Eminem, the popular white-male rapper in the US, has been using misogynistic and homophobic “hate speech” in his lyrics since his debut. However, many accusations about such speech were eventually replaced by positive evaluations. In what kind of situations were such positive interpretations of his lyrics made? This article discusses how his “hate speech” was interpreted as an element of hip-hop/rock by indexes of musical authenticity and legitimacy, by analyzing relevant articles in American hip-hop/rock music magazines.

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