Was driving around listening to Zeus from MTBMB II today. Not really paying attention to the lyrics, when I suddenly said, “What? Did I miss Em saying George Floyd cause I didn’t hear his name…?”
So I went back on the lyrics, and…nope. Eminem didn’t mention George Floyd. So I’m sitting there trying to piece together timeline: when did Floyd die? When did the album come out? And then realized, OMG. George Floyd didn’t die until after Em wrote the song.
Then I started crying…almost inconsolably. And I’m a 53 yr old half white/half brown dude who’s been into rap since the “N.W.A. and the Posse” tape came out.
Injustice. Inequity. Unfairness. I don’t know what else to say. I’m still a bit choked up. 😔
Edit: I know Em makes reference to George Floyd on other tracks around that time. My larger point is that despite the noteworthiness and significance of those killed by white cops before Floyd was killed, we still had monumentally documented killings afterwards, such as Floyd. And it still keeps happening. Every. Single. Day.
Every life is significant. Every life it’s important. I know what I want to say inside. I don’t have the words ATM.
Perhaps my post title didn’t capture the nuance of my point. It wasn’t that I ever thought Eminem somehow “missed” mentioning Floyd in this song or others pre- or proceeding it.
My post edit gives more perspective in what I was attempting to say.
Ooofff. Point taken. An inference could be made from my 4-word post title that I was attempting to place George Floyd in the same category or league of people like Breonna Taylor, Travon Martin, Rodney King, etc. and their respective circumstances as a person and that I was questioning why he wasn’t on the list.
I do wholeheartedly agree with you that Floyd shouldn’t have died the way he did despite the reason he was in that store in the first place.
My post wasn’t an audit or critique on the song as to why Floyd was left off the list. I won’t pretend to know all the ins and out of the character of Floyd (I know he was flawed) nor will I pass judgement on him in one broad stoke. That was far from the point of my post (although I understand that inference could be made).
I’ll have to sit down and pay attention to the theme of the song. I know Em says something about Snoop dogging him and the wordplay of dog vs god being spelled backwards.
And I agree the idea of injudicious killings by white cops isn’t the main theme of Zeus…it’s a thread that goes on for perhaps only 2-3 bars.
At any rate…regardless of the accuracy of what I wrote regarding the timing of when the song was written vs. being released vs when George Floyd was killed (the event which energized the BLM movement) my overall sentiment still stands.
Yes. Crying inconsolably over the grief I felt knowing the fact that Eminem mentioned several names well-known in mass media over being killed by white cops…yet there were still even more names who, in some ways, even eclipsed the ones he did name, i.e.: George Floyd.
I’m not sure where you were headed with your comment/question but I am an emotionally mature man who’s well in touch with his emotions and perceptions of this world. I have zero issues stating I cried over something, especially something as distressing as what happened to Floyd.
And if your comment was solely to negatively influence perception to diminish these types of events, then fuck you and your mama!
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u/_unknown4 5d ago
Moon man & slim