“Fuck money. I do not rap for dead presidents. I would rather see the president dead. It is never been said, but I set precedents and the standards and they can not stand it… We as Americans. Us as a citizen. We’ve got to protect ourselves…”
Those are words from a new Eminem track called « We as Americans ». Controversial ? For sure.
Eminem is not a friend of Bush, he doesnt want any kind of compromission with the government and expresses it clearly. What I really appreciate with Eminem, is the fact that hes not a commercial rapper. He is used to speaking his mind , no matter how wealthy he is. He deserves some respect for his honesty.
Appearently those words are taken seriously by the American government whose secret services are now investigating on whether the lyrics should be taken seriously of not.
Secret Services Spokesman John Gill expressed on the subject and told the news :
”We are aware of the lyric and are in the process of determining what action, if any, will be taken.”
Eminem has shown his political opinion in several songs from the « Eminem Show » like « White America » and « Square Dance ».
We all know that hes no real friend of President Bush, but are his recents lyrics different from the former lyrics ? Should this wish to see the President dead be taken seriously ?
Those are interesting questions we may raise. As far as I am concerned, I dont think Eminem is a serious threat for Mr Bushs life. This statement is just made to express his opposition towards the government. Eminem wants to show the Bush administration that they cannot « buy » him..
If we take a look at « White America », the song is much more provocative than those few lines from « We as Americans » :
So to the parents of America
I am the derringer aimed at little Erica,
to attack her character
The ringleader of this circus of worthless pawns
Sent to lead the march right up to the steps of Congress
And piss on the lawns of the White House
and replace it with a Parental Advisory sticker
To spit liquor in the faces of in this democracy of hypocrisy
Fuck you Ms. Cheney! Fuck you
Tipper Gore! Fuck you with the freest
of speech this divided states of embarassment
will allow me to have, Fuck you!
I’m just kiddin’ America, you know I love you…
The outro part of White America is also very offensive in its words. Eminem points out the hypocrisy of the American government. He doesnt want to be another puppet of Bush and also wants people to open their eyes about the American policy.
Eminem is not against America, hes against the leaders of America and he strongly fights their policy. Impossible to take the dead President lyrics at a first degree, knowing that Eminem has already assassinated Dick Cheney on his Without Me video…It has to be taken for what it actually is: a clear protest against the American policy. The talented wordsmith doesnt ignore the power of words and syllables. As an engaged artist, Eminem wants to reach peoples consciences.
He is not the only one to have strong and shocking political messages. The group Public Enemy did it before in its video By the time I get to Arizona. Public Enemy assassinated the deputies from Arizona who refused to make a national day of Martin Luther Kings birthday. Public Enemy didnt dare bombing the government either, because the group knew it was for the good cause. So does Eminem.
The engaged artist has a responsibility towards his public. He owns a great part of the media and he has the power to reach peoples mind. Its the first step for things to change a positive way. Since the beginning of his career, Eminem has always shown his integrity. His growing wealth hasnt changed anything: his statements are as honest as in the beginning.
Eminem has become the truthful leader of a new generation of people who are fed up with empty hypocritical political speeches. He strongly disagrees with the American Iraq war policy and shows it offenly:
The boogie monster of rap, yeah the man’s back
with a plan to ambush this Bush administration,
mush the Senate’s face in, push this generation
of kids to stand and fight for the right to say
something you might not like, this white hot light
that I’m under, no wonder I look so sunburnt,
oh no I won’t leave no stone unturned
Oh no I won’t leave, won’t go nowhere,
do-si-do, oh, yo, ho, hello there
oh yeah don’t think I won’t go there,
go to Beirut and do a show there
yah you laugh till your muthafuckin’ ass gets drafted,
while you’re at band camp thinkin’ the crap can’t happen
till you fuck around, get an anthrax napkin,
inside a package wrapped in saran wrap wrapping
open the plastic and then you stand back gasping,
fuckin’ assassins hijackin’ Amtracks crashin’
all this terror America demands action,
next thing you know you’ve got Uncle Sam’s ass askin’
to join the army or what you’ll do for their Navy.
You just a baby, gettin’ recruited at eighteen
You’re on a plane now,
eatin’ their food and their baked beans.
I’m twenty-eight, they’re gonna take you ‘fore they take me
Crazy insane or insane crazy?
When I say Hussein, you say Shady
My views ain’t changed, still inhumane,
wait, arraigned two days late, the date’s today, hang me!
So many young lives are sacrified to satisfy Mr Bushs world hegemony power. Every day young soldiers are dying for a useless war.
We as Americans is not different from Eminems former lyrics. Rather than being a physical threat towards the American President, Eminems death wish on Mr Bush is rather to interpret as a symbol, it is much more a strong prayer to see somebody else lead this country. A leader that would enable concrete steps for some deep changes in America…No more empty speeches, but efficient actions.
America needs more responsible citizens like Marshall Mathers to raise their voices against a growing governemental hypocrisy.
Comments
13 responses to “"We as Americans"”
Man that’s it. Bush is a “sick” man who think that everybody wants to kill him.Oh please! It’s just a joke, Eminem’s lyrics are that way. He express him fellings that way, that’s his way to say that he don’t like your administration Bush. Come on it’s just a joke!!!
Trent Lott hardly intended to come off as a proponent of racism in his speech about Byrd, yet the left did their best to blast him. So why should the right take this far more explicit statement as a “joke”?
I personally think it is stupid, but if we’re going to have a sense of humor about these things, lets do it across the board.
They finally dropped their investigations…
check it out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3296397.stm
even if he’s not joking in his lyrics who said he doesn’t have the right to express his feelings, i hate the american president who said Mr.Bush is perfect? he’s sent from devil, anyways it’s not their damned business to judge Eminem for wut he sings, coz he’s very honest and natural and i respect him for this,maybe he’s a peace maker and he’s trying to achieve it by his lyrics, he has a message to deliver i believe and after all he’s a human.
Yeah, Bush gets threatened very easily. I’m just some random Canadian and my sister, according to Bush, threatened him.
Savrx,
First, “the left” didn’t do anything. Trent Lott did himself in. He was speaking about Strom Thurmond (Byrd? Robert Byrd is a despicable former member of the KKK). He said that if Strom had been elected president (and he was running on a segragationist platform, back in 1948), we “wouldn’t have had all these problems”. That’s just a foolish, ignorant thing to spout.
N*** – It’s against the law. In that regard, he has -no right- to express his feelings. I too despise George W. Bush, but the law is quite clear, it is illegal to threaten the assassination of the President. The Secret Service investigates all potential threats.
Most Americans are against Bush ideas. They said no war, Bush shows he doesn’t care so, he sends his soldiers to War. I really like how Em spit his lyrics right into the white house. I am glad there is this famous dude who isn’t afraid or shy to speak how he thinks about his president Bush. Bush doesn’t show very much respect to his Americans why should we…
“F money, I dont rap 4 Dead President i rather see the…. ” haha
You CANT take Em seriously.
He’s speaking his mind, you think he’d actually kill the president?Haha who knows
Bush is PARANOID, he needs to kick back!!
Wats up wit Bush,man???Does he seriously think Eminem’s gonna kill him???hahahahaha!!if he does then hes 1 paranoid freeeek!!!!The guys jus speakin his mind.He insults Bush in so many songs.Well in case u havent got da message ,BUSH,,”he thinks ur a muthaf***a n u cant run a country.”
I think its a good thing Eminem is saying this because then “Mr Bush” is going to realize what most citizens of America feel about him. I am not American and don’t know how “everyone” feels about him but from the things on TV I hear he is a real ass.
~Mandy~
Yo whatup, bush is such a fucking dumbass, along wit the United States government. I know exactly Where em is coming from but why would you take lyrics seriously. I think if he would do or try something like that you think he would actually put it in a song, I Think Not.. he aint stupid but I know bush is….Hey Bush FUCK YOU
really, if he wanna kill bush he wouldn’t announce it, he’s smart enough.when we hated someone we used to write lyrics insulting them, why didn’t anyone come and punish us? do u have the right to insult eminem b-coz he’s a rapper and famous? if i’d gone live on radio and sung the same lyrics he did, would everyone be criticizing me that much and take it seriously? guys i don’t think he would kill him to destroy himself, no rapper would sucrifice he’s fame and money in order to kill someone!!!! if i was a president with power and body guards i wouldn’t stay awake all night waiting for Em to kill me!!! and really i don’t think bush is a VIP, because he doesn’t do anything special he kills children and ppl, so i don’t respect him at all, for me he’s gonna disappear from our world when he passes by and whenever we recall his name we’d curse him for his crimes on earth…
its good but needs more swear words in it