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The beginning of the end…

   

     Rapper Eminem has been a centerpiece at the table of controversy since he burst onto the pop music scene over a decade ago.   He made his reputation on a number of fronts, one of which was his brash, in your face, and at times, brutally offensive lyrics.  And it was, in an odd way, refreshing.  It was unique.  It pushed the limits.  It angered a good number of people.  It took us in a different direction.  For once, pop culture was throwing something at us that wasn’t all bubblegum and grins.

     No subject was taboo; rape, murder, drugs.  No one was sacred; political correctness simply wasn’t in the man’s vocabulary.  But that was a decade ago.   Over the years, Eminem has also demonstrated an actual talent.  Amidst his homosexual bashing, and the swapping of insults with everyone from Insane Clown Posse to Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey, he has showed that he shares the one ability that truly great entertainers posses; the ability to communicate effectively with the masses.

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     Eminem now has the ear of multiple generations.  His original fans are having children of their own.  Isn’t it time to change up the status quo?  Any of the great entertainers, especially in music, have had the ability to evolve.  Look at the artist who have maintained long term longevity;  Your Madonnas, Bon Jovis, Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys.  All are among the best selling acts in history, and all have managed to evolve with the changing musical times.  Eminem has had enough of a cultural impact to be mentioned in the same breath as these legends… If he can continue to evolve.

     Gimmicks work for awhile, and to a large degree, Eminem’s is running thin.  Bashing Adam Lambert for being gay…. it’s 2009, my friend.  Half of Hollywood is gay.  That’s boring.  And bashing Nick Cannon- I thought he had gotten the slamming of people no one cares about out of his system years ago with Moby.

     I’m not saying he should go all positive (although it might be refreshing to hear someone with his level of influence trying to teach kids to think for themselves instead of hating everyone), but he isn’t one of the talentless hacks who needs to rely on gimmicks to succeed.  He is at the top of his respective field.  He is essentially becoming a cliche; a parody of himself.  He is in danger of going the way of his buddy Marilyn Manson; once he was at the top of the world, and now no one cares.

     Change it up, Eminem, or run the risk of committing homicide on your own career.  It’s sad when an artist’s career slowly dies;  it’s tragic when he is responsible for it’s death.