COLUMN: POP CULTURE NOTEBOOK There were two stories involving Eminem in the Telegram Tuesday. The first was a wrap-up of Bonnaroo last week, where the Grammy-winning rapper dominated the festival. The second was about a middle school teacher in Westboro who is in hot water for showing an Eminem music video to her class. And somewhere, in the polarity of these two stories, is a statement about the artist, whose real name is Marshall Mathers; the personas he wears, including Eminem and Slim Shady; and the relevance of his art today. "Eminem's approval at Bonnaroo is, in my view, a result of his attempt at returning to form with the album he did with his friend Royce da 5'9"," says Worcester musician Shane Hall, a fan of the rapper's skill but also a critic of some of his artistic choices. "It harkens back to the rougher mid-'90s style that made him famous among rock fans that were exposed to white radio playing (once again) an acceptable white artist. I have only heard a bit of the `Bad Meets Evil' album, and all my rap friends are talking about it being a return to form. My man Jesse D, a feminist, gave what I think is the most shining compliment when he said, `Eminem is rapping well enough again that I can be disappointed in his content once more.' He's been completely AWOL skill-wise, hanging out with mediocre rappers, but when he raps with Royce on this new album you can HEAR that he is trying to be more proficient as a lyricist due to the pressure of an old friend who is likely to call him on his lack of quality control. I think his acceptance at Bonnaroo is, in part, because of this return to form as well as the general ubiquity of hip-hop in our culture." (Victor D. Infante)
