Hip-Hop and Rap

By: Amal Mohamed

 Started in African-American communities, specifically the Bronx, NY.

 Influenced by blues, jazz, and rock.

 Influenced by negative treatment of African-Americans in the United States in the 20th

century.

 Major artists include the Sugarhill Gang, Run-DMC, Tupac, Dr. Dre
 Born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri as Marshall Bruce Mathers.

 At the time of his birth, his mother was 15 years old - 6 months later his father left

them and never returned, leaving Eminem to be raised by his mother.

 Eminem moved around with his mother a lot and finally settled into a black

dominant neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan.

 While in this neighborhood, Eminem was consistently bullied and also had to deal

with his drug addicted and abusive mother.

 Listen For:
• Steady electronically created music in background
• Talking/rapping over top without changing very often
• Eminem talking about being a white rapper and the reactions of others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0V6jKCZ370
 Even though Eminem really started rapping

at 4 years old, he really started pursuing it

seriously at 14.

 After dropping out of High School, he

became interested in “Rap Battles”.

 He initially rapped with various different

groups such as the “New Jacks” and “D12”.

 In 1997, being financially unstable and unhappy, Eminem created an alter ego

named Slim Shady and won second place in the ‘Rap Olympics’.

 Dr. Dre, a famous rapper and the owner of ‘Aftermath Entertainment’, heard

Eminem’s performance and helped him release the first album that really made

Eminem famous, Slim Shady LP.

 This album, including hits such as ‘My Name Is’, ‘Guilty Conscience’, and ‘ ‘97

Bonnie and Clyde’, was one of the most successful albums of the year.
 Not only was Dr. Dre

Eminem’s producer, he

was also one of his

influencers as well.
 Very rhythmic with strong beats

 Music can be aggressive and critical.

 Vocals more often spoken or shouted than sung

 Often includes sampled beats or bass lines

 Listen For:
• Steady electronically created music in background
• Talking/rapping over top without changing very often
• Eminem talking about his pain and his daughter
• Slower and darker feel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kguRNaAO8oc
 AceShowBiz. (n.d.). Eminem. Retrieved from AceShowBiz:
https://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/eminem/biography.html
 Erlewine, S. T. (2019). Eminem Artist Biography. Retrieved from AllMusic:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eminem-mn0000157676/biography
 Rodman, G. B. (2009, Nov 19). Race... and Other Four Letter Words: Eminem
and the Cultural Politics of Authenticity. Retrieved from Popular
Communication:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15405710pc0402_3
 sdonline. (2011, April 16). Hip-Hop White Wash: The Impact of Eminem on
Rap Music and Music Industry Economics. Retrieved from Socialism and
Democracy Online: http://sdonline.org/36/hip-hop-white-wash-the-impact-
of-eminem-on-rap-music-and-music-industry-economics/
 University of Cambridge. (2016, April 12). Living With Adversity: What
Tupac and Eminem Can Tell Us About Risk Factors for Mental Health.
Retrieved from University of Cambridge:
https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/living-with-adversity-what-
tupac-and-eminem-can-tell-us-about-risk-factors-for-mental-health