Talib Kweli Asks Why Eminem & Biggie Are Not Questioned...i

[Kill You]

Lyrics are just lyrics. There are double standards, sure, but that's how things are. It's really us bashing Wayne for rapping terrible lines, not the lines themselves like Emmitt Till. Eminem can rap about rape because it doesn't suck. Ross raping about rape DOES suck. That's the difference. If Ross didn't rap a wack line, or Wayne, then it wouldn't be a problem. Plus you come to expect it from artists like Em and Odd Future. Not from Ross.

People DO get on Eminem for his lyrics though, don't know what makes Talib think that Em's fans aren't let down at the moment. At least a portion of his fans.

[TheGentlePlayer]

Cool Story Talib.

[Jimmy Conway]

Em and Big aren't questioned because they're good.

If Wayne and Ross weren't such shitty rappers, people would leave them alone.

It's the same way that girls that are bitches and guys that are assholes can get away with it. Because they're attractive.

No one puts up with a fat girls smart mouth or a ugly guys douche ways.

You can get away with anything just about if you're talented at what you do.

[JamaicanPattlez]

Em and Big aren't questioned because they're good.

If Wayne and Ross weren't such shitty rappers, people would leave them alone.

It's the same way that girls that are bitches and guys that are assholes can get away with it. Because they're attractive.

No one puts up with a fat girls smart mouth or a ugly guys douche ways.

You can get away with anything just about if you're talented at what you do.

Maaan, a smart-mouthed fat girl makes you start thinking of shit you NEVER would've thought about before. You'd think with her running mouth, she'd be able to run in the first place. Nope.

[Cube23]

Eminem isn't questioned in the same light because it's obvious to anyone who understands his music that he's indulging in character, everybody knows his alter-ego and his sense of macabre, there's many layers of provocation and tongue-in-cheek, he's an intelligent, provocative artist.

People know he doesn't really mean it, he was misunderstood and exploits that for art.

Where as Rick Ross is just a fat retard fraud who doesn't know what he wants to portray artistically so is just hopping on the terminology bandwagon and trying to sound a bit badass, when he just made himself sound like a genuine rapist. There's no layers, it just sounds creepy and real.

Most of the people protesting Ross outside of that Reebok store do not understand Eminem's character indulgance. They don't understand much about Hip-Hop art, I'm going to safely assume. So why is it that Eminem has the album Relapse come out and little is heard from groups like the ones protesting Ross? Yet, Eminem has little heard when he has multiple glorifications of rape throughout a whole album.

You just proved Talib's point. Yeah, to me and you it's pretty different. Ross's line sounds creepy and just flat our advocating rape, while Eminem is artistic and does it for the reactions. But to others, is there really a difference? Think of most mothers and older women you know. Most of the people who would likely be in these protests. How in the hell would they know the difference? It's just stupid that we laugh and complain about groups protesting Eminem in 2000/2001 for his anti-gay and anti-women lyrics. But then we agree with those who do it to Ross over ten years later.

To Ross, maybe his line was tongue in cheek. We do not know his intention. Art is art. And maybe it's shallow of us to call Ross "fake" and assume what he was attempting to protray in the lyrics. So like I said, you virtually are proving Talib's point.

[Man In The Mirror]

So you can't rap about rape anymore 'cause it's automaticlly a bad line?

[Minimii]

an Eminem?
Anyway i dont think the question is why wont people cry about eminem or biggie lyrics, it should be why people question anyone's lyrics in the first place.
It's muzik

[Fury]

I think Talib is talking about hip hop fans more than the people who protested Eminem who were people outside of rap that don't really listen to rap. Like, we're guilty of getting pissed at Lil Wayne when Eminem does something similar. But I don't care. Eminem is more talented, so is Biggie, so the pass is warranted because they're better artists.

[Willy]

Eminem isn't questioned in the same light because it's obvious to anyone who understands his music that he's indulging in character, everybody knows his alter-ego and his sense of macabre, there's many layers of provocation and tongue-in-cheek, he's an intelligent, provocative artist.

People know he doesn't really mean it, he was misunderstood and exploits that for art.

Where as Rick Ross is just a fat retard fraud who doesn't know what he wants to portray artistically so is just hopping on the terminology bandwagon and trying to sound a bit badass, when he just made himself sound like a genuine rapist. There's no layers, it just sounds creepy and real.

Most of the people protesting Ross outside of that Reebok store do not understand Eminem's character indulgance. They don't understand much about Hip-Hop art, I'm going to safely assume. So why is it that Eminem has the album Relapse come out and little is heard from groups like the ones protesting Ross? Yet, Eminem has little heard when he has multiple glorifications of rape throughout a whole album.

You just proved Talib's point. Yeah, to me and you it's pretty different. Ross's line sounds creepy and just flat our advocating rape, while Eminem is artistic and does it for the reactions. But to others, is there really a difference? Think of most mothers and older women you know. Most of the people who would likely be in these protests. How in the hell would they know the difference? It's just stupid that we laugh and complain about groups protesting Eminem in 2000/2001 for his anti-gay and anti-women lyrics. But then we agree with those who do it to Ross over ten years later.

To Ross, maybe his line was tongue in cheek. We do not know his intention. Art is art. And maybe it's shallow of us to call Ross "fake" and assume what he was attempting to protray in the lyrics. So like I said, you virtually are proving Talib's point.

I would say your assumption is incorrect. The reason people didn't protest Relapse (as much) was because it was obvious he was playing a character. The man rapped about rape/murder on almost every song. MMLP was a bit trickier because the contexts were more believable and he would exaggerate/fuck with people to prove a point. It's easier to believe he's a homophobe/misogynist than a serial killer/rapist.

[kkaniff]

its like comparing lovecraft and the dude that wrote goosebumbs. im even more irritated because i listened to stay wide awake just minutes ago. on one hand you have the exploration into the darker aspects of an intelligent, articulate wordsmith and on the other we've got what would at best be described as a rather jarring/juvenile attempt at shock value value.

[MistaVijilantee]

The thing is Eminem tends to mask his more offensive lyrics with a clever way of saying them.
For example, throughout MMLP he makes fun of school shootings, gays, women etc. but a lot of the extreme stuff he says is said in such an intricate way that it doesn't bother people as much.

Yeah, sure.
There were tons of people protesting about him allegedly being "homophobic" or whatever but if you analyze it more, the average listener doesn't pick up on as much.

[Emadyville]

Good point tbh

[Cube23]

I would say your assumption is incorrect. The reason people didn't protest Relapse (as much) was because it was obvious he was playing a character. The man rapped about rape/murder on almost every song. MMLP was a bit trickier because the contexts were more believable and he would exaggerate/fuck with people to prove a point. It's easier to believe he's a homophobe/misogynist than a serial killer/rapist.

I would agree with you, but isn't he playing a character throughout his homophobic/misogynist songs just the way he is playing character in a raping songs? I have a hard time believing these people:

http://www.spin.com/sites/all/files/sty ... rotest.jpg

thoroughly see Hip-Hop lyrics through minds with common sense/interest of the genre like you and I do, unfortunately.

[Epidemik]

Yes, MMLP was critically well received by homosexuals, feminists etc..

hahaha no doubt... Eminem clearly didn't get "a pass" with his lyrics.. if anything he was targeted more so than most artists.

[MistaVijilantee]

Did anyone commit a sexual offense as a result of hearing Rick Ross' lyrics, probably not.
His demographic doesn't suit the stereotype, but yuh neva knw dat molly culd kil a mafucka.