Rock Bottom - Eminem Analysis

Analysis of Rock Bottom by Eminem

1. What themes emerge from analyzing Eminem’s lyrics? To what extent are these themes indicative of a typical hip-hop song?

Rock Bottom explores the theme of poverty, such as the stress and anger arriving from it, and the struggle of raising a little girl in these conditions. This theme is indicative of a typical hip-hop song as this genre is usually used to reach out to an audience who are also struggling through hardships like violence, sacrifices and poverty, and intents to spread awareness about the topics. Eminem seems to be doing the same thing here, where he raps about his struggles and aims to make people aware about the struggles people like him have to face.

2. How does Eminem’s use of language comment on his identity?

His use of language portrays his real-life struggles in life, such as the frustration and anger

arriving from the impoverished environment he used to live in. In the song, he references the use of prescription drugs to relieve stress, his frustration with the very low minimum wage (which was $5.50 for him), and the stress he would get trying to properly care for his daughter. In a way, he is venting out all of his struggles so that others can understand better some of the actual struggles people face in life, or even just relate to him.

3. How does Eminem’s use of language comment on the context which he raps?

In the context of the song, Eminem is a rookie rapper who hasn’t reached fame yet and is

dealing with financial and societal struggles. He also mentions his desires of becoming a famed rapper, but how fame can also ruin you, such as when he says, “Money'll brainwash you and leave yo' ass mindless”. Furthermore, he uses his lyrics to explain what actual struggles are, which are emphasized in the chorus, “That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill, that’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal...”.

4. Considering his biographical information, what do you make of Eminem using hip hop as a creative outlet? Is he authentic or appropriating this genre?

Eminem had an unstable childhood, with no father figure at home and only his mother raising him, and he often accused her of verbal and physical abuse in his songs. Additionally, he was treated as an outcast in school and after failing the 9th grade 3 times, he dropped out of the school at 17. Nevertheless, he still had a deep affinity with English, so he found a way to expression his passion for that language and vent out his anger through hip-hop. The music genre was recently emerging, and Eminem seemed to identify with the nihilistic rage of the 1980-1990 rap music. His most favorite gangster rap crew was the highly controversial N.W.A. I personally believe that Eminem should not be criticized for appropriating the hip-hop genre. This genre was made by the African American youth who were facing problems similar to Eminem’s childhood, and they used this type of music to vent about their struggles or opinions, spread awareness about issues like violence and poverty, and even encourage each other as a community. This trend is also seen in many of Eminem’s songs, and he uses hip-hop as a creative outlet for his experiences rather than just appealing to hip-hop due to it being a popular genre back then. I believe that as long as people from other cultures are taking things from that culture and representing or utilizing it in an appreciative and respectful manner, it should not be considered cultural appropriation. When they start to incorporate things from a culture in a disrespectful manner or with no regards to the culture itself or history behind it, then it should be considered cultural appropriation.