Eminem

[chonies]

I figured it had something to do with bleeps. Like, he had a prepared, pre-bleeped track ready and it was just easier to lip synch than to work with or around the excised lyrics.

[Deleted]

Does anybody know who the two people rapping/singing with him were? The woman simultaneously looked like she was trying to be a badass and was also really nervous.

That was Skylar Grey singing. She's actually quite talented...when she's wants to be. The first single and video from her latest album was downright embarrassing because of what you picked up on with her -- she tried to be a badass (and failed). I think the guy rapping was one of Eminem's friends from D12, but I'm not sure. I would give him the excuse of not having Proof backing him up as the reason for his lipsyncing, but he's lipsynced (badly) on SNL in the past.

[cinnacism]

Did you guys hear about "Headlights"? It also features the guy from fun. It's described as an apology song to his mom, but it's more like a begrudging (but sincere) acknowledgment that his mom did the best she could, and he probably took it too far with his song lyrics about her over the years, and he loves and forgives her. As you guys know, I'm an Eminem apologist and I've been fascinated by his morality journey over the years. His public attempts (and failures) to get past his aggression, bitter family issues, homonegativity, misogyny, immaturity, drug abuse, and creative mediocrity have been really interesting to me. I still find it pretty much unfathomable that a rapper in his genre (and not socially conscious rap/hip-hop) would put so much personal regret, self-critique, mea culpa, and neuroticism in his songs. I know many people consider his lyrics superficial, hypocritical, or inadequate, but I think he's come a long way, all things considered.

Anyway, the line "I hope you get this message that I'll always love you from afar/ Cause you're my mama" made me tear up. In the song, he's not wishing for a reunion. He's saying that he loves her even though he knows they'll never really have a relationship. Sad.

ETA: Lyrics (with some typos) here, if anyone is interested.

[bklynred]

I think the coats were just a theme, since they all disappeared for the second song. I could barely hear either song, but I liked Skylar Grey. At the end where they all hug, I noticed he kept his back to the audience the whole time.

[GirlyGhoul]

I watched SNL at a friends house and we both pretty much hate Eminem, partly because he's always come off as such a douche but moreso because her husband looooovess him so much that we've had to not only hear his music but also hear about him too much over the years. So we were upstairs far away from hubby's mancave when the first song came on. We'd vowed to change the channel but got distracted by the beardy man playing "The Stroke" and wondering where that was going to go. Once Eminem came out and got into it, neither one of us was grabbing for the remote and about midway through I sadly said outloud: "Damn it... I like this song..." Friend sighed "Yeah, me too..." Second song was equally kickass... Damn it!

Now he's owning up to past mistakes and even song-apologizing to his mother? Stop it, Eminem! I must maintain my hatred of you or else get sucked into mancave of doom where your songs play constantly!

[jmc]

I'm glad Em is catching shit for gay bashing lyrics on his latest album. Other rappers get grief for merely being "arrogant" but this fool gets away with it because he's supposedly so brilliant or Em being Em.

I still find it pretty much unfathomable that a rapper in his genre (and not socially conscious rap/hip-hop) would put so much personal regret, self-critique, mea culpa, and neuroticism in his songs.

I don't think Eminem is unique in that respect.

[Coffeecakes]

Nov 4, 2013 13:44:00 GMT -4 jmc said:

I'm glad Em is catching shit for gay bashing lyrics on his latest album. Other rappers get grief for merely being "arrogant" but this fool gets away with it because he's supposedly so brilliant or Em being Em.

I still find it pretty much unfathomable that a rapper in his genre (and not socially conscious rap/hip-hop) would put so much personal regret, self-critique, mea culpa, and neuroticism in his songs.

I don't think Eminem is unique in that respect.

I agree. People act like he is such a special snowflake. But apparently because he is "complex" his gay bashing is okay. Ooh and he apologized to his mom, how thoughtful. Has he apologized to Kim too for the sake of his children? Publically, since he rapped about killing her....publically.

[GirlyGhoul]

gay bashing lyrics on his latest album.

Oh he did?

Has he apologized to Kim too

Oh he didn't?

My hatred can happily remain intact! HUZZAH!!

[Hamatron]

Oh yeah, the lyrics:

Little gay-looking boy / So gay I can barely say it with a straight face-looking boy
...

You f–s think it’s all a game ’til I walk a flock of flames.

What he had to say about it:

"I don’t know how to say this without saying it how I’ve said it a million times,” he told the magazine. “But that word, those kind of words, when I came up battle-rappin’ or whatever, I never really equated those words ...”

At that point, the writer helps him along. “To mean homosexual?” he asks.

Mathers continues. “Yeah. It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or a–hole. So that word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people. And, not saying it’s wrong or it’s right, but at this point in my career—man, I say so much s— that’s tongue-in-cheek. I poke fun at other people, myself. But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all. I’m glad we live in a time where it’s really starting to feel like people can live their lives and express themselves. And I don’t know how else to say this, I still look at myself the same way that I did when I was battling and broke.”

Well, guess what, kiddo: You're not rap battling anymore. It doesn't matter that you came up in that culture. You're not some broke kid on some rinky-dink rap battle scene. You're a top 40 artist and multimillionaire reaching millions of people. Time to suck it up and understand that your lyrics can be seen as homophobic and incendiary. Grow up.
Source

[emersende]

Man, if only he'd used the same argument to explain why he didn't mean anything bad when he'd used the n-word years ago . . . he would've been thrown out a window and we wouldn't have to deal with this now.
These lines seem prophetic.

Actually now that I think of it I wish Elton John would tell him publicly to stop doing that. God, how delicious would that be?