Eminem, or Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is known to be one of many who brought hip hop to the mainstream as well as the acceptance of white rappers. The Grammy Awardee achieved this not without controversies along the way. Here are a few of Eminem's epic moments that caught everyone's attention.
The First Rapper to Hit a Billion YouTube Views
The music video for Eminem's rap song about toxic relationships hit one billion views on YouTube in 2011. It got over 6 million views within 24 hours after it was uploaded. This makes Slim Shady the first rapper and third artist to do so. It was controversial because of the abusive imagery that was depicted in the video. This is probably also the reason why the MV was popular in the first place because it got people interested.
On top of that, the song was in collaboration with Rihanna. She was also in a widely covered toxic relationship with rapper Chris Brown that left her hospitalized and with a bruised face.
The music video also features Transformers star Megan Fox and Lord of the Rings actor Dominic Monaghan. Fox is currently dating Machine Gun Kelly, another white rapper who had a beef with Eminem.
Eminem is Gay
Eminem made a cameo appearance in the movie "The Interview," starring James Franco and Seth Rogen. The film's premise is enough to stir controversies because it is about a North Korean dictator getting invited to an interview while the CIA takes this opportunity to assassinate him.
Eminem was one of the guests where he plays a fictional version of himself. In the interview, he was criticized for his homophobic lyrics, so he admitted he was gay. Many fans were shocked by this revelation because they feel as if there is a hidden truth to the joke. It was part of the movie's script, and it was a bold move for the rapper to shoot himself on foot.
With lyrics that seem to perpetuate, he hates women and gay people; it was no shock that feminist and LGBT groups were against Eminem's success. Much to everyone's surprise, Eminem was seen performing with Elton John in the Grammy Awards. John is one of the most excellent musicians who is open about his sexuality. The two performed "Stan," which brings the list to the next Eminem's feat.
Coining the term "Stan"
"Stan" is a song about an obsessed fan who lose their minds over their idols to the point of endangering their loved ones. In that track, Eminem used a sample from Dido's "Thank You." The English singer-songwriter also played the pregnant wife of the "Stan" character in the music video. It was controversial because of how the character portrayed by Dido was treated. Despite the backlash, "Stan" remains one of Eminem's best material.
Now, the word "stan" is a slang term used for entitled and overly obsessed fans of celebrities or personalities. Especially valid online, the term eventually made its way to the Oxford English Dictionary.
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