Eminem Is Becoming Rap Music’s Rosie O’Donnell

Love him or hate him, Eminem quickly became one of rap’s most influential and definitive artists shortly after the release of his first studio album, “Infinite,” in 1996.

Many people pushed back on the singer for his most outrageous lyrics, expressly designed to offend, while others latched onto certain songs that seemed to elevate the rap genre as the Detroit native poetically revealed the inner turmoil of his life.

Over the years, Eminem won over many fans, even as a white artist working within a genre of music that had never taken white rappers very seriously. He eventually received mainstream award attention — and his music seemed to evolve and become more mature, honest, and emotional as he more often referenced his relationships with his mother and his daughter in his work.

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He even won over many non-rap fans when he made a hip-hop version of “Rocky” in 2002 called “8 Mile.” In this piece, Eminem — aka Marshall Mathers — starred as a version of himself, a struggling artist trying to make a career out of his music.

He spit fire. He was a young, edgy artist full of venom and energy, no matter how anyone felt about the actual music. However — no one stays young and angry forever.

At 45 years old, the energetic rapper whom some once loved and others once hated is now long gone. His maturing lyrics (after a brief retirement) have dissipated — and he’s now focused on politics.

Who would have thought that a man who once dissed the notion of celebrity in his music and sang about things this publication and many others could never reference would turn into a cranky middle-aged man with politics as tired and predictable as Rosie O’Donnell’s?

Eminem’s newest album, “Revival,” is politics-themed — and its release comes only weeks after the rapper blasted President Donald Trump in a prerecorded video aired during the BET Awards.

In a recent interview with Vulture, Eminem doubled down on his new political path — and made some rather contradictory remarks.

Related: Joy Villa Has Harsh Words for Eminem, the Anti-Trumper

Asked what he wants to see from a Trump presidency in 2018, the musician replied, “I hope he gets impeached. I’d be there for that.”

He also said Trump makes his “blood boil.”

“I can’t even watch the news anymore because it makes me too stressed out,” the rapper said. “I want our country to be great, too, I want it to be the best it can be, but it’s not going to be that with him in charge.”

He added, “I just feel mad that Trump’s sold people a dream that’s never coming true. I want the division in this country to stop. And like I said, I most want people to take a second and think about what I’m saying.”

It’s sad to see an influential artist fall into this trap.

So Eminem wants division in the country “to stop” — yet he’s promoting impeachment? That doesn’t sound helpful to the country. It sounds pretty divisive.

The rapper also appeared to diss any fans of his who were also supporters of the president. “I actually don’t know if I can see why people who relate to me feel like they can relate to him,” he said. “This is a guy who was born rich, who says he got a small loan from his father of a million dollars. Where I come from, a small loan is five f***ing dollars.”

Related: Eminem ‘Loses Himself’ in Anti-Trump Tirade

This shell of an artist who once changed the face of rap also told the “Shade 45” radio show that he was disappointed the president hasn’t responded to his BET Awards video — but he has lyrics ready if he does.

“I’m not going to give any away now, but I’ve got lines ready if he says something about me,” the rapper commented.

Eminem has now positioned himself as yet another polarizing anti-Trump celebrity with nothing but hollow thoughts on today’s politics. It’s sad to see an another influential artist fall into this trap.

A 45-year-old rapper with nothing left to say in his music is now waiting desperately to see if the president will respond to him so that his jump into politics can, in some way, be validated.

Note to Eminem: Keep waiting.

PopZette editor Zachary Leeman can be reached at [email protected]. 

(photo credit, homepage image: Eminem, CC 0, by Marshall Mathers / Donald Trump, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Gage Skidmore; photo credit, article image: Eminem performs during The Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C…, CC 0, by DoD News Features / Donald Trump, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Gage Skidmore)Any parties involved in this imagery do not imply endorsement.