chris Golya (chris.golya@port.ac.uk)
Mon, 15 Nov 1999 13:27:42 +0000
chris Golya wrote:
> Sloppy and unpopular. That's trailer trash for you
>
> Barbara Ellen
> Sunday November 14, 1999
>
> Eminem, London Astoria
> Like many American hip hop artists,
> 25-year-old Eminem, aka Slim Shady, aka Marshall
> Mathers, seems to place England about level
> with Finland on his list of priority
> territories. At Monday's show, he lurches on stage late and
> proceeds to conduct a masterclass in murdering
> one's own material. Forty unmusical minutes
> later, he ends the show, racing for the wings to
> a chorus of loud booing from the crowd. Well, at
> least no one could ever accuse him of
> outstaying his welcome.
> Eminem built his reputation on being white trailer
> trash, America's second worst nightmare after
> black ghetto trash. His music invades the homes of
> white suburban teenagers and corrupts them in a
> way that only black gangsta rappers have ever
> managed before. Bearing that in mind, it's no
> real surprise that his stage act is so
> lavatorial and shambolic. As can be heard on The Slim
> Shady LP, Eminem is lavatorial and
> shambolic. He also describes himself as sexist, a violent
> fantasist, ill-educated, druggy, vengeful scum, but
> apart from that he's a nice young man who
> thinks the world of his mum.
>
> Well, OK,
> maybe he isn't and maybe he doesn't (his
> mother is suing for millions for defamation, following
> his depiction of her as a junkie).
> Eminem definitely is the most original, vital, hilarious
> artist to hit hip hop in years. His style is Jerry
> Springer Uncut with breakbeats. A true scream
> from the dysfunctional heartland, he talks about
> impregnating Spice Girls, dumping lovers' bodies in
> oceans and hating just about everybody.
> He is at once the real McCoy, a cultural belch to be
> ignored at your peril and a very funny, throwaway
> cartoon. Carping about Eminem is an
> understandable reaction, but about as pointless as
> phoning the RSPCA to complain that Tom is
> chasing Jerry.
>
> I wish
> Eminem had been even half as good at the Astoria
> as he is on record. As it is, he's so sloppy, so
> disengaged, that I can hardly make out which songs
> he's playing ('Role Model', 'My Fault', 'Just Don't
> Give A Fuck'). There's a DJ behind him, who couldn't
> scratch his way out of a tray of cat litter. Another
> sidekick is plodding about, dressed as a magic
> mushroom, but it really isn't funny.
> Eminem just stands there, rummaging about in his
> sweatsuit pants and ranting yobbishly. After
> the crowd boo him, he trudges back onstage,
> indignant, and bellows his way through his biggest
> hit, 'Guilty Conscience'.
> On record, this is a droll t tete-a-tete with his
> mentor, ex-NWA member and mythical producer
> Dr Dre. Tonight, it's reduced to Eminem and his
> MC Proof yomping about, shouting at each other,
> like demented fishwives. The Eminem Live
> Experience is without doubt the most pointless
> débcle I've seen all year.
>
> But then, what did I expect from Detroit trailer
> trash - Vegas-style professionalism? A
> housetrained polecat? Maybe not, but after the white
> noise, belly laughs and inspired psychosis of his
> album, I really didn't expect to leave an Eminem
> show disappointed, yawning and heartily grateful
> that I hadn't actually paid.
>
> --
> Time is precious. Waste it wisely.
>
> Chris Golya
> Centre for New Media Research
> School of Art Design & Media
> University of Portsmouth
> Lion Gate Building
> Lion Terrace
> Portsmouth
> PO1 3HF
>
> Tel wk: 01705 842297
> mobile :07713477543
> Fax: 01705 842077
-- Time is precious. Waste it wisely.Chris Golya Centre for New Media Research School of Art Design & Media University of Portsmouth Lion Gate Building Lion Terrace Portsmouth PO1 3HF
Tel wk: 01705 842297 mobile :07713477543 Fax: 01705 842077
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