You know Eminem has sold out hip hop when he’s gone from being the object of an alarmist media panic to being the mouthpiece for one.

• • Eminem just defended his new album, Music to Be Murdered By in an open letter to critics on Instagram.
  • The rapper said, In todays wonderful world murder has become so commonplace that we are a society obsessed and fascinated by it.
  • The problem is thats not true at all.

Music to Be Murdered By is trending to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It will be Eminems 10th album to top the Billboard chart.
Only five other artists have pulled off ten or more No. 1 spots. (The Beatles, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and Elvis Presley.)
But not everyone is happy with Eminems new LP. Marshall Mathers addressed his squeamish critics in a statement posted to Instagram Thursday:
Source: Instagram
It read in part:
In todays wonderful world murder has become so commonplace that we are a society obsessed and fascinated by it.
But the reality is the opposite of what Eminem suggests. If he wants to inhabit political activism with his rap, hes going to have to get more rigorous with his facts.
Murder and violence in our society are at an all-time low.
Eminem Is Dead Wrong About Murder and Violence
Eminem is good with words but obviously not so good with numbers. | Source: Global Change Data Lab
Diarrhea kills more people than murder.
Unfortunately for Eminem, Music to Grip the Sides of the Toilet Bowl By, doesnt quite roll off the tongue, or have as much attention-grabbing shock value.
Television news may shove it in our faces, and rap may glorify it, but murder and violence are rapidly disappearing from our society. Just this week, San Francisco police reported the lowest homicide rate in 60 years. Its no exception, either.
Western European countries and the U.S. have the longest-ranging police archive of complete homicide records. They reveal murder is at an all-time low.
Murder has drastically declined over the long term. | Source: Global Change Data Lab
And murder and violent crime have continued to decrease sharply in recent years too. Just as they have over recent centuries.
Violent crime in the U.S. drastically fell off over the last 25 years. U.S. homicide rates dropped by almost 40% in the 1990s, and theyve stayed low since.
The number of murders involving firearms is down 49% since 1993.
Eminem Is Squeamish Not the Critics
Eminem went from being the object of one alarmist media panic to being the mouthpiece for another one. | Source: Mika-photography/Wikimedia Commons
Eminem is acting like hes bold and edgy, while his delicate critics are squeamish. But that doesnt jive with the core message of his album:
Certain selections have been designed to shock the conscience, which may cause positive action. Unfortunately, darkness has truly fallen upon us.
Murder and all violent crime are on the decline. But Eminem is telling us theyre getting more commonplace. And youd believe him if you watch the mainstream media.
Rap has become as fake as the primetime news.
You know hip hop has finally sold out when its biggest star has gone from being the object of one alarmist media panic to being the mouthpiece for another one.
Eminem has finally been assimilated. And Music to Be Murdered By is overrated.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth.