Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem

by Anthony Bozza

Book Overview

does eminem matter?

On assignment for his first cover story for Rolling Stone, the very first national cover story on Eminem, Anthony Bozza met a young blond kid, a rapper who would soon take the country by storm. But back in 1999, Eminem was just beginning to make waves among suburban white teenagers as his first single, "My Name Is," went into heavy rotation on MTV.

Who could have predicted that in a mere two years, Eminem would become...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400053803
• ISBN13: 9781400053803
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

whatever you say I am

This is a great book about eminem it the story is about a man who had interviewd him and it goes into personal stuff

Not a bio.

This is a great book if you want to read about Eminem and the hip hop/rap history, but if you need to read a biography this isn't really the right book. The fisrt 2 or 3 pages of each chapter is about the time Bozza spent with Eminem, nothing about him. I am pretty much obsessed with Eminem, so I enjoyed this book.

Not as bad as others say...

The book isn't really a bio of Eminem, its more of how Eminem affected hip-hop. Looking at it that way, its quite good and accomplishes what it set out to do. Bozza has met Eminem various times and starts off each chapter with a meeting of Eminem before going on to describing something else (like how hip-hop originated) for a few pages then getting back on how Eminem affected that.Not a bad book but definitely not a bio.

The Eminem prism

I have read a lot of the reviews posted about this book, and I think a lot of viewpoints are slightly skewed. This book is entitled "The Life and Times of Eminem" for a reason. Bozza essentially takes a look at Eminem's career through the eyes of the artist. American culture during certain periods of time influences how well unprecedented forms of media are accepted, as some sort of esoteric country club of pop culture. I thought it was fascinating to see how Eminem fed off all of the feedback he received, both positive and negative, in ways I never knew. Bozza ties Eminem's life into his music and America's perception of him. Bozza gives only slight hints at the past life of Eminem because any more details and it would drag on like any other biography. Read Marilyn Manson's autobiography and you'll get the same thing - bits and pieces of Brian's life that were integral to who he has become. I think that Bozza's style and flow in the book is impeccable, and his taste for exactly how much to include about Eminem's life and what parallels to draw made me understand Eminem's life with much more clarity. Who cares if Bozza misspells the name of a basketball player when it's not his main focus; it doesn't dispel his credibility as a music journalist (or a journalist at all for that matter). Look at the book as a prism of Eminem -one person showing multiple facades that shine down over American culture, and you will learn to appreciate the novel. "The Life and Times of Eminem" indeed shows how the artist's life was inevitably connected to the "times" of American Culture as he became a rising star. Bravo, Bozza!

Eminem in Context

If you're looking for a light pop culture, tabloid style biography of Eminem-this is not the book for you.Instead we have a well laid-out mini-biography of Eminem that places him within the context of American society and current popular culture. It also serves to put Eminem in context within hip-hop history and culture, discussing racial themes and how Eminem has managed to succeed in a predominately black arena, both because of and despite his race.There are a few key drawbacks, though. First, the book is clearly pro-Eminem. I certainly did not want to read a lot of Eminem bashing, being a fan. But the lack of any real criticism is telling-especially given the controversy surrounding him. Second, occasionally I think the author stretches logic a bit with some of the parallels he draws between the rise and success of Eminem within the context of American culture at large. Finally, the author relies a great deal on the commentary of music critics. It would have been nice to see a broader array of views outside the music industry than is offered here.Nevertheless, this book does succeed as a mini-biography of Eminem and hip-hop history, so for those interested , I would recommend the book.