Eminem quickly became the highest selling artist of 2009 with the first week sales of his album Relapse.
In fact, he’s the highest selling rap artist of the decade.
Still, the honor did not forbid him from becoming the victim of a prank by MTV and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, acting as gay fashionista Bruno. The incident became the highlight of the MTV Movie Awards and left Eminem with egg on his face…or something like that.
Since my editorial terrain is generally rumors, the rumors, gossip and speculation are running rampant like Carl Lewis on PCP.
Much of the rumors fodder centers around the so-called “Pink Mafia” making an overt, aggressive move to discredit Eminem. For the unclear, the “Pink Mafia” is a term for an underground – and potentially fictional – group of extremely powerful gays people in Hollywood and the music industry. If the organization does exist, their memory isn’t short and their sense of humor is barbed.
I thought Eminem had made amends with the gay community after hugging Sir Elton John. Guess not.
It all begs the question: has MTV (or just the brass) finally grown tired of Eminem even though he’s good money in an industry with Mad Cash Cow Disease? Or is an artist with his own barbed sense of humor just getting a taste – pause – of his own medicine?
Then, there is another side to the speculation: was this offensive a direct sexual assault on Hip-Hop culture?
To say that Hip-Hop has been uncomfortable with gay culture would be an understatement and Em was once the poster child for Hip-Hop homophobia.
“Get This Mother F***er Off Me,” Eminem screams.
This truly seems to be an example of the pop media washing its hands clean of a culture that was undesirable to begin with. And, when that corporate beast is finished with you, you are gone. There’s no worries about how upset they may have gotten the year’s top selling act, nor a concern over an potential outrage for the Hip-Hop community. There didn’t even seem to be a concern for Sacha Baron Cohen’s well being, which is quite telling.
Maybe Hip-Hop needs to be shunned again so the artists and fans must huddle together again like it’s amidst a nuclear winter. Lets get dangerous again! On a commercial level, Eminem and Lil Wayne are Hip-Hop. And Eminem is White, which is no protection when his face is dancing cheek to cheek with Bruno/Borat’s a**.
Like I said in the beginning, this is all based on rumor and speculation. But, its time for Hip-Hop to develop a survival plan that concedes the fact that the corporate powers are likely “over it.”
The most reassuring factor in all of this is that Hip-Hop is not a corporate construct and, if forced, it will head back to the underground thrive and swell again. There’s already proof of this happening. Look at Drake with his swelling popularity. Check MF Doom and his ability to live without a fraction of light on him. And for all the loathing of Rick Ross, he’s selling units and crafting great music. All the while, “they” pay him no mind.
I love it.
Pay me no mind now, but you will have to later.
