50 Cent compares 2Pac & Eminem’s lyrical approach
50 Cent shares his thoughts on how race impacts an artist’s approach in the process of writing, using 2Pac and Eminem as examples. During a recent conversation with Brian J. Roberts, Fif highlighted the two rappers’ respective classics, “Dear Mama” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” in his explanation.
“I’ll pick two Hip Hop artists that have been profound and really prolific artists within our culture that were very similar but tapped into different responses,” he explained. “So Eminem’s mom, the drug usage was part of it and he would do: ‘Sorry, momma / I never meant to hurt you / I never meant to make you cry / But tonight, I’m cleaning out my closet.’
“And then 2Pac’s mom also has some drug usage involved in her experience, and he said: ‘Even though you was a crack fiend, momma / You always was a Black Queen, mama.’”
He added: “I think the tones of anger and the difference in the two of them are that Em’s anger is coming from things were supposed to be right, and 2Pac’s statement almost has terms of endearment in there because he’s like, ‘Well, we still all had.’
“The expectations of things going right from a white American perspective versus accepting the idea of things not going right from an African-American perspective are what make the difference in the tones of those records.”