I often ask people whom I don't know well, "What kind of music do you like?" The majority of people respond: "Everything." My reply to that answer is as scriptable as the answer itself: "You like country?  Metal?  Rap?  Ska?" Then they give a more honest answer, which most of the time excludes these genres.

I myself do not like rap music.  Perhaps due to the fact that I grew up in a Georgia suburb that was 99% white - so I was never exposed to it.  My associations, like most of my peers, was that rap music was violent, disrespectful to women, etc. - and it required no real talent, as those performing did not sing.

Over the past month, I have found myself listening to a lot of Eminem, and have grown to like it quite a lot.  He can be crude, but he has a lot to say.  And he exhibits great courage in speaking out against government hypocrisy, against the music industry's pressures, against his own upbringing...

Marshall Mathers (his real name) grew up in a broken home in the Detroit area.  One of the few white kids, and small for his age, he was an easy target for many of his peers.  He decided that the best way to retaliate with words. And so the greatest white rap artist began...

Today's music is a few tracks from Eminem's collection.  Even if you don't like rap music, I invite you to listen to the lyrics themselves - as one entire message (pieces are easily misunderstood).

4 tracks to listen to:

1) White America

http://tinyurl.com/yu7fff

It's easy, I imagine, for a parent to walk into the room while their teenager is playing this song and hear only "Fuck you!" repeated over and over, and hear nothing but profanity. But the criticism of America in the song is scathing, and his ideological explanation for *why* he became successful is thought-provoking.  Also pay attention to his masterful use of meter and rhyme around 2:07 into the song.

2) Cleaning Out My Closet

http://tinyurl.com/2fbkgj

Angry, yes.  But incredibly personal - and courageous as all hell to reveal so much about yourself on an album that's marketing internationally.  He speaks of his own regret toward things he's done, of the pain caused by his mother, etc.

3) Sing For the Moment

http://tinyurl.com/2a56j9

A thoughtful exploration of both rappers within our culture, and the fans that support their work.  How they are presented and perceived within our culture.  The fusion of classic rock into the song makes it particularly catchy, too.

4) Hallie's Song

http://tinyurl.com/2c4s23

A vulnerable song about his love for his daughter.  Who'd have thought a rapper could be so sensitive? :)

Enjoy it, dog.