Flow, Metric Complexity, and Text in Eminem

Abstract

Eminem (aka Marshall Mathers) has attracted much scholarly and media attention for his abilities as a rhymer as well as the controversial content of his lyrics and his possible cultural appropriation. This chapter fills a gap in Eminem scholarship by examining his use of the vocal groove classes described in Chapter 4. Specifically, it shows how Eminem sequences vocal grooves in a way that creates rhythmic narratives of accruing metric complexity (i.e., the proportion of accented syllables not aligned with the beat or a beat’s midpoint). These rhythmic narratives often support and even foreshadow narrative events in lyrics. By documenting correlations between Eminem’s lyrics and his rhythmic choices, the chapter shows a new way in which flow connects music to text. The chapter closes by reflexively considering the historically problematic relationship between the analysis of music complexity and Afro-diasporic music.