In the modern globalizing world, one of the most significant influences on society is made by people of popular culture. Celebrities in music, cinematography, and arts have become heroes for different generations of people, consequently impacting their minds and lifestyle. One of such heroes of age is a hip-hop artist named Eminem, also known as Marshall Bruce Mathers III. He has written many famous songs like “Rap God,” “Godzilla,” and “Lose Yourself.” This essay will analyze one of those famous compositions – “Not Afraid.”
“Not Afraid” is a song with a strong anti-substance abuse message which is why it deserves significant social attention. Eminem obtained his first large audience through “Lose Yourself,” – an Oscar award-winning song from the movie called “8 mile”. This song brought Eminem a Grammy award as well as great popularity. It also showed that the rapper uses personification and an image of social problems in his songs. “Not Afraid” was released in 2010 with the album “Recovery,” which signifies that Eminem has ended drugs and violence. Some lyrics in the song that points to this idea are
“It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you”.
Figurative language used in the song serves as an example of using poetry in the hip-hop genre. For instance, Eminem uses the word “storm” in chorus to symbolize life obstacles or societal issues. The song’s sound is dark but hopeful, which might confuse the listener who takes the theme of “Christian Rap.” Mixing the sound and genres and using different poetic instruments helps Eminem make music beloved by millions and allows him to set an example for younger artists.
Some of the lyrics in “Not Afraid” are similar to the ideas of “Lose Yourself,” which show the rapper’s disagreement with some of the societal norms. Eminem was one of the first white rappers who had to take a stand against stereotypes in the music industry, and it can be seen that his rage has not changed over time in “Not Afraid”:
“You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay ’em
But you won’t take the sting out these words before I say ’em
’Cause ain’t no way I’m a let you stop me from causin’ mayhem”.
This song is relevant to the global problem of drug abuse. According to Nawi et al. (2021), 5.6% of the population aged 15-64 tried drugs at least once in 2016. Moreover, the research found that drug use in Asian countries for groups aged 15-30 rises (Nawi et al., 2021). Existence of such research in recent years also shows that the problem is actual today. The consequences of drug abuse affect those who use drugs and their families, making the target group more significant. Eminem emphasized this in “Not Afraid” when he promised to keep his responsibility as a father. Therefore, this song is culturally and personally significant to the singer because it highlights a global issue.
To conclude, Eminem’s “Not Afraid” is a strong hip-hop composition relevant to the global social issue of drug abuse. I chose this song because I like the way it sounds. The song has a deep and sad, at the same time hopeful sound with thought-provoking lyrics, which makes it one of the best in the genre. “Not Afraid” serves hip-hop by introducing new sounds and serves society by telling the story of recovery from drug abuse.
Reference
Nawi, A. M., Ismail, R., Ibrahim, F., Hassan, M. R., Manaf, M. R. A., Amit, N.,… & Shafurdin, N. S. (2021). Risk and protective factors of drug abuse among adolescents: a systematic review. BMC public health, 21(1), 1-15.