- Title: GERMANY: CONTROVERSIAL RAP STAR EMINEM STARTS EUROPEAN CONCERT TOUR IN HAMBURG
- Date: 30th January 2001
- Summary: HAMBURG, GERMANY (JANUARY 31, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (PERFORMANCE CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR RESALE) VARIOUS SHOTS OF EMINEM ON STAGE PERFORMING AND FANS SCREAMING
- Embargoed: 14th February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HAMBURG, GERMANY.
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA7KDE33UCG2T5RRI4WJZPWJU53
- Story Text: Controversial rap star Eminem wowed his German fans as he kicked off his much anticipated European tour in Hamburg last night. The 26-year old, who's in the running for four Grammy's is set to turn in more high octane performances at sold-out gigs in Oslo, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Paris and the UK.
Despite facing lawsuits from both his mother and wife and the threat of being imprisoned on an assault charge, things couldn't be better for Eminem. The rap star is rarely out of the headlines, and the constant controversy over violent, sexist and homophobic lyrics has done nothing to hurt his record sales - the high school loser from a trailer park is now estimated to be worth around $50million.
His recent single "Stan", which was an international chart topper, won him many new fans despite it's shocking theme, the story of an obsessed fan who's anger when his idol fails to reply to his fanmail drives him to kill himself and his pregnant girlfriend.
"The song "Stan" was made a, because I thought it would be a crazy concept, B, because I get a lot of fan letters from some crazy fans and c, it was a message to my critics saying that regardless of what you may think about me of what I say in my lyrics, it was showing a real side of me."
Despite the amount of criticism leveled at him, Eminem refuses to tone down, and uses his songs as a platform to retaliate - but he is aware of the responsibility of his position, as a artist and a father.
"I mean responsibility is just part of life, I believe that having my little girl was a wake up call for me to get my ass in gear, to do something, to make something of my life, which made me try even ten kadrillion times harder to make something of myself."
At the kick off of his European tour in Hamburg, as the young fans chanted along, the massive appeal he holds for the younger generation was clear.
" I don't have to say anything to my fans about my music and try to explain it, because they get it, and that's why they are fans, as far as adults and older people who just don't understand or critics who don't get my music, I don't need to explain to them neither because they don't get it."
Judging by his sell-out tour, quadruple Grammy nominations and multi-platinum record sales, enough people "get" Eminem's music to keep him at the front of the hip-hop scene for the foreseeable future.
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