Eminem entered this year’s Rock Hall class and his fans feel like they got in with him.
Los Angeles — They came from far and wide to see Eminem be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Josh Lasure came from Wilsonville, Oregon, to attend Saturday’s ceremony in Los Angeles. Ryan Ehredt made the trip from central Illinois. And Christian Feyerabend flew overseas from Wuppertal, Germany, to see Marshall Mathers join the Rock Hall’s Class of 2022, a crowning achievement in the career of the Detroit rapper who’s already three-quarters of his way to an EGOT and is the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time.
One of Eminem’s most famous songs is « Stan, » about a fan who takes his obsession with the rapper several steps too far. In the time since the 2000 recording, « Stan » has become shorthand for a superfan of any musical artist, and it’s become a term that has become embraced, oddly enough, by fanbases across the pop music spectrum. « Stan » has even become a verb, as in, « I Stan Ed Sheeran » or « I Stan Harry Styles. »
Eminem’s Stans, as it were, are among the most loyal in music. They connect with his lyrics, his subject matter and his themes of rising above the obstacles thrown one’s way. And they were there to root on Em during his induction at Saturday night’s ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown L.A., as well as try to chase him down for an autograph or a picture after the show.
« I feel like he speaks to certain voices that aren’t always heard in hip-hop, » said Ehredt, 32, who was outside the Microsoft Theater after Saturday’s ceremony, trying to catch a glimpse of Em as he exited the building. Ehredt was wearing a shirt from the time he saw Eminem and Rihanna at Comerica Park in 2014, which he said was the best concert he’s ever seen. He said when he’s gone through various low points in his life, Eminem’s music has given him something to gravitate toward, something to hope for, something to relate to.
« I’ve looked to his music, and it made it better, » he said. « It feels like somebody relates to you, and says the things you can’t express yourself. You feel it. »
Ehredt bought tickets for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony as soon as they were made available in May when Em was announced as part of the induction class, as did Feyerabend, who has traveled all over the world to see Eminem.
Feyerabend, a dental technician, was introduced to Eminem’s music through his background in breakdancing. « Cleaning Out My Closet » was the first song he ever heard by the rapper, and he’s been hooked ever since. Earlier this year he traveled to New York to watch Em perform at the MTV Video Music Awards.
He called Saturday’s ceremony « awesome. »
« I would have come just to see him give a two-minute speech, » he said. « But it’s super legendary to get to see Eminem and Dr. Dre together. »
Lasure, 39, was hoping to get a piece of artwork signed by the rapper. The 39-year-old flew from Oregon to L.A. on Thursday and is staying until Tuesday. Prior to the show, he was still looking for a ticket, hoping to make his way into the show.
« I’ve been a fan of his since the beginning, » Lasure said. « We have a lot of the same struggles. And he puts so much into his music, using double and triple entendres in his lyrics. You can listen to a song 10 times and still hear something different you hadn’t picked up on before. He’s a genius. No one is better in rap, no one. »
Eminem gave a tip of his cap during Saturday’s star-studded, 5½-hour Rock Hall ceremony to a long list of his hip-hop idols, and credited them with not only his induction but with saving his life.
Em was inducted by his mentor, Dr. Dre, and he performed a medley of hits that included special appearances by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler (singing parts of his own « Dream On » during Em’s « Sing for the Moment ») and Ed Sheeran (who played the role of Dido on « Stan »).
The Detroit rapper then took the podium and rattled off a list of 100-plus artists from hip-hop’s golden age — listed in alphabetical order, starting numerically with 2 Live Crew and going down the line to YZ, touching along the way on biggies such as the Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and of course Dr. Dre — and said he wouldn’t be where he is without them.
« I realize what an honor it is right now for me to be up here tonight, and what a privilege it is to do the music that I love, and the music that basically saved my life, » Em said.
More:Eminem’s very long thank you list: His full Rock Hall induction speech
« I’m a high school dropout, man, with a hip-hop education, and these were my teachers, » he said, reading from behind a pair of black-framed eyeglasses. « And it’s their night just as much as it is mine. So thank you. »
Eminem joined a Rock Hall class that includes Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo, Judas Priest, Jimmy Iovine and others, while inductors included Bruce Springsteen, Janet Jackson, P!nk, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, John Mellancamp, Sheryl Crow and more. Additional famous faces at the ceremony included Olivia Rodrigo, Dave Grohl, Zac Brown, Gwen Stefani, Mary J. Blige and Brandi Carlile.
It was a celebration of music, diversity and the power of the arts to inform, heal and bring people together.
Several artists, Eminem included, spoke of not necessarily fitting underneath the « rock ‘n’ roll » banner, and Parton — who initially asked for her name to be removed from the Rock Hall ballot, since she doesn’t consider herself a part of rock ‘n’ roll — embraced her new designation wholeheartedly.
