White America

Eminem, a virtually unknown rapper, rocketed to fame with his debut album The Slim Shady LP. And while his talent cannot be denied, his success brought with it a vicious assault against him – some from the highest levels of American government.

Eminem has triggered countless amounts of conversations and arguments, not only because of his incessant controversy, but also because of his presence in a music genre excessively associated with African Americans. At the top of his career, from 1999 to about 2003, he also received a lot of resentment, due to the attention and honour he had received from the entertainment establishment, which was unlike what any other black hip hop artist had ever received at the time. In “White America”, Eminem even acknowledges himself that the continuous positive reception he had received from consumers, and particularly critics and the media was primarily because of complexion, and not only his dexterity.

In the critical song, Eminem meticulously points out conspicuous inconsistencies in the social structure of the United States, particularly its censorship of freedom of speech and the prevalent racial discrimination in the entertainment establishment, specifically between white people and African Americans. It apprises the listeners with the United States Government’s contradictions and how Eminem, as a white male, was deliberately placed as a vanguard for hip hop; a music genre dominated and originated by African Americans, simply because of his white skin color and not only his artistry.

The attempts to censor Eminem were based on the fear of his influence on American children and came mostly from white, suburban people who had not paid attention to rap before. This song was part of Eminem’s response to the bitter controversy, Congressional hearing and censorship his lyrics caused when they hit the mainstream White American audience.