D12’s member Swifty McVay sat down with Detroit’s Own Bird Gaston on his new podcast to talk about his life, career, and the importance of empowering people.
One of the question host said his listeners often ask was why Eminem doesn’t give back to Detroit, why he is not involved with a local scene. Swifty disagreed with this perspective:
Well, Eminem GAVE back to Detroit. He came back and got us. We are from Detroit. He opened up doors for people in Detroit. He brought Hollywood to Detroit. He brought a restaurant to Detroit. I can’t see what else people would want him to do. I’m from 7 Mile Livernois, two other guys from D12 are from Hoover 7 Mile, other ones from 7 Mile Stout, that’s the heart of Detroit right there. He gave us opportunities to give opportunities to others. Brought 8 Mile to Detroit. He brought auditions and built a platform to people in the city to see how it felt to be in a movie set and what not. He is still in Detroit, he didn’t move out of Michigan. So I beg to differ.
Swifty didn’t mention here The Marshall Mathers foundation that is constantly involved with the empowering disadvantaged and disenfranchised Detroit population, provides young people with support, encouraging their education, and keeping them away from the streets by providing other opportunities in life. Em does not advertise his charitable efforts and the work he is doing often flies under the radar, being known mostly to people who benefit from it.
The narrative about Eminem living in his ivory tower, far away from suffering populus is being flaunted around mostly by young rappers who think that Eminem must help each one of them to get to success. And as it happens, they get angry and disrespectful only to realise that Eminem was, in fact, going to reach out and help. Yes, it is Tee Grizzley’s story.
But many more understand that Eminem has always been a Detroit man through and through and makes for his city more than people realise. Watch this segment from Swifty’s interview:
