The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 255

< Verse 40. The Unknown Factor >

***

‘I can diss everyone else, but I won’t diss Eminem. I just wish luck to anyone who disses Eminem because he’s someone who can end your career.’

That was what rapper The Game said in an interview.

In fact, Ja Rule, a once-famous rapper who dissed Eminem by insulting his daughter Hailie, was defeated by Eminem and shunned by the public.

However, this fear of Eminem, or his continued relevance, seemed to wane after 2004.

Eminem began a long period of silence after his 2004 album, *Encore*.

The reason for his disappearance was the death of Proof, his mental pillar and dearest friend, in a shooting.

Suffering from severe depression due to Proof’s death, Eminem became addicted to Vicodin, which was included in his depression medication, and almost died from a Vicodin overdose in 2007.

The doctors at the hospital who treated Eminem at the time judged that he would die, and even if he survived, he would be paralyzed from the waist down within a month.

Fortunately, Eminem survived and began to quit Vicodin. He miraculously overcame his drug addiction, thinking of his daughter Hailie.

He later appeared in a documentary film about the dangers of drug addiction, revealing that he couldn’t sleep for even a minute for three weeks when he first tried to quit.

If Eminem had died, fans across the United States would have mourned his death.

But Eminem survived. And he began to be ridiculed by the public as a ‘has-been’ due to his weight gain, reaching up to 230 pounds (approximately 104 kg), and his drug addiction.

Eminem’s discography was great, but he hadn’t released anything for four years since 2004.

-Eminem is past his prime.

-Eminem should just not release an album. It will inevitably be compared to *The Marshall Mathers LP* or *The Eminem Show*, and those comparisons will always favor the old Eminem.

-How many M&Ms (a chocolate often mentioned to mock Eminem’s weight due to the similar pronunciation) did he eat to become such a white pig?

-Severe drug addicts have their language centers paralyzed and can’t pronounce words properly. Even if Eminem makes a comeback, he won’t be a Billboard-level rapper anymore.

However, the public mocking Eminem didn’t know. No, no one in the world except Sanghyun could be sure.

The legend Eminem would write was not over in 2004.

And in July 2008.

Eminem broke his long silence and appeared on Sirius XM channel of a Detroit radio station. Because it was such a long silence, this broadcast was being sent across the United States, even though it was a Detroit broadcast.

It was natural that Eminem was asked about FiveSix, as he was talking about his activities over the past four years and that a new album would be released.

“In some ways, FiveSix is in a position quite similar to yours, and he has made a bold declaration of war. What do you think, M?”

“Well… as you all know, I don’t know how to use the internet, so I heard about FiveSix through my manager.”

“Ah, it’s a famous story that Eminem has an employee who manages his email account. It’s the job I envy the most. How much do you pay him?”

The DJ, who made a joke, laughed and urged for an answer.

Eminem opened his mouth with his characteristic habit of frowning.

“When I first tried to perform in Detroit clubs, all I got was jeering and criticism. Once, I got hit with an orange as soon as I got on stage. I probably joked to that guy that he was a Detroit Tigers pitcher after I got hit with the orange, right? Because the distance was quite far.”

“It would be fun if that person was listening to this broadcast.”

Eminem, who smiled slightly, continued.

“Anyway, it couldn’t be helped. Back then, it was too strange to have a white rapper in the underground scene. Especially in Detroit. Well, it was like that for a while even after I became famous.”

It was a famous anecdote that Eminem hired CIA bodyguards and wore bulletproof vests because there were so many death threats from black people.

“I don’t know much about FiveSix, and I don’t know how much the prejudice I experienced in ’89 has weakened. I don’t know how the discrimination against white people and Asians is different. But if FiveSix is enduring all those things and making music, I think he should be respected, of course, assuming his rap is good.”

“So you haven’t heard his rap yet?”

“I’m going to listen to it now.”

“M. You’re saying that FiveSix has publicly stated that he wants to beat Eminem, but you can respect him as long as his music is good? It seems like you’ve taken out the anger and madness along with the Vicodin from your system?”

Eminem shrugged at the DJ’s question.

“There’s no way that kid can beat me!”

The DJ, who burst into laughter, then asked about Lil Wayne’s pre-released songs, which were currently very popular.

After the radio broadcast, Eminem got into his car.

Since the broadcasting station was in Detroit anyway, his manager Paul Rosenberg didn’t come along. It was also because Paul was very busy preparing for his activities, which he was starting again after nearly five years.

As soon as Eminem got into the car, he played the demo tape containing the songs to be included in his new album.

Eminem had a habit of listening to important songs in the car. This was due to his obsession that he always had to listen to the songs in the same environment in order to know whether the song was good or bad.

In 2014, it became a hot topic when Paul Rosenberg revealed that Eminem drove 2,137 miles from Detroit to Malibu to listen to his demo tape.

2,137 miles is three times the length of the UK and an enormous distance that requires 34 hours of non-stop driving.

‘Ah, right.’

While driving and listening to his songs, Eminem suddenly thought of MTB. When he searched the car, he found the MTB album that Paul had packed.

Eminem played the album from track number 1.

Eminem, who doesn’t know how to use the internet at all, knew that MTB was made by three rappers. This collaborative album of Black, Mixed race, and Asian artists was quite a hot topic among rappers.

At first, Eminem thought it would be difficult to distinguish the three rappers, but the moment he listened to the lyrics and rap, he could quickly picture the rappers.

‘All three of them are good?’

It is a fact that people don’t know well, but Eminem had a talent for discovering talent. There were many musicians that Eminem helped, such as 50 Cent, Dido, Yella Wolf, Joe Budden, and so on.

In Eminem’s opinion, these three rappers were not people who would simply reach their career high with one album.

He was convinced that if they didn’t get caught up in a serious incident or experience a terrible slump, they would become colleagues who would rap together at the very top of their era.

As the tracks flowed, FiveSix’s solo song, No Color, finally began.

And No Color left a very strong impression on Eminem.

That color is black. The color of music that fascinated me.

That color is black. A color slightly different from my skin.

That color is black. A color I poured my passion into.

That color is black. That color is black.

While listening to FiveSix’s song, Eminem suddenly thought of old memories.

Most of those thoughts were about Proof, who was now deceased, a brother beyond a friend.

Never thought about each other’s skin colors

‘Til one day we was walking up the block in the summer

It was like 90 degrees I was catching a sunburn

I’m moaning I just wanna get home when I look over and your shirt is off

I’m like you gonna fry and you’re like, “No I won’t, I’m black stupid

And snapping at me with your shirt, bastard

And I still have to get you back for that shit

Eminem suddenly thought of his tribute song Difficult, which he made after Proof died.

In fact, No Color was not a lyrical song.

There were also rapper-like ambitions and a lot of swagger that depicted FiveSix’s success in Korea.

But Eminem recalled his past while listening to No Color. Without even realizing it.

FiveSix’s rap was technically excellent, but it had ‘something’ that was hard to express in words that touched other people’s emotions.

‘Something hard to express in words… So he’s appearing on X-Factor?’

Eminem belatedly recalled that FiveSix had said that he was appearing on X-Factor ‘only’ because he wanted to be on stage with him.

In fact, that couldn’t be entirely true.

It was probably true that FiveSix liked his music. But promotion must have been a significant factor in making such a statement.

Because the first thing he heard when he met Dr. Dre through Jimmy Iovine was to lose weight and get in shape.

The moment No Color ended, Eminem had a very interesting idea.

***

Sanghyun’s appearance on The X-Factor was being coordinated without any setbacks.

At first, when Hadel was doing behind-the-scenes work, the production company showed a reaction of, ‘An Asian rapper? I don’t know…’ but if that Asian was one of the three main players of MTB, the story was different.

Besides, established rappers didn’t really like appearing on audition programs. They often chose to struggle in the underground rather than being labeled commercial rappers through audition programs.

Although quite a few amateur rappers were expected to participate after the opportunity to collaborate with Eminem was revealed, it was unimaginable for a rapper who had been on the Billboard charts to appear.

The X-Factor side also liked that FiveSix mentioned Eminem in the interview. This was because it aroused considerable public interest.

-FiveSix should be grateful to Eminem. Because Eminem paved the way, FiveSix was able to absorb the cultural sphere of the black community without much resistance.

-It seems like FiveSix has suffered quite a bit in LA?

-How can a yellow monkey get the title of rapper? Rap belongs to black people. I’m ready to shoot if a yellow monkey shows up in front of me.

-Eminem is a has-been, and who is FiveSix?

-Like FiveSix said, rap is no longer just a black culture. We must not forget that the Japanese made the MPC [Music Production Controller], which evolved rap one step further.

-If Eminem represents the white poor who are being reverse discriminated against, what is FiveSix? He grew up in a comfortable country where Harlem doesn’t even exist. Does he have anything raw?

-So he’s going to be on an audition program.

-Is everyone talking after listening to MTB? FiveSix’s rap is DOPE [excellent]. I was surprised after listening to his No Color.

FiveSix’s appearance on The X-Factor received a lot of attention for a while. The issue of the identity of an Asian rapper was stronger than the interest in X-Factor itself, but anyway, there was some additional advertising effect.

As time passed, in August 2008.

The first filming of The X-Factor began.

< Verse 40. The Unknown Factor > End

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