IT’S ALL ABOUT SLIM SHADY IN MUMBAI

“So won’t the real slim shady please stand up? Please stand up” The bespectacled young man went on in his rather nasal high pitched voice. It was Saturday night, and the tiny suburban lounge in Mumbai was filled with young people waiting in anticipation for their track to be played. Karaoke nights are a real big deal in Mumbai where people on rare occasions decide to set everything aside and really let go.

The juke box waiting count had reached 400 but the requests just kept pouring in. As songs sung and re-sung slowly began losing the crowd’s attention, this one in particular managed to grab it back just in time. All the energy and enthusiasm that had somewhere died down reverberated right back. The crowd sang along in one voice.There were obviously those who found it hard to keep up with the fast beat rap song, but that didn’t put an end to the fun they seemed to be having. No other artist could have created that magic but Eminem.

This multi-talented singer most fondly referred to as ‘Slim Shady’, became most popular among the Indian youth as his songs propagated change and freedom. Eminem’s album Curtain Call was a huge success among Indian audiences. His songs were an open entry into his life. We know him not just as an icon to look up to but as a person who’s been dealing with life’s problems just like any of us. It’s probably why people resonated with him so much. Ask the city’s youth their take on Eminem, and you have my word, this is what they’re going to tell you. As the popularity of this icon rose, the Bollywood industry was seen appreciating his work with so much hospitality. A popular talk show with VJ Lola Kutty on Channel V used Eminem’s song Slim Shady to create their own theme song which was being sung by Indians all over. It’s not just his songs that found their way into the minds of the Indian youth, but it was the man himself. Whether it was his dressing sense, the brand of shoes he wore, or the ‘Beats’ headphones that became his trademark, we adopted it all. Even the Eminem hair-do could be seen sported by young boys.Well, if that wasn’t enough, he redefined rap music for the Indians. Seen merely as a way to rebel, he changed that to pure love for the art. And one thing I’m certainly sure of, as I sit here writing this article, while listening to Shady’s music there are millions out there doing the same.They certainly don’t call him the ‘Rap God’ for nothing, do they?

-Riviera Vaz