Elvis Presley has a complicated and problematic legacy. Affectionately referred to as “The King” by his diehard fans, Presley has long been accused of not only stealing from Black music but also being a racist. In the late 1950s, Presley was allegedly heard saying, “The only thing a Black woman can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes,” but the rumor had no factual basis.
During a 1957 interview with Jet Magazine, Presley denied saying anything of the sort, explaining at the time, “I never said anything like that, and people who know me know I wouldn’t have said it.” Even so, the Hip Hop community historically rejected Presley as any kind of “king.”
As Public Enemy’s Chuck D famously rapped on the 1988 single “Fight The Power” from It Takes A Nation Of Millions … To Hold Us Back, “Elvis was a hero to most/But he never meant shit to me you see/Straight up racist that sucker was/Simple and plain,” to which Flavor Flav added, “Muthafuck him and John Wayne.”
Eminem, who is undeniably Hip Hop’s most successful white MC, is also consistently accused of stealing from Black culture. On Thursday (June 16), Slim Shady shared his new collaboration with Cee-Lo Green “The King and I,” which is taken from the forthcoming film Elvis directed by Baz Luhrmann. In the third verse, Slim Shady makes a bold admission over a sample of Presley’s 1957 classic “Jailhouse Rock.”
“I stole black music, yeah true,” he raps. “Perhaps used it (For what?) as a tool to combat school/Kids came back on some bathroom shit/Now I call a hater a bidet (Why?)/’Cause they mad that they can’t do shit (Haha).”
He also drew parallels between himself and Presley with, “Now I’m about to explain to you all the parallels/Between Elvis and me, myself/It seem obvious: one, he’s pale as me/Second, we both been hailed as kings/He used to rock the Jailhouse, and I used to rock The Shelter/We sell like Velveeta Shells & Cheese (Woo!) (Let’s go!).”
In the same aforementioned Jet Magazine article, it was said Presley regularly paid homage to his “Black roots” and claimed “he could never hope to equal the musical achievements of Fats Domino or the Inkspot’s Bill Kenny.” But still, many thought Presley’s status as a musical and cultural icon was primarily due to the color of his skin, a sentiment echoed by those who also question Eminem’s success.
The writer of the story, Louie Robinson, ultimately concluded: “To Elvis, people are people regardless of race, color or creed.”
Jack Harlow, one of few white rappers dominating the Billboard charts these days, has faced similar allegations. In April, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Punch tweeted about the validity of the Kentucky rapper’s success after Harlow’s “First Class” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“It’s really crazy how exceptional we have to be as oppose to other folks,” he tweeted. “They just need a C+ average basically. If that. We really have to talk about it at some point.”
He continued, “Kendrick is fine. He’s been going hard at a high level from 04-2018 as far as output. He can take as much time as he wants. But he’s also experienced C+ artist get more acclaim and opportunity than his A+ efforts. Look at his first Grammy experience. I guess I wasn’t really clear here because a lot of ppl missed the point. Racism. Systemic racism. That’s the point.”
TDE's Punch Drags Macklemore & Kendrick Lamar Into Race Debate After Jack Harlow's 'First Class' Single Hits No. 1
As for Eminem, he routinely cops to being a “guest” of Hip Hop culture. During a February 2020 interview with KXNG Crooked, he was asked how he felt about his position in the rap industry.
“I don’t know if I got a chance to say this yet,” he replied. “The funny shit is, with the whole beef a certain person [Lord Jamar], I never said I wasn’t a guest. I’m absolutely a guest. I never said I wasn’t. I never said I was king of anything, right? I had a song called ‘Kings Never Die’ … that was the concept of the song. I’m like, “I can’t say I’m the king of Hip Hop, so I threw Run-DMC in there, Jam Master Jay.
“I don’t want to be the king of Hip Hop. Who the fuck is the king of Hip Hop? Is there a king of Hip Hop? People say, ‘Just because you sell the most records doesn’t mean you’re the best. Even though you can rap 40 million syllables doesn’t mean you’re the best.’ I care more rhyming the syllables. I care more about the craft than any of the other stuff.”
Elvis stars newcomer Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Helen Thomson. The film hits theaters nationwide on June 24.
The irony that people hate on Em because he’s white.
Is “Now I call a hater a bidet (Why?)/’Cause they mad that they can’t do shit (Haha).” a dope line? Has nothing to do with him being white. The man is whack now. He was dope now he’s trash.
I was going to say only his stans and weirdo stan boys jerk off one these corny lines. They always bring race but dudes like Apathy, Vinnie Paz etc make dope music.
Apathy and Paz both think Em is dope lol
LOLOL that was a perfect response
Is that you Game?
Will this guy go away? He’s the complete opposite of what actually got him into the game and it’s sad to even hear his horrible music now.
Don’t be mad Benzino :c
Sounds like you listen to it though..so why? You’re like the other idiot in here. You know no matter what he says you’re going to trash talk it. Move on to an article that’s about an artist you actually like.
Is anyone honest with this guy in the studio? “Now I call a hater a bidet (Why?)/’Cause they mad that they can’t do shit (Haha).” This is honestly horrible.
No. Nobody is honest with him. Proof used to be that guy. Em even said it in a song. Im flabbergasted that Mr Porter or Royce havent taken that roll though.
Everytime when people are honest he gets bitter and makes corny diss songs about people or rants by his one-sided interviews with Sway where he asks only questions he approves.
Omg seriously the Sway interview?? Did you ever think the questions that were asked are questions that other people have been asking him for years? You’re so busy trying to bring him down at every turn you just sound like a butt-hurt idiot
he said ‘haha’ after that line. he knew that line was shit (pun intended)
It’s like he is the only rapper that can’t have fun with it. All his verses need to be perfect or people like you take it as an opportunity to try and bring him down. Don’t listen to the track and why the hell are you even here? Hater
WTF is black music ? Music isn’t a color, its a fucking sound.
Its music created to Express the bullshit my people been put through, folk, rock, blues, jazz, and now rap which is taken by white artists to continue making money off slaves
So only ‘your people’ can express the bullshit they’ve been through? Making money off slaves…dude move past it. The rest of us have. If you don’t start living in the here and now you will always be expressing the bullshit your people have been through. Not a happy life to live.
Eminem is the GOAT. Shady back with another classic
Dope song its fun, catchy, and banger. I though Em already lost his ability to craft banger because he always did rappity rap these days. Love these wordplay/homophones as well
miss the meaner / misdemeanours
felonies / fell on knees
Suboxene / still boxing
Kids came back on some bathroom shit
Now I call a hater a bidet (Why?)
‘Cause they mad that they can’t do shit (Haha)…. “Do Shit” is a homophones for “Douche it”…. Bidet is a bathroom fixture used especially for bathing the external genitals and the anal region. It is usually used after you’ve taken a shit. Also, check the word play with the homophones bidet and but they. Also but and butt. Also, you cannot shit in a bidet which goes with they can’t do shit part.
That shit was weak af
Nothing is worse than when someone EXPLAINS a corny Eminem line like we didn’t understand the double meaning. We got it. It doesn’t change the fact is wack
I know what’s worse. Someone saying Eminem’s bars are corny…again. Ya some are. So? I find his corny side hysterical. Why people say that Em’s bars are corny somehow mean he’s not a great rapper. I wonder what you have to say when his bars hit hard. You’re pretty quiet then aren’t you.
Some self-loathing shit right there. Hate to see one of the best to do it sabotage himself and his legacy.
he already admitted that 20 years + ago in “Without Me.”
Dude ain’t gotta apologize. A white person invented basketball and football, yet they are played mostly by black people.
Oh please, if Kendrick dropped that biday line half you wouldn’t have noticed and the other half would have applauded. You nitpick Eminem because it’s trendy. Most of old school hip hop is puns and similes. Multiple standards going here.
Did you forget that people pick apart every verse from Kendrick’s work? Yes, they would’ve did the same for him.
“Kids came back on some bathroom shit/Now I call a hater a bidet (Why?)/’Cause they mad that they can’t do shit (Haha).” That line is so corny…
Line is a little corny but he didn’t even quote it correctly. It’s “Kids came back on some bathroom shit/Now I call a hater a bidet/Cause they mad “but dey” can’t do shit”. Smh at least get the lyrics right if your gonna criticize
So if a Chinese guy started singing Spanish music and just shredded the competition, would Spanish people be like WTF? Lol it’s funny when I think about it that way. Bravo to Eminem for breaking records and the whole game up for decades. That’s dope!! He’s still going stronger in this shit. Even more impressive. When h8rs say Em stole their music, how is he taking money out your pocket? Isn’t he putting a shit ton when he makes a track with you? Are you not good enough to get someone’s dollar or stream because they would rather play his song? Isn’t he bringing customers to the rap scene? Shitty arguments.
Eminem is so pathetic with his constant self owns lol. Hiphop is more so American culture than black culture. And even then, it isn’t stealing someone else’s culture to imitate it. I’m not “appropriating” or “stealing” Japanese culture when I make some homemade sushi. The thing about culture is that ALL cultures are a Mashup of dozens of cultures that shared things over the centuries. Example. Most Americans speak English. The black people don’t speak a different language for the most part. Most Italians speak English too, not Italian. It would be like saying a great black pianist is stealing European culture. It’s not stealing. It’s culture. It’s for all to divulge in.
Hiphop is hands down black culture. Look at the modern greats. Lizzo, Cardi B, Lil Nas X. They perfectly embody modern day African American culture.
LOLOLOL Now i know you’re kidding
It’s not stealing. It’s enjoying it. We are all humans. We SHARE culture with all of humanity. You like the food that people of my ethnic background eat? Then try the recipes out. Put your own spin on it. Enjoy it. I’m Italian, and I jave no issue with some black dudes making some great Italian food. Culture doesn’t belong to any ethnicity or group of people. Black men dominate pro basketball, and white men started it and used to dominate it. The black men didn’t steal anything. They found a sport they enjoyed and did it better than most white men could. That’s what eminem did to some degree, though his place in the top 10 is subjective and arguable of course. Either way, he’s been one of the more influential hiphop artists throughout history.
You gotta love stupid people. They’re the ones that write stupid articles like this for clicks, while we sit back and just laugh at them.
I like how when someone like Eminem says this, you people will go up and arms to defend him, but when a black person says it, you will be very quick to agree and bash or mock them. It happens often on this hateful site full of hypocrites.
Explain how this is hypocritical. You got Eminem who is self loathing due to his skin color and success. Compared to other attacking him due to his skin color and success. Where’s the hypocrisy? What you said was a straw man argument.
Now I want to see a article with that same energy and complaining about the problematic nature of all these non White people playing all these Sports created by White people because all of you are Guests in Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Hockey, NASCAR, Skiing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding and every other sport created by White people, these are OURS. As y’all like to say “it doesn’t matter how good you are at it, you didn’t create it so it’s NOT yours and you’re just a guest and don’t deserve to be there in the first place cause you’re stealing.” If you disagree you’re being a Racist Hypocrite with double standards. Fuck off.
You’re as “lame” as this article is fool! If somebody of any color wants to participate in something created by another culture because they love it, respect it and are good at it, it should be appreciated rather than ridiculed. GTFOH with this race this, race that inferiority complex BS. This shit is embarrassing!!! There’s enough hate and divisiveness in this world.
its conspiracy its like elvis and rock and roll
Elvis loved the black community as did Em. Lots of Jealousy of their massive success