Controversy Sparks Over Comments On Eminem's Race and Rap Status
A debate over race has erupted in the hip hop community after remarks made by social media figure Dr. Umar Johnson on The Joe Budden Podcast.
In a video clip from the show, Dr. Umar rejects the notion that white rapper Eminem can be considered one of the greatest rappers. "No non-African can ever be the best of anything African," he declared.
Dr. Umar argued that hip hop was created by and for Black people. Therefore, in his view, a white artist like Eminem could never surpass Black rappers who originate from the culture itself.
The comments have echoes of past questions over Eminem's legitimacy in hip hop due to his race from critics like former rapper Lord Jamar.
But Dr. Umar's unequivocal statements on The Joe Budden Podcast take the racial arguments to another level. He compared it to a non-Palestinian or non-Israeli trying to be best at anything in those cultural contexts.
While shocking to some, Dr. Umar's sentiment speaks to a larger debate over racial authenticity in hip hop as the genre continues to cross color lines.
Eminem has responded to race-based attacks in the past in songs taking aim at Lord Jamar and others. But rappers like Lord Jamar have also referred to white rappers as "guests" in the Black-created artform of hip hop.
The recent statements have sparked familiar divisions over whether hip hop can ever fully transcend its racial origins. Dr. Umar's absolutist stance stands in contrast to more relativist perspectives on Eminem's undisputed skill as an MC.
Either way, his comments on The Joe Budden Podcast have stirred up intense feelings around race that are unlikely to fade from hip hop discourse anytime soon.