would tend to agree with Benzino.

Regarding the actual issue, it comes as no surprise to me. Eminem is angry at the world so why not black girls? If he can rant about killing his mother or wife or the whole world, what makes black girls different? By the way, where in the lyrics does he say the song is about an ex girlfriend? He just said that after the rap was released did he not? It could easily be a convenient excuse. How can I be racist? I was dating a black girl and its actually her I was angry at and thats why I wrote this song cos I was young, frustrated and stupid? What exactly in his lyrics show that he is now old, calmer and clever? The only thing missing is the racial slurs, every thing else is the same.

By the way, the fact that the black community buy his records does not mean he is not racist. I don't see how we get from black people buying his records to him not being racist. Black people watch Bernard Manning, he is the most racist white comic. White people watch Sheryl Underwood she cracks all sorts of jokes about white people. Its all "entertainment"

I do not know if Eminem is racist and quite frankly its the least of my worries. I could care less. Thats his problem. He and Benzino should get over themselves.
The only thing I have always agreed with Benzino on is when Eminem is called the best rapper. That is such a nonsense its unbelievable. This is where race comes in for me. The only reason he is called that, is BECAUSE he is white and white kids are not supposed to know how to rap. In my opinion, he raps no better than JayZ, Snoop(who even rhymes better), DMX, Mystikal or Ludacris.

Whether he hates black girls or wants to kill his mother, or lose himself or bury his wife is completely up to him. He uses his music to express himself. Sadly, for the poor sod he has gone and expressed some racist views that he might or might not hold. Who cares?! Certainly not me. Now, if I found out Bono or Enrique Iglesias expressed racist views, I might be shocked cos they don't come across angry. Why the distress over a man who has been angry since he was conceived in his mother's womb, expressing racist views? He is angry with the world at large and black girls are part of the world.

Craig Lyndall: "Everyone thinks racially."

Not everyone, Craig.

Sandra: "I do not know if Eminem is racist and quite frankly its the least of my worries."

Reflects my sentiments almost exactly. Something ugly is lurking in the boy's
heart -- that was evident before this tape was released. And yeah, it probably is part of The Source's ongoing anti-Em campaign. Whatever. There are more important things about which to worry. Like Michael Jackson in handcuffs, lol.

Good points, Sandra and Nat.

BTW, if I recall my reading correctly Mick Jagger showed his behind in regard to black women when he was being sued for child support by the mother of his mixed-raced eldest daughter. Somehow, the mother wanted money because she had brown skin, not because she had a baby to feed, shelter and clothe. He eventually bit the bullet and stopped acting the fool. Grow and learn, I guess.

"Just like a - just like a black girl should..."

I've never liked Jagger. Perhaps he did grow and learn. Hope so.

Sandra,

I said I don't like rap music because I find most of it shallow. Eminem's music is about more than ho's, drugs and shooting police officers. He hits a deeper chord than that in me. I know what its like to be young and in a bad relationship. I know what its like to be screwed over by a girl. I don't know much about Eminem's real life, nor do I care. The words of his music have meaning for me, and that's all that matters.

It has nothing to do with the color of his skin. For the record, there are very few Eminem songs that I like, but I also like older rap like Run DMC, etc.

I don't choose my music based on the color of the performers skin. Your implication that I do is patently false. I may not like rap in general, but who are you to tell me that I can't like any rap artists?

Also, Eminem himself is very forthcoming about his popularity due to his skin color. He even talks about it in some of his songs. Its sad, but certainly no secret and definetely not Eminem's fault.

Mmm, brown sugar- how come you taste so good now? Naturally this is my top Stones song. After listening to it for a couple of decades, it occurred to me what the meta-point to the song was: the rejection of white guilt. That is, Mick could joke about slavery because he is without guilt.

Diva- I'm pleased to note your reasonableness and restraint in this Eminem matter.

Just purely the fact that he never, ever planned this for any kind of release should pretty much give him immunity from prosecution. He was apparently just talking to himself. This should be considered private like a diary entry. I know that I would not like to answer for everything I've ever said muttering to myself.

Also, even a passing use of the N word does not seem to qualify as even the tenth part as objectionable as some of the mega-selling rhymes he HAS published, particularly "Kim."

Rob I did not accuse you of liking music according to the colour of skin. I said your statement gives weight to Benzino's comment that Em is that successful cos he is white. You have even given me more room to believe Benzino. You don't like rap music cos most of it is about Hos, police shootings and drugs, but Eminem's lyrics strike a chord with you because they are about murdering family, like mother or his wife, mother of his own child?? Do you think Eminem had any more of a troubled youth than the rest of these rappers? How troubled could it have been seeing as he lived with his mother till God knows when while some of these rappers you scoff were fending for themselves on the streets cos the orphanage or foster homes were not good enough? Please do not try to pass off the fact that Eminems lyrics are less violent than most rappers, thats just poppycock! If anything he is more demented because we know he feels exactly as he speaks while some of the rappers just rap that crap to endorse thier so called hardcore public image.

Sandra,

I never said his lyrics were less violent, only more meaningful to me. I'm not discounting other rapper's music, but it shouldn't be surprising that I would identify more with a kid who grew up pissed off at his mom and his girlfriend and had to deal with being a father at an early age then with some gang-banger from L.A. who raps about selling crack.

I don't take the stuff about him murdering his family to heart, but I do understand the rage that would make him say such things.

Natalie, I respect your opinion and your commitment to what's right and good. I envy your attitude. That being said, I feel like even in NOT thinking racially, you are making a conscious effort and subsequently thinking about race. It is an impossibility to turn that off. If you have eyes, you can see what someone's race is. If you think you aren't making any judgements, I think you are possibly underestimating the power of your brain. Even if you were able to turn all that off, the way people of other races react to us in every-day life, makes it IMPOSSIBLE to not think about race.

In telling people that you don't think racially, you are thinking about race. I believe that you don't make judgements based on race, but to say you don't think racially seems impossible.

Again, Nat, I say this with all the respect in the world.

"you have eyes, you can see what someone's race is."

No you can't. Not always. To assign someone a "race" (again, I don't even believe in the concept of it) is to make a judgment. I don't and can't do that.

I think Natalie is an exceptionally rare instance of someone who really doesn't, but I also think what Craig says is generally true.

Eminem's music seems quite hateful to me. If he is both a homophobe and a misogynist, as his music indicates, is it that big a stretch to postulate that this hatred might also extend to the color of one's skin?

maybe not a stretch...but isn't it also possible that he's writing stuff from viewpoint of these other characters?

this kind of thing has been done a lot in, say, country music...songs from the viewpoint of the villain (Folsom Prison Blues, for example).

i'm not trying to apologize for Eminem...don't really like him (though i thought "Lose Yourself" was cool)

It is indeed possible that he is writing from another's viewpoint. I'd say that was more likely if hatred was a theme that popped up now and again. But it tends to dominate his lyrics, which makes me think that it probably matches his personal viewpoint.

yep, that's why i don't really like him...a lot of the writing is pretty one-dimensional.

i just brought up the other idea because it is possible.

"...to say you don't think racially seems impossible."

Why should it be impossible? Do you find yourself irresistably thinking about hair color or eye color when you talk to people? Just because you can SEE something, doesn't mean you'll find the information useful.

The only reason one would be compelled to think about skin color would be if it told you something about them. Where race is tied to culture, that often turns out to be the case. But there are places where race is not tied to culture, or where cultures are so intermixed that you can't draw any useful conclusion about someone from their skin color. For example in any truly cosmopolitan city. In Washington, D.C., you can't tell from someone's race whether they are a gang member, cop, janitor, IT engineer, senator, page, or leader of another country. You'd do better asking them what their sign is, if only because when they answer they might have an accent that will tell you something useful about them.

There ARE people who don't make judgements based race; not through some supreme effort of self control, but because it simply stops making sense to do so.

My wife and I are doing our best to raise our children to be completely colorblind. My older boy's first innocent romance was with a girl of color, and we took no notice of it whatsoever. His best friend has alapucia totalis (complete hair loss), another of his best friends is "golden skinned" (as his Bangladeshi dad puts it), and another has MS and is in a wheelchair. Makes no difference to us. A good person is a good person is a good person. And a piece of garbage is a piece of garbage.

That's noble, but stereotypes and racist people are so pervasive in this society that you guys seem a little idealistic for me.

You are how the world judges you to at least a certain extent. Until the rest of the world stops judging people as a whole, a lot of these ideas are utopian.

Sitcoms make references, movies discuss it at length and comedians still have entire bits based on race. You can't escape it. It's good to do the things necessary to put the process forward, but to think you can magically make a change within yourself is ridiculous because none of us live in a vacuum.

If you ask me, we should all keep breeding with each other until we arrive at one color.

Craig, I respectfully suggest you speak for yourself and stop insisting others have to be or do or believe what you say they must.

As for Eminem, it could be that he is using characters -- he says Slim Shady is a character. But some of it is obviously personal, and yes, most of the characters in general (including himself) come across as being filled with hate.

The Grateful Dead did a number of songs using the viewpoints of characters who did and believed awful things. Doesn't necessarily mean the members of the group held those views or did those things. So perhaps Em doesn't. In any case, no, I am not a fan, though I agree he has talent and that "Lose Yourself" was great.

...none of us live in a vacuum

i do. it's called "New Hampshire".

;-)

A note of clarification, Barger. I'm not saying a white person who engages in interracial relationships can't be a racist. I'm saying there isn't sufficient evidence Eminem is that sort of man. I've blogged the topic here.

Ron, you ought to visit one of my family reunions. :)

I am not saying anyone has to believe anything, but I think a lot of people would agree with my observations of the way the world and a great many of its inhabitants are. It isn't always about internal habits and decisions because we share the world with others who maybe more or less enlightened. I haven't found a way of living without dealing with all those people.

Am I making this up?

I deal with many people with whom I disagree. Doesn't mean I think like them or share their ideas or allow their misguidedness to affect the way I live my life any more than the law mandates.

Natalie's bogus claims of colorblindness become tiresome after awhile. And this stuff about not being willing to "make a judgment. I don't and can't do that." Riiight. She may be the most judgmental writer at Blogcritics. She's certainly readily willing to make negative judgments and pronouncements about ME.

It's impossible not to notice race. It's a basic fact. It's like pretending you don't notice that this dog is a poodle and that one is a German shepard. You'd have to be unconscious not to see or notice.

These things are perhaps even more important among humans, as there are much more involved social and cultural complexities among us than dogs.

It's generally a good idea to de-emphasize these differences. Focus on the 90+% commonality of the human experience where you can. Great. It sounds good. It feels good. I'm all for it.

Also, recognize that general statistical truths about a group may not apply to a given individual. I'm sure there are a few Jews who are high school dropouts, and dumber than a sack of rocks.

But pretending that differences between racial and ethnic groups don't exist, or that you don't notice them is simply dishonest.

Moreover, my experience (not least of all at Blogcritics) suggests that it is typically exactly the people who go on the most about being colorblind, and not racist who are in fact the most obsessed and judgmental about racial issues.

At least they are with some people. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can carry on with their low-rent racial demagoguery, using it as a wedge to seek political advantage, rousing the rabble all day long. That's cool. But a white man such as John Derbyshire gets called every kind of name for noticing that many Asians tend to have good talents for mathematics.

Alrighty, then. Thesis: Al Barger is an evil, hateful insensitive racist out to oppress the darker races. Discuss amongst yourselves.

I think Craig is just offering a common sense view of the world. If you're introduced to someone, you make hundreds of instant judgements. The brain is perceptive and discerning. If I am introduced to a woman, let's say, I judge her by her height, her skin color, her hair color and style, her weight, her voice, her posture, hundreds of other body language cues, her clothes, whether she is wearing glasses, whether she is smoking or eating, everything the five senses can gather --- this is all done automatically, and filtered by your own experience. If she wears glasses, maybe I take that as a sign that she reads a lot. That's a judgement --- a pre-judgement --- based on my experience, although there is a chance that I'm wrong. It's also harmless.

Suppose the woman is Asian, let's say, and I assume that she is demure and devoted to pleasing men. I would again be prejudging attributes that are at that moment unknown to me. In this case, it is not harmless. To make a distinction between these two examples, i.e., discerning when pre-judgement is harmless vs. when it is not, I have to invoke my higher brain functions. My instant reflex judgements need to be tempered by reason. (Aye, there's the rub.)

Her skin and hair color are not unknown to me. If I am correct in inferring that she is of Asian descent, then there could also be cultural differences between us. Do I get in trouble for guessing that, even if I'm wrong? I don't think so. I only error if I then go on to adopt an attitiude of superiority over this person based solely on the fact that she is Asian, or that she is a woman.

It is natural and harmless to note the physical and racial attributes of a person. It makes the world more interesting. Viva le difference, anyhow, ya know?

re 33 - "Natalie... may be the most judgmental writer at Blogcritics."

Natalie? You've got to be kidding me. You must have read 300 different posts and comments from the ones I've read.

No, that poster is somewhat correct, Tal. I can be as judgmental as the next person when it comes another's words and deeds -- when it comes to my own. (I judge no one as harshly as I judge myself. My former therapist, my spouse, and my mother will testify to that.) But not in regard to what people look like or something so meaningless as melanin.

As far as my many flaws, I am working to better myself, as, one hopes, we all are.

I have an opinion as to why that poster resorted to using such hyperbole, but it will stay close to the chest in the interest of avoiding being judgmental.

Duane,

I think you've hit the nail on the head. We are all going to make judgments of a person we meet right away, whether we like it or not. The difference between a racist and a normal person, however, is how we use those judgments in our actions.

I don't understand why so many are so determined to smear everyone by using the word "all." Speak for yourselves. Please.

Natalie, if you're going to tell me that you don't even judge someone based on their clothes or their appearance then you're a liar.

Tell me you've never formed an opinion of a guy dressed like a Hells Angel.

Not a negative one. I used to ride a Harley myself.

I ride motorcycles too, so bad example.

How about an unshaven guy in dirty clothes staggering down the street? You're going to tell me that you form absolutely no opinion of him before you get to know him?

My judgment would be -- and has been; I lived in NYC for years, so this happened quite a lot -- that he may need help, and so I ask if he's OK and if there is anything I can do. If the answer is yes, I do what I can.

Well that's good, but its still a judgment.

What if you, after deciding that he needed help, went up to the man and offered to help and he got offended because you implied that he was a bum when actually a wealthy business man who had just taken a nasty tumble around the corner.

You're missing the point, what Duane, and myself by extenstion, are trying to say is that we ALL make tiny judgments of people when we see them, whether they're good or bad.

If I'm standing next to somebody in public who smells really, really bad I'm going to form a negative opinion of that person. That's a perfectly natural reaction.

For you to try and say that you're some kind of saint who has never done anything similar is laughable.

What? A wealthy business owner can't be in need of help? One doesn't say, "You look like a bum, do you need anything?" Come on.

Am I being paranoid or is there a metaphorical target on me?

Never said I was a saint. Not by a long shot. I said that quite clearly in #36. But this is far afield of the topic -- we were talking about judgments based on "race." Period. People were insisting that ALL people judge others on the basis of skin color, and that, like the concept of race, is bullshit.

As far as judgments based on looks, beyond "someone needs help" or "wow, that Hugh Jackman is cute," I have been alive long enough to know that looks mean nothing and assumptions are almost always wrong, so I choose not to waste my time that way.

If you look at a person of a different race from yours and one of the 1st 2 things that come to your head is, this is a black person or this is an indian, then you might have a few issues. Perhaps this is what Natalie is trying to say. I do not think anybody is saying if asked they would say they did not notice so and so's race. That would be ignorance. The point is, its not a thought in some people's heads. I meet Joe, that he is Indian or Chinese ofcourse registers simply because the good Lord blessed me with sight but no thought process goes through my head. Some of you seem to be implying that all sorts of things run through your heads when you meet people. I suggest therapy:)

For those of you not familiar, Sandra has recently been suggesting therapy for everyone not exactly like her, then says they "must have gone back on their meds" when they say something she agrees with.
Read the comments to the Britney and Madonna post if you think I'm exaggerating.

Trust you Taloran to take something said in gest seriously. You in particular do not need therapy. You are a lost cause. The sooner you are put in a straitjacket and locked away in a sanatarioum, the better for the human race as a whole... And yes people, please, do take a look at the Britney/Madonna thread Taloran is directing you to if you have the time.

Laughing out loud. I think you must have me confused with somebody who gives a damn. What exactly is supposed to happen after the our fellow villagers have read the thread? Then they will say or do what? And that is supposed to affect me, how? Dear oh dear, the poor sod really is cuckoo. I have no interest in you at this point Taloran. Please, go sell crazy someplace else,

"If you look at a person of a different race from yours and one of the 1st 2 things that come to your head is, this is a black person or this is an indian, then you might have a few issues. Perhaps this is what Natalie is trying to say."

No, it isn't. First of all, I don't believe in races other than speed contests and the human race. Secondly, you can not look at me and know what my ethnicity is. And why the hell would or should any decent person care? But yes, if anyone looks at another person and thinks of that person's skin color, yeah, I would suspect that that human has issues. Bad ones.

If I see a human, I see a human being. Humans come in different colors, big whoop. If someone asks what race someone is, the answer is "human." If someone asks what their ethnicity is, I say, Ask them. How would I know? If someone asks what color someone is, I say, "That's a stupid question," because IMO, it is thoroughly irrelevant and not worth my time. If someone is interested in that, let them find that out. Same with eye and hair color, I just don't care and can't be bothered with other humans' fixation on the superficial. It just does not interest me.

I rest my case

If most people were capable of looking at my lovely cafe au lait skin tone and not jumping to ridiculous conclusions about what it means -- no problem. But, the reality is just the opposite. The kind of person who cares what color people are usually assigns values to skin colors. Last week my laptop went haywire while I was at a Starbucks. (Yes, I know I live at Starbucks.) I was sharing an outlet with two white women in their fifties because my PB is having PMU problems. The screen went gray. I exclaimed because that had never happened before. Then I said I was going to reboot in Darwin and run a FSCK. One of the women began lecturing me on what a computer is and how they operate. Really basic stuff. 'This is how you turn it on.' 'This is the keyboard.' 'This is the screen.' She really believed, based on previously referenced skin tone, that I didn't no squat about computers -- or anything else probably. Her friend, realizing that I appeared to be much more computer savvy than the woman lecturing me, tried to stop her, but the poor soul blundered on. Prejudiced people's biases do matter because they are always injuring other people with them. Thank god I wasn't applying to the bigoted woman for a bank loan, job or mortgage. If so, she could have done considerable damage to my life.

Diva- I can imagine how goddam furious I would have been in that situation. There are few things more annoying than being talked down to.

Plus, this woman must be a frickin' IDIOT her damned self. Even if you have some perhaps understandable cultural expectations, obviously they are not universal, and there are lots of other cues to pick up on besides race once you start talking to someone. That you've got a computer, and use it should be a first clue.

Further, even a minute or two of talking to you personally should start giving out big clues that you're not an illiterate dumbass.

I would think that someone would have to be considerably less than the sharpest knife in the drawer not to quickly pick up on your obvious intelligence and erudition.

You may be a little, um... difficult, but you sure ain't dumb.

XOX

A curmudgeon said:

"But pretending that differences between racial and ethnic groups don't exist, or that you don't notice them is simply dishonest.




Moreover, my experience (not least of all at Blogcritics) suggests that it is typically exactly the people who go on the most about being colorblind, and not racist who are in fact the most obsessed and judgmental about racial issues.




At least they are with some people. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can carry on with their low-rent racial demagoguery, using it as a wedge to seek political advantage, rousing the rabble all day long. That's cool. But a white man such as John Derbyshire gets called every kind of name for noticing that many Asians tend to have good talents for mathematics."

I'm glad he used that example. For a white man to look at an Asian person and assume he is good at math and more 'feminine' than he would be if he were white as John Derbyshire does in the article referenced, is, as I said in another comment, the very essence of racism. Derbyshire is assigning traits to people based on 'race,' mainly skin color and presense or absence of eye folds. There is no rational basis for doing that. I would wager a grand that if Derbyshire saw me and my former hairdresser, Kim, together, he would assume I was the hairdresser and Kim (an adoptee from Korea) the writer, journalist and lawyer based soley on 'race.' By not recognizing the problem with what Derbyshire does, the curmudgeon is approving of racism.

Nor is the man being used as a reference here, Derbyshire, being maligned. He is a self-described 'scientific' racist who believes that some 'races' are genetically superior to others. In fact, his main mentor, Phillipe Rushton, has claimed that people of African descent are not really human at all, but a subspecies. Derbyshire has written about discriminatory acts he has been involved in such as leaving a neighborhood soon after noticing mainly black people in it because, of course, that meant he and is Asian spouse were going to get mugged. Typical stuff for 'scientific' racists. I've been monitoring the groups Derbyshire participates in online for years and know of what I speak. If the curmudgeon did the slightest bit of research he would realize Derbyshire deserves no one's sympathy.

Curmudgeon? Why Diva, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. :)

Still, to maintain my curmudgeonly status, I must take loving disagreement with you regarding Mr. Derbyshire.

I've read at least several dozen of his columns over the last couple of years, and I don't recognize the character you're describing here. For supposedly being his "main mentor," I've never seen Derb mention this Phillipe Rushton that you speak of. Nor have I seen him describe himself as a "scientific racist."

I doubt that Derb would be any more likely than a good liberal to make assumptions about you based on the hue of your skin. Moreover, I'd bet that unlike this woman you described at the Starbucks, Derb would readily adjust his judgments based on more specific personal observations.

I've never seen Derb say that he would assume that every specific Asian is good at math, but are you saying that he (or I) are "racists" for noticing that this is often the case?

Mac,

How do you know the woman in Starbucks was acting that way based on race? Maybe she's just an asshat in general and it has nothing to do with your race.

I think that happens a lot. In fact, I know it does. In the past 2 years I've had several cases where a person has not gotten a job and claimed that it was because of their age/gender/race. In each of these cases I went back and researched and showed that it was not because of those issues but simply because the interviewer didn't feel they were qualified for the position.

I'm not going to say that racism doesn't happen but a lot of people see racism where it doesn't really exist.

I can't speak to MD's situation because I was not there, and you are correct, Rob, but in general, I'd wager a whole lot more people refuse to see bigotry based on superficialities when it does exist.

"The interviewer didn't feel they were qualified"? What does that mean? That there was tangible evidence of non-qualification or that "the interviewer" felt the applicants weren't qualified? I'm not saying that "the interviewer" was a bigot; there is no way for me to know that. But "the interviewer felt" leaves plenty of questions.

Nat,

Let me give you a few more details.

The job was for a major software company. The job opening was for a management position over the programming department and the people being interviewed were all people already employed with the company at the lower level. So the job interview was basically for a promotion.

The person who claimed discrimination is a brilliant programer but had absolutely no experience in management and had a history of being difficult to work with. Nothing major, but he was one of those people who have a hard time fitting in.

The person who got hired, and also happened to be white, had management experience.

While the minority applicant does his job very well his skill simply didn't translate into the management position as well as the white applicant. The manager "felt" that he should give the job to the person with management experience.

He made this decision based on the best interests of the company and it had absolutely nothing to do with race.

OK. Thanks.

Robbie Port, I agree with some of the stuff you said, but if you think that Rap Music is shallow then why are you an Eminem fan. Sadly you seem to be defending Eminem when you yourself stated that you think hip hop is shallow. If it is shallow then don't defend Eminem because he is white, but because he is an artist.

I'm not defending Eminem because he is white, I'm defending him because I like his music. His music is just as violent and deals with matters just as unsavory as other rappers, but it somehow seems more real to me. The percentage of this country who has any idea what its like to be in the oft-referenced "hood" is very small indeed. The percentage that knows what its like to be pissed off at a mother or girlfriend, or knows what its like to lose to feel so angry that you could kill somebody, is much larger.

In fact, this is probably a better reason as to why Eminem is more popular than a lot of other rappers as opposed to accusing music buyers of racism. The subject matter for his music is just more appealing to a broader base of people.

Then America is in a sorry state, indeed.

Ditto, I sure hope a significant part of the population doesn't get so angy it wants to kill people. I think the norm when angy with someone is not to want to be around the person or to tell her off -- not want to maim or kill her.

I grant that the woman in Starbucks was very silly. But, her silliness seemed to be coming out because of 'race.'

It doesn't make America a sorry state! The truth is that most people don't care about ho's, drugs and shooting cops. If you can't see that you're blind.

Plus, Eminem's music is not all about killing his mom and girlfriend. He talks about child abuse, what its like to become a father. He deals with the fact that he's a white musician in a genre dominated by blacks. His music is deeper than that.

If you don't think so, fine. You don't have to like him. Go listen to Sisquo or something.

You guys are taking his lyrics too literally. He's not advocating the killing of anybody (unlike such songs as "Cop Killer"), he's just talking about how angry he was. Most of America does not resort to murder when they're angry, but most of America probably does know what its like to be that angry.

And Mac, your assertation that the women in Starbuck's silliness "seemed to be coming out because of race" is just plain ignorant. You're accusing her of being a racist simply because she went a little overboard while trying to help you with your computer. So she was a little condescending, it wasn't like she was wearing a white sheet and a point hat. Get over it.

"It doesn't make America a sorry state! The truth is that most people don't care about ho's, drugs and shooting cops. If you can't see that you're blind."

You misunderstood me. My point was if most people who buy Eminem records find the hatred of women and gays that so often fill his songs -- not all of them, but many of them -- "more real," then America is in a sorry state. That so many buy and relate to rap records that glorify pimps and hos and such is sorry too.

Then again, I generally think America is in a sorry state. The themes of many rap songs, including Em's, are merely symptomatic of it.

what kind of dumb thing is that "I don't like rap music but I like eminem " I think you should be ashamed for saying that you like eminem because he is white or you must be attracted to him (In a homosexual way)and you don't want him to be attacked by anyone even thou it is his own fault do you think It is fair to criticize the whole race because of one persons fault I don't think and eminem shouldn't have said those things about all black womens that is like me saying 'ALL white people are evil look what hitler did'..by the way I'm not black

Where did I say I like Eminem only because he is white? I never said. I said I like Eminem because his music is more appealing to me than other rapper's music.

Your comment was very hard to read, so I'm not sure what points I was supposed to take out of it other than the implication that I'm possibly a bigoted homosexual.

I am not a bigot and I am not a homosexual, just for the record.

I don't think its right to EVER classify an entire race or culture of people based on the actions of one individual. I have never even implied that.

All I've said is that in general, I am not a rap fan. I do, however, enjoy selected songs from older rap acts, like Run DMC. Tougher Than Leather is, in fact, one of my favorite songs.

My music tastes have nothing to do with race. Next time you should take the time to actually read the post before going off on a rant.

The reasons go from bad to worse. There is no need to justify why you like Eminem, just say you do. When u start to justify, it sure does come across that you really have no reason other than he is a white rapper. Not many people can identify with living in the hood/hos and drugs but many can identify being dunped/hating mother/child abuse? Pish! Posh! Gimme a break! Do you like Ja Rule and Jay Z? Often they sing about relationships? You can identify with that right?

Please! All this noise about Eminem is not because he is the best rapper the world has ever seen. It is simply because he is white. He is a white rapper who knows how to rap like the black rappers. He is produced by Dr Dre so black people buy his music. Little white boys are excited now and they buy his music too. So when you have both races buying your music you are bound to be super successful. I think even Eminem acknowledges this. He is not this successful because he can rap better than JayZ, Snoop or Ludacris or Mystikal because he CAN'T rap better than either of those I mentioned. Eminem does what most Artists do, uses his experiences and feelings in thier lyrics. Those who rap about the ghetto, do so cos thats thier experience.

Do White people not take drugs? Do they not sleep with Hos? What exactly is it about drugs and whores that you are claiming a majority of Americans can't identify with? They can't identify with shooting? Puhleeze!

I do not think it is such a big issue because I am not bothered really but for anyone to try and pass off that all this hoop la about Eminem is because he is "much deeper" than other rappers is ridiculous. I am not fooled neither are the people in the music industry and I dare say neither is Eminem. He knows precisely why he stands out cos he is doing well with something people thought only black people could do. Same thing with Elvis, singing the blues.

The root of the problem is really the fact that even music is given a colour. Surely, a clear sign that race will forever be an issue and thus, racism will forever be alive.

Sandra,

I feel I have to justify my reason for liking Eminem because it has been implied several times in these comments that I only like him because he is white.

And I didn't say I liked because his music is "deeper" than other rappers, I like him because I can identify with his subject matter.

I like Eminem- at least somewhat- because he has at least a few good, catchy SONGS first and foremost. None of the rest of it would mean jack shit if there weren't memorable music.

Before any other consideration, he's got some memorable tunes under his best pieces. He also has some outstanding arrangements.

He also has an artistic realness that most pop singers don't have, either half-assed alternative rock bands, cheesy boy groups, or by-rote gangsta rappers.

He's actually got something to say- and it's not all one emotion. He has a fairly complex range of vision, from prankster to rage to grappling with adult responsibilities.

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding particularly his more evil, angry songs cathartic.

Plus, he pisses off the squares. That's always a nice bonus.

Eminem is racist and I do care because I am a black women and a hip hop fan of old and new school rap.I am familiar with Eminems music also. Rap music, once upon a time, provided a voice for those who were spurned by white america, those who had no voice, young black people. It was a rebellious culture that included alot more than just its core, rap (fashion,film,dance). It use to serve a purpose, allow black kids to express themselves. Now the media and marketing strategist has grossly altered its form to serve the purpose of young white people with more buying power. A safe way to be street savvy and cool and tough without actually having to experience the cons of the hip hop culture. Before eminem and a limited few crossover artist, rap music was despised by all. It was consider noise pollution, dangerous, and debillitating until the conglomorates found a way to dillute and sell it as another phony image of coolness to impressionable minds.Rap artist were villanized from Snoop and Tupac, NWA,to the Wu Tang, and Public Enemy. Large scale protest and rallies were organized. Now its the best thing since sliced bread. And eminem the first white rapper to be embraced by the black community is now "the best rapper" He was accepted because people thought he really didnt draw racial lines in the sand and that he embraced the artform because he embraced the people and could understand the origins of rap through his own experience. By the way im from Detroit and eight mile is Warren Michigan not Detroit and is known for its racist antics from the mayor, police, and residents. In 8mile he showed the worst areas in Detroit and was obviously riding down Mac ave in the city, in the movie. Eightmile is a decent area with a mall,clubs, and restaurants and overall has been a very metropolitan area since I can remember.And Detroit being very prodominantly black is not just that dump he showed. Now its seems it was all an act just to get his endorsement and the real hateful even hateful to the culture that made him who he is being exposed, very Elvis and no its not some cute line to throw in or a joke. Benzino has his own selfish reasons for putting this out their but it still is true he is racist even if he where hoodies instead of a hood. Im offended but I dont expect many of you people to understand where im coming from as usual. oh well back to square one.

Lisa, it's not that I don't understand where you're coming from - cheap racial resentment is not that difficult to understand- it's just that I reject it as utterly baseless.

I don't condemn you for having some issues about white folks (we've all got our hangups), but that doesn't make them true or legitimate.

On the basis of his work, Eminem might reasonably be accused of homophobia or misogyny. There is no basis at all for accusations of racism, though.

Merely being black and mad doesn't automatically make you right.

I want to be sympathetic to people's feelings and issues where possible. When you start arbitrarily taking your shit out on other people with harsh, wicked and UNFOUNDED accusations, however, even a fount of understanding and compassion such as myself is likely to lose sympathy.

I not just some angry black person angry at white people or even the white race in general thats not what i mean. The comments he made about black women are racist plain and simple there is no defending that. Now i could be wrong but people who make racist comments or express racist sentiments are usually racist. So my assumptions are not in left field somewhere they are very possible even though it is my opinion. Should it come to light that eminem is indeed a racist, which i'll wait until the rest of the lyrics in the song are published to come to my final opinion about him then he has abused hiphop and used black people to further his career. And it is true that rap music was spurned by the general american public in the beginning and its totally irrational to pretend that the media and general white americans and even older black americans were fans of rap music because they were not.

Sandra, I think you got to the bottom of that. Rob does seem to be implying pathological things are something 'blacks do.' But, as you point out, whether it is prostitutes (say hi to Dick Morris, a fellow Republican, Rob), drugs (Rush Limbaugh is in da house) or murder (when does Phil Specter go on trial anyway?) white people do it, too -- sometimes more than black people. So, to say pathology = Negroes is troubling.

Lisa, I don't disagree with you about market forces running off with hip hop culture. But, in capitalist societies, market forces co-opt just about everything. And, that is what the stars, generally, want to happen. Also, it is unfair to blame hip hop's bad image on only market forces. Many hip hop artists and fans work overtime keeping those ugly stereotypes alive.

Mac,

I'm not saying that "drugs" and "violence" are only comitted by blacks, I'm saying that most rappers sing about those topics.

Historically, as more and more blacks have entered the American mainstream, race has become an even more complicated issue: Are you a person of color first or are you an American first? Which mainstream values do you accept and which do you reject? What about a white person who fully accepts black culture like Eminem. He didn't just co-opt hip-hop, he bought the whole lifestyle, or did he not? Isn't his success based at least somewhat on a certain level of "authenticity"?At what level of authenticity is someone allowed to partake of the privileges of being within the "club," i.e., use insider slang? Can a white person ever be a nigga? Can assimilation flow in more than one direction?

look i think that yall need to quit hating on em. he got his self to where he is by saying what ever he wants to. my thing is that every says things that we regret in the morning so why is it differnt in his case. he is one of the greatest mc's of our time and alot of people fail to see that. he has the power in his music to make you cry at one moment and get mad in the very line.

my biggest thing is that everyone quit hating on em because personally i dont care what he said im still a fan of his.

the problem is that eminem said that he never says those types of things. As far as the writer of the article goes, why is he a fan of Eminem and not rap?Because he is white(the write and eminem ). It goes back to what David Mays was saying in the first place. i love rap eminem included but eminem messed up

First of all, I dont see why this whole thing is sucha big issue... WHO CARES... He made a dumb mistake... who f***in cares... There are things to be said by everybody. When people get angry they say things that they don't mean... and dont even ACT like you people dont do the same thing... dont like a goodie 2 shoes not being racial in some ways... If you were to be robbed by an African American, or hurt in any way by a different race other than your own, you might go off trying to vent your anger by sayin things that you might not mean for real... Anyone that wants to hold that racial mistake against Em is only doing it out of hate... His whole camp is African American. Dre, G-Unit, etc... So how can he be racist... if he were so racist as all you dumb people claim, his record label would be loaded with a bunch of white rappers. But is it? NO, so all the haters who think eminem should be f***ed in the ass over some stupid mistake, ya'll need to shut the f*** up... Honestly...
And Sandra... Eminem cant rap better than Ludacris and mystikal??? wat kinda rap are you LISTENING to??? Wat kind of IDIOT thinks Eminem is worse than them? I have respect for Jay-Z, I listen to all kinds of rap and i am neither black or white, i'm asian. Ludacris and mystikal could not rap up the kind of lyrical content and rhyming abilities that eminem has. Mayb you need to listen to lyrics and not the f***in beats... O yea Ludacris really raps so much better than Eminem, STAND UP!! "How you aint gon f***, bitch, Im me, I'm the g**damn reason you in VIP" o yea so much better than Eminem, Eminem can rhyme better than your mom knows how to cook. Leave the man ALONE

Dummies, you are a fool. Read your own post and see what a fool you are. I dont care if you are Asian or Mexican. A fool is a fool whatever the race. Eminem can't rap any better than Ludacris, Mystikal, JayZ, Snoop or DMX. Now, if u missed nursery school and therefore are so fascinated by Rhymes that Eminem excites you so much because he rhymes, then blame your parents and dont take out your deprived childhood on me.

The first sign of somebody who has no clue what they are talking about when it comes to rap, is when just the rhyming excites them...you do not have to rhyme to be a great rapper, though it helps. I never said Eminem was not a good rapper..I said he was no better than those I mentioned, yet he is mentioned above them, simply because he is white, thus his rapping surprises and excites people like you.

And err..my mother does not cook too often because we have chefs. When she does cook it tastes great. I suggest you help YOUR own mother out in the kitchen sometimes, since her food is obviously not tasty enough and you find it sensible to compare cooking prowess to rapping prowess. Know your audience, young man. Your post shows that you are not in my league. My chef cooks my meals:)

Different rappers have different styles and it doesn't make much sense to judge them on the same scale. There is no answer to the argument because it comes down to taste.

Dummies, I would also suggest that even though I don't think Eminem should be crucified for this, it should serve as a reminder that we all, in moments of anger, can vent in such a way that we hurt people around us and even contradict the ways we really feel. Still it is indicative of some feelings that Eminem has somewhere deep inside. He would be well served to realize that those feelings exist and work on changing them. Since this record is so old, maybe he already has.

Kids Kids wake the F@ck up. I've listened to Eminem for 4 years now, ever since he debut his first album, which sold a quarter of what he is selling now a days. I could honestly say he's ranked an 8 out of 10. The other 2 percentile missing is due to his lyrical content (which could be very harsh). Come on think about it, music controls your emotions sometimes. Example his song white America (the uncut version). He is indirectly taking shots at both sides White and Black. Also in the other song he said if my "eyes where brown I would only sell half". I mean dawn he is just a lyricist. When it comes to race I don't care, its obvious human beings aren't smart enough to realize if we work, as one to survive the earth would be a better place. I think truthfully eminem is not a racist. He's only a racist when he wants to be. But being that he was an adolescent at the time he was just stupid enough to record it, other than keeping it to his self, now there's unforgiving evidence oh well. I think this whole personal vendetta benzino has against eminem is going to get ugly wants the larger media house gets a hold of it, and they don't care about hip hop and what this type of information is going to do 2 hip hop, all they care about is viewers and ratings. So benzino in my book is wrong. This is going to be catastrophic for hip-hop, by the way im BLACK.

If all those ppl are such GREAT rappers, explain in which way they are so much better than eminem... i dont care if eminem is white, cuz my opinion is not biased upon race... eminem has skills, wat is it about luda and mystikal that make them better? why? because they rap about goin clubbin and big ass and titties?? eminem raps about wat he knows and wat he feels, because he knows how to put it all on paper, most of all hes not afraid to say ANYTHing... luda and mystikal, just because they appeal to the pop world and just because the softcore rap listeners like it better dont make it better rap... JAy z is a good rapper, eminem is a good rapper, mobb deep are good rappers, dmx is a good rapper... they rap about wats real, not wats mainstream, not some bull**** club music

Eminem could have resolved his issues with black women and the what not. However i would like to know why so many people are willing to defend him without knowing whether or not he is or isnt a racist first of all. There is no evidence to porve the otherwise. Alot of these fans wouldn't care if he was or wasnt a racist and prefer to not even find out so that they can worship him as hip hop royalty with a clear concious. So if you begin to question there little hero then youre a hater. How the fu*! are you a racist when you wanna be when its convient. Either you are or your not and for some who dont know those are not the lyrics to his song from then. And its a good damn possibility nothing has changed his heart from ho w he previously felt except for money. Dr Dre and 50 cent are making Eminem incredibly rich in one fasion or another. Im tired of people pointing out the fact that he hangs with black people andd try to use that as conclusive concrete evidence to contridict his own racist ass statements no matter when he made them. He's "good white folk" because if he will associate with that wild " nigger" 50 cent and wallow with Dr. Dre amongst those other "dangerous ganstas" and being in "tha hood" then he most be a lover of black people and have did us all a favor of some sort. This bullsh*! about him associating with black people is some racist, or either slave mentality propaganda. I'll be glad to see the day if it ever come when all people truly embrace each other and not just the parts of cultures that make them cool or makes them money.

Well,
having read all the comments posted so far, most of them have been been very thoughtfull and thought provoking, so I thought I'd give my 2 pennies.

I have a few issues with some of the things that are being said by some people, namely Sandra, some of the comments we've seen from her in this thread are patently ridiculous and she's spent most of this thread defending her views from the majority with ridiculous comebacks. Firstly, if Em is a "racist" then how come all these "niggas" he works with aint blown his cover, Im sure most people have met up with people who were claiming to be friendly and honourable, but you could see through all their bullshit and see them for what they were, actors, acting like they were but they really werent, purely for their own gain. But you figured them out, if not immedeately, but eventually. Do you really think not one of these people he works or has worked aside has not figured this sh*t out of thats the way he really is, he's worked with many, many of the biggest black rap stars in the game, for example ice cube, snoop, dre, jay-z to name a few, these are some of the most politically minded, smart rappers in the game, u really think they they so stupid that they wouldnt realise there was a traitor amongst the ranks??? thats laughable. Yeah, for sure Em has had success on the back of the fact that he's white(it has made him more accessable, because his issues,have been more in touch with the way a lot of white people are thinking, a white middle class kid cant relate to crack sellin in the hood, but he can relate to his hatred for the world, his parents,the government, bullies etc) but that doesnt take anything away from how skilled as a lyricist he is. Hip Hop hasnt seen such a skilled lyricist in the mainstream since the likes of Biggie and 2Pac, the guy is clearly very talented, his use of words and the way he puts them together, the way he can flip it on you and the passion in which he does it is untouchable, yeah there(and Em gives them their props) is other great rappers out there, for sure, Jay-Z is an awesome lyricist, one of the best ever, but even Jay says he "dilutes" his lyrics for the masses to "double his green", if you dont believe me listen to "The Black Album" and "The Blueprint-Disc 2", why u think Jay is quitting the hip hop arena? he's tired of listening to(and having to make records to cater for) all these rappers talkin bout money, bitches, cars and hoes, how long can that shit go on?

Hip Hop was, as some people in this thread have put it , a way to vent their feelings at all the bad shit thats happened or is happening to to black folk, but now they all talkin about all kinds of bullshit, mainly the above, theres very few rappers now who actually express any sort of politics further than police brutality/bias, theres barely any rappers in the mainstream rapping about real political matters nowadays, things that affect them, its all about the Bling Bling, no wonder Jay-Z is ducking out (although Em has broached politics and racial hatred in several songs "white america" being one of them) dont you people understand his irony?? The guy is smart, he politically aware, and for sure not a racist. I can understand the history and the tension with all the race hate, BUT, when Ice Cube calls me a "peckerwood", "honkie" and a "cracker" do I get offended? is there a thread about that? the answer is a resounding NO. Why? beacuse I understand what he's talking about. By the way, Im white, non racist, and have been listening to hip hop anf rap since the old days and one of the reasons I like EM is because he is sick of all the male bullshit, niggas, hoes, cars posturing and lack of meaningful lyrical content and issues, just listen to "bully" and "we as americans" to name a few.

The other points made before, about looking at a black person etc and seeing a human being, well, no shit of course u see a human being, cos thats what they are. U want a medal for that?
I defy you for saying you dont notice skin colour, and that theres no thought process involved, IMPOSSIBLE. You look at anyone and your brain is in a split second, analysing what you see, just like everything you look at, it see's what it see's, what does that mean? nothing, its your brain sending u information on all the data that your eyes have just sent it. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PERSON U COME ACROSS IS THEIR DIFFERENCES TO WHAT U ARE, WHAT U LOOK LIKE. What do you think the Africans thought when they first saw white man land upon theirs shores? First of all they were probably scared, then they realised next that they were different.

I have travelled the world, all continents, and I know from my experiences that, yes, all people notice differences between themselves and other people, the indonesians were obsessed with my "long nose"


Its easy to talk shit about someone and use their race when shit happens, thats the way the whole country/world has been brought up, on purely bigoted beliefs, its slowly eroding, this racial bullshit, and Eminem is helping break down barriers between black and white, most the people who have responded to this post have very little info on what Em has said. Have you heard the tunes he's released into the radio and on mix tapes as comebacks and his opinions on them? I doubt it, u heard 3 albums that his record company want him to sell at any cost. and all the bullshit that racist tune has been given, it ridiculous, and I'll give it the credit it deserves, barely none, the guy was what? 17 when he did it. I feel like im looking at a congressional campaign with this bullshit smear campaign, anyone with half a brain can see it for what it is. Nothing but a kid venting some anger. You not say shit u didnt really mean ever? when you were a kid? you never say anything u regret? Im sure theres a shitload of people here who have caught themselves saying bullshit things like that, but out of ANGER, they soon realised they were wrong and when the anger died down it wasnt an issue, rather, an apology. I was stabbed 3 years ago by a mexican in Texas, and naturally I was well shady of Mexicans afterward until I woke up (the mother of my child, and wife, is mexican, but it took me a while to get over it)
Well thats my lot.

I'd love to hear from that bird with the big mouth from England who dont know nothing about the way it is here and all everything thata been said in between, that silly "SOD" dont know what shes talking about, with her middle class proably private upbringing, I invite her to come stay a week with me in the "hood" and see if she's blabbering like she has before, peace out to the world,
Kris

Yea man, Kris..i like 0.3 of your points. However there is one issue that you should know snce it seems that u r an ardent M&M fan. In his songs, eminem attacks his wife PERSONALLY that's why we all kno her..he say KIM MATHERS...he does not say ALL PINK WOMEN..now this fellah, attacked ALL NEGRO WOMEN whether they were JET BLACK or DARK or LIGHT BROWn did not matter to him..he should have used this former girlfriend's PARTICULAR NAME. But no, since apparently this girl did to him something he did not like, eminem decides that..hm? i will attack all women of AFRICAN descent. What does that tell you? What does it prove to you? And you cannot say that all the people who he works with most of them of African descent, have not found him out..may be they did..but just did not care, maybe eminem is a good two timer, and they probably dont care so that they can use him to make money..that is, to approach a mainly white audience..who knows? who knows? only he and his clique know(s).after all does not eminems one song get nominated for the same grammy year after year?..people know that. Eminem is pink..and that means pink people will relate to him more than they will to a BROWN person.
So there, you cannot justify that Eminem is not racist..if he said that stuff when he was 15, that is a diffrent matter, any wise woman or man knows that teenagers have hormones that are raging all accross the inside of your bodies..BUT saying what he said at 21? LIKE EMINEM did? you must be kidding..the fuvcking fella had already made up his mind about one girl who did not like him, so he asumed that all african women hate him or, thus he goes singing about it. At 21 anyone is an adult all across the world...you already have a clear understanding of the particular socety you live in. Eminem lives in a society that is known the world over for its mistreatment of minorities by some members of the majority PINK group for as long time now, everyhting from robbing them of their PROUD HISTORY, to setting pace for EXTREMELY NEGATIVE STEReOTYPES that persist to this day.Even you KRIS, u admitted that you held some till u met your mexican wife..and if i may add...it is probable u still do, whenver you see a mexican man..why? because you just said IT!!!
Eminem is going to have to save his skin by himself..does he share what he earns with you? NO. If the man is a Fucking two-timer..just to make himself richer..as he says in "WITHOUT ME" (i use black music to make myself wealthy) then there! there is no way one cannot avoid the fact that he is only out for money and will just about tolerate anything (including hanging out with niggers to make an extra dollar!!!If Eminem is racist..well he is..and fuck him if he is...let the PINKER die alone.

i beleive this whole thing is blown out of porportion. if a black rapper or mc says sumthin about a white girl nuthin happens but if a white MC says sumthin about a black girl now its another thing.
"its music enjoy it/
or ignore it"

i beleive this whole thing is blown out of porportion.
if a black rapper or mc says sumthin about a white girl nuthin happens but if a white MC says sumthin about a black girl now its another thing.
"its music enjoy it/
or ignore it"

i beleive this whole thing is blown out of porportion.
if a black rapper or mc says sumthin about a white girl nuthin happens but
if a white MC says sumthin about a black girl now its another thing.
"its music enjoy it/
or ignore it"
and move on.

i think eminem is really a racist and he just didn't want everyone to know c'mon who really lashes out at one race if your famous just to make some money i mean the kkk can do it because they strive on it but in this case it's a well known white rapper and works with well known black rappers so i think he must just be in it to get up in the world and now since he have he needs to leave a become his own man because he obviously has some racial problem on his shoulder but all i can say is it's not right for whites nor blacks to hate on another race and i feel that he might ment every word he said and he steel feels them word so there is no excuse for him to bring to the table about he was letting off steam over his ex-chick because she did what she did not her color and what ever black rapper has heard about what he said and caresless either which way they are just degrading themself and not only rappers any black person who likes eminem i mean he not black he will never be black he might wanna be but no he might wear the baggy jeans and the fitits and that but he is white and nothing else and he needs to leave it as that

Kristhebro, I totally forgot about this topic. I had no idea you had issues with me and my posts. I read your post and meant to respond as best I could but when I read the last paragraph of your post, I burst out laughing. I could not respond because I was in hysterics. You have my sympathies.

Dummies, I would have loved to respond to your post because we might have been able to have a constructive discussion on why I think those rappers are just as good as Eminem but I have lost interest in this topic. I think, so have you. Maybe we'll come back to it some other time.

AS A WHITE MAN WHO LOVES THE HIP HOP INDUSTRY, I WILL IN NO WAY TRY TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR EMS BEHAVIOR. HES WRONG AND HE KNOWS IT. HE SHOULD BE BANNED FROM HIP HOP 4 LIFE. I MYSELF IS COLOR BLIND I DONT CARE WHAT COLOR U ARE, EITHER I LIKE YOU OR I DONT. SLIM HAS MADE COMMENTS TOWARD A SPECIFIC RACE. I EVEN USED TO LIKE DRE AND 50 BUT SINCE THEY WANNA STAND BY HIS SIDE THEY SHOULD BE BANNED AS WELL. EM NEEDS TO STEP ASIDE AND LET PAUL WALL TAKE OVER.......... DIRTY SOUTH.

I LUV YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Screw all that bull shit! Hes not racist you guys... he is just trying to put an album together, make a sell, and earn a liveing. He didnt mean shit by it. He is no different than any other rapper... he just wants to look good. I am sure that if you were in his shoes that you too would do the same thing. I'm not racist either and i still make some racist remarks too! So FUCK ALL YOU PEOPLE!!!! He is only human!

Em has already realized that what he did was wrong and apologized for what he did in the track "Yellow brick road". He isnt a racist, he was just angrey

Jealousy is a horrible thing, Mr. Benzino.