The most interesting element of Eminem's music is the multiplicity of
narrative identities. Though common in
Hip-Hop, the establishment of various distinct lyrical personalities is especially important to an understanding of Eminem's content. The "
Slim Shady" persona, for example, is usually the one spewing
misogynistic,
homophobic, violent rhymes, while "Eminem" and "
Marshal Mathers" are more restrained, even occasionally contemplative.
The contemporary post-modern artistic fascination with varying degrees of reality and authenticity can be seen in movies like "Fight Club" and "American Psycho," in which the general frustration of the white male is manifested through an indeterminate mixture of deulsion, fantasy, and violence. At the core of these films is a suggestion that the psychotic machinations of the mind are as real as external reality, and that their influence on one's behavior can be quite profound.
In this context, the varying identities Eminem utilizes seem to be a reflection of his struggle with fragmented, insurgent internal emotions. In the post-modern era, this struggle resonates a great deal with most people (violent high school fantasies, pathologically depraved daymares, etc.)