Rap rebel’s rebirth as a nostalgic favourite
Eminem Reading Festival
When Eminem first headlined Reading in 2001, he was a maverick choice. Back then, he was at the height (some would even dare say zenith) of his career as the controversial ambassador for white rappers who, with his first two major label albums, had pushed hip-hop ever further into the mainstream and become the world’s biggest-selling rap artist.
Now, on his third Reading appearance (his second was in 2013), he is part of the old guard – perhaps even a typically staid choice for a festival whose line-up seems increasingly out of sync with its teenage audience. Looking at the crowd – who sported more braces than beards – we might wonder if relative newcomers such as Drake or Kano would be better poised to take to the main stage. But this was not the case. The young audience were crammed tight and full of enthusiasm.
When Marshall Mathers burst on to the stage he did so with a joyous urgency that reassured the crowd that he’d returned to form. The trademark peroxide buzz cut was swapped out for a cap and a ginger beard. But his ability to convey the pathos of a song through his voice, facial expression and body popping remains unparalleled.
Eminem’s lyrics, which were considered controversial even back in his heyday, have aged more than his fellow headliners – ricocheting between misogyny, drug abuse and homophobia. (This is becoming increasingly apparent at a time when younger counterparts such as Stormzy’s lyrics champion feminism.) But there were signs that the former enfant terrible of the charts has changed tack.
He sported a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Fack Trump” and delivered an impassioned speech about the current state of political affairs. The 44 year-old also warned earnestly against drink-driving – oblivious to the kamikaze fan dangling from dizzyingly high scaffolding.
This was a set crafted for the casual fan and featuring all his biggest hits. Most of his back catalogue was forged before this audience was born, and it was clear that they were raised on these tracks. The reception for The Monster, his chart-topping collaboration with Rihanna, was equal to the rousing, angst-ridden encore of 2003’s Lose Yourself, showing the breadth of Eminem’s career.
He bounced through chart hits and album tracks with purposeful direction, spitting lyrics with a playful intensity that had the 80,000 strong crowd bouncing and rapping along. This was a set that announced the return of a rap icon, marrying nostalgia with fresh enthusiasm.
There were points where backing tracks hinted at some of the set being prerecorded – accusations of miming have been made of his live shows before. But that didn’t detract from the animated spectacle of Eminem’s performance, complete with light show and fireworks.
One thing is for certain, where he was once one of mainstream music’s black sheep, Eminem is now firmly part of pop culture canon.