Argumentative Essay On Marshall Mathers

As one of the world’s most successful musicians, Marshall Mathers is the target of intense controversy. Mathers, better known by his stage name Eminem, is often written off as violent, misogynistic, and homophobic. Activist groups have picketed his concerts, parents have condemned his songs, and countries like Canada and Australia have even tried cancel his concerts. However, underneath the controversy, Mathers has revolutionized hip hop, turning it into a mainstream form of music. Mathers’ story indicates how artists must ultimately work without fear of controversy because that conflict indicates the presence of creativity and open thinking, which are both necessary for the progress of art. Thus, artists must forge on, working their craft despite criticism.

Since his first popular album, “Marshall Mathers LP”, released in 1999, Mathers has been criticized for his violent, angry lyrics.

Around the world, people have rejected him for having “absolutely nothing to do with the culture right now” (D'Addario). Journalists like Lauren Duca from the Huffington Post have noted that Mathers’ career “is really hateful and nasty” (Duca) and is “built on a foundation of normalizing hatred toward women” (Duca). They argue Mathers’ messages create a threatening environment for women and gays, like when he said he’d “punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice in broad daylight“ (Eminem). Mathers even acknowledges this discord, using it in his songs under the persona “Slim Shady”. In “Without Me”, he says the world needs him “cause we need a little, controversy/ cause it feels so empty, without me” (Eminem). Shady recognizes the “controversy” and plays on people's objections, saying the world would be empty without his

profanity.
The way Mathers recognizes and uses the criticism against him indicates how he embraces controversy, which in turn allows him to produce revolutionary art. Mathers has won countless awards including thirteen Grammys and an Oscar, which crowned “Lose Yourself” as the best original song of the year. Mathers even “sold more than 32.2 million albums in the 2000s, edging out the Beatles to claim the title of top-selling artist” (Montgomery) of the decade. Mathers made rap mainstream, converting millions into fans. In doing so, Mathers drastically expanded hip hop’s demographic, which began as a secluded, underground art form. By putting rap on the same level as common artists like the Beatles, Mathers changed rap into a widespread form of music. Indeed, Mather’s influence has even reached people outside the music industry. Seamus Heaney, the nobel laureate and famous for translating the old english epic Beowulf, said “[Mathers] created a sense of what is possible. He has sent a voltage around a generation” (Heaney). Writer Giles Foden even claims “A brief examination of Stan [by Mathers] reveals it to have all the depth and texture of the greatest examples of English verse” (Foden). While Mathers probably isn’t a Harper Lee or Mark Twain, both Foden and Heaney’s support for Mathers indicate his music’s excellence. However, if Mathers had given in to critics and softened his lyrics, his art wouldn’t be the same. He told 60 Minutes that his songs are harsh because “[T]his is music, this is my art, this is what I do” (Mathers). His art is defined by the very profanity that critics want gone and his “depth and texture” arise from his own personal style. Thus only by ignoring critics and thinking freely has Mathers maintained the creativity that’s revolutionized hip hop and excited the world.
Despite both the intense support and criticism for Mathers, his story isn’t the first of its kind. Historically art evolves when artists learn to embrace controversy and allow the underlying new ideas to take hold. When Jazz first developed, it was labeled as the “devil’s music”. White Americans feared that the predominantly black music would infect America’s minds, turning people into savages. One neighborhood even prevented the playing of jazz music by “convincing a court that the music was dangerous to fetuses” (PBS) However, despite this backlash, jazz musicians kept playing. Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong forever changed music with innovations like syncopated rhythms and improvisation. Only by tenaciously holding on to the newfound jazz could Armstrong and others revolutionize music.
Similarly, despite intense controversy, in the 1950’s Elvis Presley became the King of Rock and Roll while embracing controversy. Elvis’ music was rejected by many for “ its ‘appalling lack of musicality,’ [and] for its ‘vulgarity’ and ‘animalism.’” (PBS). Many believed that Elvis’ lyrics, and especially his “pelvis-shaking intensity” (PBS) were immoral and would corrupt America’s morals. Regardless, Elvis kept playing his music, and according to “US History for Dummies”, ultimately brought rock and roll music into the mainstream listener base. By keeping his style despite criticism, Elvis forever changed rock and roll by turning it into a widespread artform. Furthermore, it’s important to note that while Elvis’ hip thrusting and Armstrong’s offset rhythms may not seem as threatening as Mathers’ threats to murder his wife, in all three cases, the controversy highlighted an underlying conflict of ideas. Ultimately, regardless of why the music was criticized, the presence of free thinking allowed music to evolve. Truly, controversy, which indicates new ideas, often helps art grow.
Regardless of whether Marshal Mathers is a homophobe or misogynist, his music has reached incredible heights. Critics have shunned him for damaging America’s culture, but Mathers keep making music, regardless of criticism. In “Without Me”, Mathers writes “Though I'm not the first king of controversy, I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley” (Eminem). In this homage to previously controversial artists, Mathers embraces the controversy surrounding him, making him both a “king of controversy” and a king of music. He realizes that the criticism towards him has made him “king”, telling us that if we want to to keep developing, artists will need to accept the controversy.