Charlamagne Tha God told “woke” Gen Z-ers to take a nap when it comes to canceling Eminem. Eminem is no stranger to controversy regarding his rhymes. When he was first gaining traction in the early 2000s, the music industry constantly questioned the brutality of his lyrics. Lyrics which have been called everything from misogynistic to violent. Eminem emerged as a rapper during a time where physical protests were staged outside of record label offices, and civil rights leaders launched actual crusades against rap music.
Now anyone can be a critic and call for someone’s cancellation from behind a keyboard or phone with little to no consequence. Charlamagne, another polarizing personality, came to Eminem’s defense when Gen Z Tik Tokers decided to deconstruct the lyrics to his 2010 hit; “Love the Way You Lie” ft. Rihanna. The specific lyric they have taken issue with is:
If she ever tries to f**king leave again
I’m a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire
Eminem is infamous for his murder, death, kill songs. They’re what he’s built his career and legacy on. Are his lyrics violent? Yes. Are they misogynistic? Absolutely. Does he have a major influence over a generation? Yup. But at the end of the day, it’s art. The man has a vivid imagination and a colorful delivery. That’s what rap is if someone is good at it. Charlamagne pointed out that a case can’t be built against Eminem because all the people who have the power to cancel him grew up loving him. Those who grew up listening to him knew that it was just music.
“Cancel Culture” can be very effective and very dangerous. In this case, I don’t think it’s either. Eminem has proven he has staying power. They’ve tried to silence him before and he keeps coming back. It’s just interesting that he/his lyrics are the cause they’ve chosen to champion when there are more important things to be broken down and fought for. When those Tik Tokers wake up from their nap, they should leave the Real Slim Shady alone.