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The Eminem Show

Date: Jun 17 2002

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

He’s crass. He’s annoying. He’s insensitive. He’s all the bad things people say about him. But Eminem is also hands down the most intelligent and talented rapper on the planet. His latest album, The Eminem Show, proves it.
On The Eminem Show Eminem once again displays a unique ability to get under listeners’ skin. He raps about topics most people don’t like to talk about. He raps about his personal life. He raps about his anger and hatred towards his mother and ex-wife. Eminem puts his emotions into his music, and believe me, he’s filled with more emotions than most people.
Read on to learn more about The Eminem Show.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Eminem is the best for three reasons:
1. His flow. He raps fast, but you can still hear and understand every word he says. 2. His emotional expression. His lyrics are incredible. He continually comes up with new and interesting ways to express his feelings. 3. His music. He has learned very well from Dr. Dre[/def], who produced Eminem’s first two albums. On The Eminem Show, Em produces all but three of the songs.
The first hit single from The Eminem Show is “Without Me.” Check out some of the lyrics:
I’ve created a monster, cuz nobody wants to
see Marshall no more they want Shady I’m chopped liver
well if you want Shady, this is what I’ll give ya
a little bit of me mixed with some hard liquor
some vodka that’ll jumpstart my heart quicker than a shock
when I get shocked at the hospital by the doctor
when I’m not cooperating
when I’m rocking the table while he’s operating
Marshall is Eminem’s real name. Shady is Eminem’s second nickname. It’s very confusing.
In this song, Eminem is saying that everyone wants him to act like Shady, who is an obnoxious and insensitive person. They don’t care about Marshall, because he’s just an ordinary person. So, Eminem is saying that he’s happy to play the role of Shady, because he likes being obnoxious. It’s fun for him.

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Discussion

In the U.S., people either love or hate Eminem. I love him. My mother, on the other hand, probably doesn’t like him at all. He appeals to young people much more than he does to adults. Eminem likes to make people angry. For young people, it’s fun. For many older people, it’s stupid and annoying.
What do you think about Eminem? What would your parents think about his music? Come to the Music Mix message board and let us know!
Rock on!
Migs