Whatever You Say I Am : The Life and Times of Eminem
by ANTHONY BOZZA
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (21 October, 2003)
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Reviews (11)

Bozza doesn't deliver on promise
The advance billing for this book made much out of author Bozza's 'unprecedented access' to Eminem, leading one to believe that we would be getting insight into the rapper's personal life and complex past that were previously unseen. Instead we get an extended version of interviews Bozza did with the rapper that have already been published in Rolling Stone. While we get a few more details of the actual interview encounters, there is no additional meat here. Nothing more on his complex history with his mother or his ex-wife, Kim; no insights into Eminem's day-to-day life now. What we do have in abundance is an analysis of Eminem's place in the complex culture of hip hop--particularly as a white man. However, when Bozza makes a comparison between Eminem and fellow causasian star Larry Bird, he misspells the the basketball player's last name as Byrd. Such a careless mistake takes weight away from all of his heavy ruminations. In short, if you're looking for a decent social history of hip hop focusing on Eminem's role, this is the book for you. Just don't expect a biography with 'unprecedented' personal details about the man.

More on culture than Eminem
This book is more focused on the hip-hop culture than Eminem. It does have some history of Eminem, but not enough for hard-core Eminem fans like myself, since most Eminem fans out there already know about Eminem's life thanks to biorythem: the old MTV biography show, and also stories told by Emimem himself.
It does follow Eminem to 8 Mile, and his struggles coming up into the rap world as a white MC, of course it was hard then, and for some it is still hard for some white MC's out there.
Now Bozza explains about the history of hip-hop and the culture throughout the book, and this is a good book to read for anyone older who want to understand hip-hop culture for what it is, and also some stuff about the controversal rapper himself. Nothing really major since most hard-core Eminem fans know about their favorite MC. A somewhat good book, but I just wish Bozza contreated more on Eminem than the hip-hop culture itself.

Not a bio.
This is a great book if you want to read about Eminem and the hip hop/rap history, but if you need to read a biography this isn't really the right book. The fisrt 2 or 3 pages of each chapter is about the time Bozza spent with Eminem, nothing about him. I am pretty much obsessed with Eminem, so I enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 1400050596
Sales Rank: 54482
Subjects:  1. (Musician)    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Composers & Musicians - General    7. Eminem    8. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    9. Genres & Styles - Rap & Hip Hop    10. History & Criticism - General    11. Popular Music    12. Rap musicians    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Eminem 2004 16 Month Wall Calendar
by Entertainment Calendars
Average Customer Review:
Calendar (August, 2003)
list price: $12.99
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Reviews (1)

I don't get it.
I was so disappointed that almost half the pictures looked like something I might have taken and the others looked professional...
I thought the calander defective or inadequately edited and he said it was just an artistic style; blue and blurry and that M is so on top of every area of his industry that he wouldn't allow anything less than exactly what he wants to be published. I'm not saying I have to like every one; lots of things I don't care for I can appreciate their quality.
I'm not an art expert; acually I think these popular calendars are marketed for us regular folks. They used to say that ... ... Read more

Isbn: 1587741199
Sales Rank: 426837

Vibe
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Magazine
list price: $32.90 -- our price: $9.95
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Editorial Review

Slicker and more uptown than competitors The Source and XXL, Vibe covers hip-hop culture in its many forms. The primary focus, of course, is music, but urban fashion also receives lavish treatment, and each issue contains a least a dash of movies, technology, sports, and politics. Celebrities tend to dominate its well-photographed and well-designed pages, but there's also room for more substantive fare (such as a touching report on "chickenheads"--rap-world groupies--who deserve better than they get from their often-abusive lovers). Covering a culture that is frequently misogynistic and homophobic, Vibe is both women- and gay-friendly, and surprisingly broad in its interpretation of who's cool enough for hip-hop: Elton John (for his Grammy duet with Eminem), maverick senator Jim Jeffords, and Seattle Mariners baseball star Ichiro Suzuki. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

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Reviews (18)

Highly entertaining!!
Vibe is the reason I read magazines! I have been a fan of Vibe since the first issue in 1993 and have been hooked ever since. It's insightful, refreshing, exciting and interesting all wrapped into one. In one article, Outkast's {who is one of my favorite rap groups}album was described as "more crunk with funk than 50 skunks in a trunk"! With interviews with top celebrities in fashion, music, and movies, Vibe is your one stop shop for all your latest entertainment needs. I love the often humor-filled, reader-written "20 Questions" along with the a spotlight on the up and coming acts. I even bought the tribute book by Vibe on Tupac Shakur. I highly recommend this magazine for anyone who loves any and every genre of music.

A decent staple of urban culture.
Within its few years since inception, Vibe magazine has grown to be a staple in urban/hip-hop culture. To its credit, Vibe covers considerable ground: r&b, neo soul, hip hop and reggae. Its focus is music, but it also reaches out to cinema, current events, sports, and television. Apparently, Vibe isn't afraid to push the envelope and tackle non-mainstream issues: they even did an article on hip hop culture in the Black gay community, which ended up being one of the very best articles the magazine has published. While Vibe is often guilty of hyping "hot" artists that are of dubious quality (Ashanti, Destiny's Child, etc), they also feature articles on talented artists that have yet to make it big. Overall, this magazine comes with my stamp of approval.

man
man i love this but some of the items are to high and my wife dont like dat so please lower dem or i will sue u alright. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7TE
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music    3. Literature Of Music   

Rolling Stone
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Magazine
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Editorial Review

Founder and publisher Jann S. Wenner's brainchild remains the standard by which rock & roll magazines are measured, though even its most fervent boosters would concede there've been some growing pains for RS as it's strived to remain relevant through the decades. The erstwhile baby-boomer bible mixes fleshy covers of today's alluring celebs with coverage of graying rockers from the magazine's heyday. In addition to celebrity interviews, stalwart features such as CD reviews and Random Notes (the mag's long-running gossip section) provide familiar reading for older readers, as does the publication's superior political and cultural coverage. But the bulk of Rolling Stone's features are aimed at the younger pop-culture set. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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Reviews (122)

Not As Good As it Used to Be
I have been a faithful subscriber to RS for almost twenty years, and I have witnessed the magazine slowly transform from a credible rock and roll journal to the music equivilent of Tiger Beat. In the 1980s, Rolling Stone's passion was music, and it often gave well-deserved nods to artists that were on the cutting edge: U2, Prince, REM, the Smiths, and so on. These days, its attempts to sell copies are getting more desperate as they feature people like Britney, NSYNC, and BSB on their cover sometimes as much as twice a year. I have nothing against teen pop; after all, RS gave Duran Duran a cover story in the 1980s. But it's troubling to see a magazine follow trends when they used to create them.

The record reviews are, for the most part, dubious. Rob Sheffield is one of the usual suspects. Three-and-a-half stars for Britney and Destiny's Child? More trustworthy critics include longtime writer David Fricke, Anthony DeCurtis, and Barry Walters. These guys seem to know what they're talking about when they review records.

The only section of the magazine worth reading is the movies section by Peter Travers, a critic I may not always agree with but one I do respect. Travers has enough heart to go against the grain of public opinion by trashing shallow, self-important, corporate driven, Holllywood movies. It really seems that he is criticizing the very hype machine the rest of Rolling Stone seems to embrace.

All in all, RS has its moments, but its getting disappointing within recent years. Here's hoping it can regain the edge it once had back in the 1970s and 1980s.

You can't really blame them...
Blame the music industry that's producing the crappy music out there... How is a magazine whose sole purpose is music, supposed to survive when the music out there sucks? The magazine was successful when music was at its peak, and now that music is not so great it's hurting. I still respect them for having politically insightful articles. At least they're trying to educate people. Despite the 'crisis' in the music industry (it's no longer about the music, now it's about the money), they still managed to survive. I say more power to you Rolling Stone! And expose the evil doings of the music industry!

Who is really at fault here?
I would like to take a moment to defend Rolling Stone. I understand what you all are saying, and in general, i agree. Too many ads, talentless pretty faces on the cover. But it still has really interesting in depth political articles, news, and fair music and movie reviews, as well as beautiful photography. It sounds to me like most of you are just bitter about the state of popular music today, which is not Rolling Stone's fault. They cover popular music, they don't create it. Altogether, an interesting, worthwile read for any music fan. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7SJ
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music