The black vernacular versus a cracker's knack for verses

Abstract

This chapter focuses initially on the fact that rap is deeply rooted in black English, relating this to Eminem in the context of much information on the language of (Detroit) blacks. This linguistic excursion helps to understand how Eminem and hip hop managed to adopt each other. The second part of the chapter focuses on Eminem's craft. Much like Eminem consciously primes our subconscious brains with his lyrics, this chapter aims to make explicit a selection of what his fans already know implicitly. Specifically, by documenting some of the sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics in his music, the chapter contributes to an appreciation of Eminem, "the first poet laureate of the white working class."