Many critics have analysed the deep and fruitful musical works of Eminem from a plethora of unique perspectives, and each of those critics have provided a compelling insight into the mind of the much maligned superstar. However, I’d like to assess the aforementioned works from the relatively unique standpoint of Freudian psychology, focusing on Eminem’s portrayal of three distinct personalities, which accurately depict Freud’s structured model of the human psyche.
Freud’s theory suggested that the human personality consists of three elements, the Id, the Ego, and the Super-Ego, each of which contribute to the development of a healthy psychological (un)consciousness, and we may see those elements portrayed through the characters of Slim Shady, Eminem, and Marshall Mathers.
Naturally, Eminem’s debut album, ‘The Slim Shady LP’, primarily features the character of Slim Shady, who bears close resemblance to the Freudian Id. According to Freud, the Id is the element of the human psyche that is concerned primarily, and exclusively, with the realisation of “instinctive needs” and “primitive desires”. The Id is chaotic, it rejects routine and regimen; lacks self-awareness, it possesses no comprehension of danger or shame; and is amoral, it seeks to obtain gratification by any means necessary.
‘My Name Is’ provides the perfect introduction to the character of Slim Shady, and presents many of the traits, present within the Id, which may be attributed to said character. The unstructured, chaotic, and amoral, pursuit of the gratification of primeval desires is conspicuously evident in each verse, as Slim discusses self-mutilation, reckless sexual activity, drink-driving, and even abusing his own fans.
Such discourse is present throughout the album, and most vividly so in ‘Guilty Conscience’, which details three distinct moments in the lives of three conflicted characters, each one as objectionable as the last. Whilst Dr. Dre represents each character’s voice of reason, providing a calming presence and attempting to dissuade them from doing something which they may later regret, Slim Shady, encapsulating the characteristics of the Freudian Id, wholeheartedly endorses bank robberies, rape, and decapitation. Evidently, the gratification of instinctual desires, primarily sexual, is perpetually on the forefront of Slim’s mind, and he appears incapable of comprehending the consequences of the actions which he is endorsing, on a personal, or a social, level.
In stark contradiction, Eminem’s sophomore studio album ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ features the character of Marshall Mathers, and presents many of the same traits as the Freudian Super-Ego. According to Freud, the Super-Ego is the portion of the human psyche that is most concerned with the imposition of rules and regulations upon the mind’s other component parts, and with adhering to social rules and contracts. Contrary to the Id, the Super-Ego values the importance of societal decorum and propriety over the pursuit of gratification, and acts as a form of conscience for the collective consciousness (Dr. Dre in ‘Guilty Conscience’).
‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, and particularly ‘The Way I Am’, through its vehement self-reflection, epitomises the values of the Freudian Super-Ego. On one of the album’s most popular tracks, Eminem introspectively reflects upon his past, and assesses the way in which his actions influence the world around him, even noting the storm that particularly controversial songs from the previous album caused.
Marshall Mathers isn’t the only character to appear on the LP, however. The chaotic and impulsive antics of ‘The Real Slim Shady’ once more reign, and Marshall encourages us to question the reason behind this in ‘Who Knew’, a track which suggests that parental influence is one of the most important factors in the development of healthy Super-Ego. Freud, himself, explained that the Super-Ego originally begins to form during childhood, once rules and restrictions become regularly and strictly imposed upon a child. The track’s lyrical content, and the re-emergence of the irrepressible Id, suggests that a lack of rules and restrictions during Marshall’s childhood has prevented his own Super-Ego from developing fully, which, in turn, has allowed Slim Shady to overshadow Marshall Mathers, and become the most notorious, and most renowned, element of the collective consciousness.
Finally, ‘The Eminem Show’ presents the character of Eminem, and aligns itself most closely with the Freudian Ego. The Ego, according to Freud, is the element of the human psyche that concerns itself, primarily, with self-preservation, and, on an indirect level, with reason and practicality. The Ego, in the most basic of terms, attempts to satisfy the instinctual desires of the Id, whilst simultaneously adhering to the strict social code of conduct imposed upon itself by the Super-Ego, something which is deemed both requisite, and conducive, to the perpetuation of a sustainable existence.
In terms of pure musicality, ‘The Eminem Show’ is the most prototypically mainstream of the three albums; it features more traditional and orthodox choruses, samples well known tracks, and contains lyrical content which is far easier to relate to than the preceding works. As such, ‘The Eminem Show’ differs from the more controversial and polarised LPs, and succeeds in connecting to, and interacting with, the outside world in a more favourable fashion, in much the same way as the Freudian Ego strives, itself, to do. As a result, the album received an unprecedented quantity of airtime, radio and otherwise, and placed the collective consciousness of the three entities in the best possible position to achieve a satisfactory level of self-preservation.
And thus, whilst analysing the works of Eminem from a Freudian perspective may not be the primary, or the most instinctive, method of philosophical or intellectual examination, it nonetheless provides an insight that is both unique and compelling. If nothing else, it highlights the vast depth and richness that Eminem’s music, and particularly his lyrics, contains.
J.Batchford
