So the FCC wouldn’t let him be, wouldn’t let him be he…and now Eminem is making the move to satellite radio.
On Monday, the Grammy-winning rapper announced his plans to team up with Sirius Satellite Radio to “deliver an uncut hip-hop radio station like never before” beginning this fall.
“Once upon a time not too long ago, the feds wanted all my music off the air,” Eminem said in a statement. “Now we’ll be on Sirius 24 hours a day, playing the best hip-hop…not just from Shady Records, but from everywhere.
“I can’t wait to start dropping new material, exclusive tracks and uncensored hip-hop featuring me and everyone else freely saying whatever the hell we want.”
Though Eminem has never exercised much restraint when expressing himself in his lyrics, getting his point of view on the air has long presented a problem. Since Sirius is available only by subscription, the rapper will not be governed by the regulations that restrict public airwaves.
And the real Slim Shady wants to make sure his uncut voice is heard-he and other Shady Records artists such as 50 Cent and Obie Trice are set to host occasional specialty shows on the as-yet unnamed station, giving fans the opportunity to call in and chat with their favorite hip-hop talents.
The program selection will be designed by top artists and deejays. In addition, Eminem’s DJ Green Lantern is slated to host a weekly slot showcasing the latest hip-hop mixes.
Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Shady Records Vice-President/Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg will co-executive produce the channel with the Real Slim Shady.
“Our partnership with Sirius gives us the unique opportunity for nationwide exposure of our new and existing artist roster,” Rosenberg said in a statement. “While our channel will not be solely limited to Shady artists, we plan on delivering exclusive, obscure and/or hard to find music from our acts.”
While Eminem will be free to say whatever he wants on the channel, moving to satellite won’t resolve the latest incident of censorship faced by the rapper. After he pulled down his pants and mooned the audience at the MTV Movie Awards last month, Em’s buns were edited out of the telecast.
