People
of the Year
By Disco Stu - Editor in
Chief : Issue 5, Vol. II
He's
the guy you love to hate, the guy you hate to love,
and he released the most controversial album this
year. The cuts from The Marshall Mathers LP
aren't necessarily musical masterpieces; rather,
they're biting, lyrical, and effective songs of
controversy that deal with nothing and everything.
Eminem is a bit like the album: a puzzle wrapped in a
riddle wrapped in thin, plastic packaging. He raps
about beating gay people and hurting his wife
("Bleed bitch, bleed, slut you think I won't
choke no more/Your vocal cords don't work no
more"), yet when he's asked about it, Eminem says
it's all a rouse to get attention.
Sure,
the attention sells records, but in "I Am,"
his second single, he wants people to leave him alone.
See me for what I am, he says, but leave me alone in
the process. He also says that he's not responsible
for what kids think, he's just a rapper after all. He
echoes similar sentiments in "The Real Slim
Shady," but in actuality, it's a not-so-subtle
critique of the entertainment industry that he is very
much a part of. He tries to cut into everything from
Napster, Christina Aguilera, Tom Green, and the boy
bands, while telling the listener that there's no one
else like him, so there's no use in him being
criticized. There are lots of boy bands, pop queens,
and idiots out there, but there's only one Eminem,
plain and simple.
Everyone
seems to be talking about the album's best song,
"Stan." It's about an obsessed fan who takes
everything Eminem says literally. Other than the
controversial subject matter the song seems to
address, Eminem once again tells people to think on
their own and not take every detail and minutiae of
his songs at face value.
So,
he's not Simon (of "Simon Says" fame), he's
not the Fiddler (the guy who lured all the mice and
children), he's just Eminem.
2.
Santana
Winning nine Grammy awards has to be worth something.
Collaborating with artists like Wyclef Jean
("Maria, Maria"), Everlast ("Put Your
Lights On"), and Rob Thomas ("Smooth")
was no coincidence; the groupings were meant to appeal
to a wide variety of audiences and tastes. No doubt,
that was why it's gone platinum several times over.
3.
Britney Spears
Only *NSync has released a better piece of pop cheese
than Britney. Oops! ...I Did it Again was
exactly that and more, oozing of a forced identity
crisis dealing with Spears' good-girl/bad-girl image.
Plus, she's hot.
Artist
of the Year
| Band
of the Year
| Actor/Actress
of the Year
| Model
of the Year
| Breakthrough
of the Year
|
