Eminem has cultivated and earned a reputation for his controversial lyrics. They have been called out for being sexist, violent, homophobic and racist. However, he remains an extremely popular artist. Why is Eminem's racism given a 'pass' by his listeners? And how does this relate to societal attitudes to racism?
White people like political rap when its done by white people
As long as the status quo isn't challenged too much then political rap is A okay
Most of Eminem's listeners are white suburban teenagers
Most of Eminem's listeners are white. This may suggest that Eminem's rap is more palatable to white listeners and they feel more comfortable with it than black rap artists. White listeners may connect with Eminem more since they cannot relate to many of the challenges black rappers often write about.
Americans will let white people get away with more
Eminem targets women in many tracks
Many of Eminem's tracks are verbally aggressive and violent-targeted at women who have angered him. Many people believe black men would have a harder time getting away with this.
Eminem has apologized for lyrics which target and negatively stereotype black women. However, many critiques still hold that his songs disrespect black women in particular.
