Magazine Accuses Eminem of Racism NEW YORK - The Source magazine has Eminem (news - web sites) on the defensive over a decade-old song that calls black girls "dumb" and depicts them as gold diggers. In the latest chapter of the Source's campaign against Eminem, Source principals David Mays and Raymond Scott (news) held a press conference to play the recording. It features Eminem, who is white, saying things like: "Black girls are dumb, and white girls are good chicks." There also is another brief song in which a rapper, who the Source says is Eminem, uses the n-word. The tape was provided to the magazine by "three white hip-hop fans from Detroit who were peers of Eminem in the early '90s, at the time of the recording," the Source said in a press release Tuesday. Eminem acknowledged that he made the song deriding black women. He said in a statement it was "something I made out of anger, stupidity and frustration when I was a teenager." "I'd just broken up with my girlfriend, who was African-American, and I reacted like the angry, stupid kid I was. I hope people will take it for the foolishness that it was, not for what somebody is trying to make it into today." Regarding the n-word, Eminem's publicist, Dennis Dennehy, told The Associated Press on Thursday: "We haven't heard the first tape and can't confirm whether it's him." Although Mays and Scott expressed outrage at the tapes and called Eminem a racist, black rappers often depict black women in far less flattering terms, and have made the use of the n-word a common occurrence. Of course, Eminem is white, as is Mays. The beef between Eminem and the Source began when Scott and Mays accused Eminem of exploiting hip-hop culture. They claimed that Eminem receives preferential treatment because of his race, a charge later refuted by Jay-Z and other top rappers, who cited Eminem's considerable skills. Scott, who records under the name Benzino, attacked Eminem on several songs. Eminem responded with songs claiming that Scott had targeted him to pump up the anemic sales of his poorly received albums. The Source published a poster in February 2002 featuring a cartoon of Scott holding Eminem's decapitated head. Eminem has a history of inflammatory and derogatory comments about women, gays, and just about everyone else in between, including his mother and his ex-wife. His comments about women and gays drew the ire of women's rights groups and gay activists when his "The Marshall Mathers LP" was nominated for album of the year at the 2001 Grammys (news - web sites). Of late, however, Eminem seems to have toned down his bitter words, and has gained more acceptance. Besides winning several Grammys, he won an Oscar this year for his song "Lose Yourself" from his semi-autobiographical movie "8 Mile."
Damn it! No edit! As the article says black rappers depict black women as far worse objects than saying "dumb". I think that this is just an attempt to rob Eminem of his success as the article says they have been feuding.
Rap is almost in the arena of being like films or theater, it's so off the wall and exaggerated that all kinds of things get said that wouldn't normally be acceptable. This is nothing.
Jealousy is such an ugly thing. The founders of the source really need to get a life. Eminem, although I find some of his material distasteful, is one of the most potent rappers out there. His time is about as God-given perfect as any I've ever seen. And to think he's never had any theory classes! In any case, it is much ado about nothing. It's funny that black rappers can say anything they want to about black women, whites in general, whatever and get away with it, but if a white guy, ten years ago when he wasn't even famous, does it..........
To quote one of my preferred rappers, "And she loves to show me off, of course Smiles every time my face is up in The Source" ...and if ya don't know, now ya know, %&*%&*
You can tell Eminem is racist. Just look at his name... I mean come on, man. All those colors in M&M's and all? He's such a bigot. Forget his intitials... it's a racist thing. And he only signs white guys to his own record label, only lets white guys rap with him... only helps other white rappers with their record sales. He even only lets white guys on his movies, videos, and album cover art. In fact, 50 cent and Dr. Dre are really white guys, too.
Hilarious. For those of you who don't know... Raymond Scott aka "Benzino" is a half white Rapper who never amounted to **** until he started up "The Sauce" with David Mays. This magazine will do anything, and I mean anything to discredit Eminem, and anyone associated with him. Considering the "Source" of this information, I laugh at the pathetic attempts made by this jealous clown with no talent. Calling Eminem a racist is the stupidest thing they have tried yet.
Do you post on allhiphop.com? Moe's right, the Source is owned partly by a rapper who doesn't get along with Eminem.
Someone sent me the Lyrics He drops a few N-bombs Rocket River not surprising .. .. . . . he MAY have been a racist. . . but hard to hate folx that making u rich . . ..
So, we have our Republic crumbling around us, people dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, the most critical election of my lifetime less than a year away and I'm supposed to care about what this guy says in a really bad "song?" Priorities people.
Who cares. Almost all the creative folks who work on his music are black, so he changed his life somewhere along the way, and AFAIK he didn't kill or maim anyone.
I browse the boards on occasion, don't really feel the need to add anything. The Source is actually not too bad if they would stick to hip-hop and get off all the political statement stuff. I'll still buy XXL instead so I can get unbiased opinions.
it would be pretty hard to label a white guy who grew up in hip hop culture before it was popular among white people a racist since that would mean a white person would have to be around black people a lot. he said why he said it and he said it was a stupid thing to do. also...its not black people that are making eminem rich...its the white kids that are making him rich. and i don't think he was talking about every black person around either. i think this has to do more with the source trying to do anything it can to take down eminem since he wiped the floor with benzino in that little rap battle they had.
I agree. But what the hell do I know? I'm just an Indian that hopes his new sitar remix cd sells well in his village.
'in hip hop culture'? Is that a euphemism for AROUND BLACK FOLX? As for he said it. . and he said why May I ask . . .WHAT DID YOU EXPECT HIM TO SAY? YEA I HATED THOSE N****S . . BUT THEY MAKING ME RICH BLAH BLAH BLAH . . ???? He needed a story that was plausible and repented. . . .otherwise he would get smack more than OJ do by white folx Like I said. . . . he grew up in an area that may or may not have been overtly racist. . . for him to grow up in an area and not get tainted with its racism is not likely growing out of it .. is likely. which GIVING HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT I am assume. . . When I find out so and so white person even if so and so WHITE person is the epitome of civil and social equality when I find out they threw around the N-word I *NEVER* SURPRISES ME It is almost as American as Apple Pie and Baseball It what ya do . . . beyond that that matters I cannot lie .. . . . It does taint my impression of them though Rocket River Known to be hard of Em . . . but trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here