2. Eminem
When Eminem first burst onto MTV in the guise of Slim Shady, such was the outcry against his lyrics that there was practically a government inquiry into how such a monster could come to be. Accused by politicians and parents of promoting homophobia and sexism as well as condoning violence, many radio stations blacklisted his music while live shows were picketed by outraged religious groups. In short, hed stolen Marilyn Mansons mantle of being the most feared man in America. Of course kids loved him, yet with songs like My Name Is (wanna see me stick nine inch nails through each one of my eyelids? Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did?) and Role Model (Im about to drown myself, you can try this at home and be just like me), he was hip hops answer to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, here to lead the worlds children into a life of sex, drugs and self-destruction. Then The Marshall Mathers LP came along. Sure, the depravity was still there (driving your pregnant girlfriend off a bridge probably constitutes a felony) though the class clown vibe was replaced by a dark intensity that exposed the human heart of Mathers. His detractors hid embarrassed blushes as it dawned on them that Slim Shady was a character, a careful construction meant to represent the worst of humanity distilled into one being, and that Mathers was actually a talented artist and not a raging psychopath. From this point on, Eminem became one of the most respected rappers of his generation, his work, however controversial, revered for its artistic integrity rather than feared for its lyrical content.