I've done the "what if .." thing re: Eminem signing with Rawkus a lot. And while I think he may have ultimately created songs/albums/music that were more appealing to people like us (who obviously gravitated toward more underground hip-hop during that time period), I also think that Em had the potential to flame out quickly had he ended up signing with them.

Dre allowed him a level of immediate notoriety (both by association and by the way he was marketed/those early songs) that he arguably never would've achieved w/Rawkus, which gave him room to be imperfect but still perfect and showcase his immense talent to the masses.

I'd like to think that he still could've had an Evidence-esque career had he gone the Rawkus route just based on his talent, but you never know. Cuz I think your first point - that Dre packaged the Eminem gimmick in a way that didn't flop or fizzle out - is a good one. I think the cartoonish stuff Dre gave him allowed him to explore the zany/Slim Shady side of his persona more, and that's ultimately what endeared him to the masses as you mentioned. And I'm not sure a more "keep it real" (for lack of a way better term) type of label like Rawkus would've been the place for him to go "out there" like that with his lyrics and tone.


>RE: This is true too. I think where the answer lies is Dre packaged
>Eminem's gimmickiness in a way that didn't flop.
>
>Bc he soo could have flopped with that voice. BAD.
>
>I'm not even an Em fan, but somehow they struck the right
>balance with going light and uptempo with those singles but
>also showcasing his ability to spit
>
>and they also seemed to bet (correctly) that his particular
>brand of gimmickiness would appeal to younger demographics,
>which they leaned into with the videos
>
>It worked out well for them that's for sure lol
>
>