Not Afraid: The Evolution of Eminem

Dont expect to learn anything new about Eminem reading this book. Although it is described as an intimate look at his personal and spiritual growth, sadly it is neither one. Its mostly a description of the songs from each of his albums and a reciting of events with each album release, starting with Encore. When the book does touch on the events from Ems personal life, it draws on old interviews about well-known events (such as his drug addiction). The book goes off topic several times, generically describing the nature of fame, the history of white artists in hip hop, and a completely unrelated section on the history of Autotune. The only saving grace to the book is the insights provided by his close associates. There we get a small glimpse into the private world of Marshall Mathers. Unfortunately the interview quotes from Royce da 59, Paul Rosenberg and Denaun Porter are few and far between.

Unlike some, I don’t follow Eminem’s career too closely and only managed to catch up on all of his music since Encore over the past year and a half. I had a lot to digest musically. This book was a good guide through all the years I missed in Eminem’s career. While some would argue the whole chapter on Auto-tune seems out of place, I think it provides a good perspective on where the world of hip-hop was and continues to grow. It provided an additional aspect on what Eminem had to contend with musically as the world of hip-hop had shifted. I was glad that the writer had noticed the story arc of what Eminem had done from Relapse to Kamikaze. I think many people have missed the beautiful story Eminem wove. If you listen to each album on their own, it’s an incomplete picture of the man but if you listen to the albums back to back you are presented with a wonderful musical tapestry of a man rebuilding his life, learning about himself and coming to terms with his past and what lies ahead for the future. While this book is a re-hash of some interviews, a look at the world of hip-hop at the time of Eminem’s album releases, there are glimpses into a man who devotes so much of his life and passion into his craft. This book was a pleasant read and for diehard fans this book may not be worth reading but for the casual fan like myself, this was a welcome read. This isn’t an autobiography but it provides enough insight into a man that has battled demons and came back swinging.

I bought the hardcover book because I thought “Not Afraid: The Evolution of Eminem” would be an autobiography that picks up where the book “The Way I Am” left off. Instead it is a scientific analysis of Eminem and how his life experiences affected the music he created from 2009 to the present.

If you are an avid Eminem fan, the information in this book is not new. Even the pictures are ones every news outlet as shown before.

If you want to read about the production of his albums from Relapse on up, go ahead and read this book. If you’re looking to learn more about the artist himself, don’t bother. The quotes from Eminem are from old interviews, and the author relies on lyrics to provide “insight” into what was going on with/for Eminem at the time of each album. I devour multiple biographies a year, and I was really looking forward to this one. I’m really bummed that I got my hopes up, and that I wasted $17 on a book that I might not finish, let alone read twice.

It talks alot more about hip hop as a whole and less about Em. I’m disappointed. It does talk about Em, but it’s more about the history of hip hop.

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