Axios readers declare Eminem as Detroit's best rapper
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✌🏼Sam here, reporting that Eminem is the winner of our best Detroit rapper ever bracket.
- To no one's surprise, Eminem's giant fan base helped push him past the rest of the field.
Yes, but: Is he really the best rapper from Detroit?
- An argument can be made, but I won't be the one making it.
Why it matters: It's true that Eminem's impact on the entire genre alone — especially as we celebrate hip-hop's 50th anniversary — cannot be ignored.
- But for rap fans today, even in Detroit, his legacy faces scrutiny.
State of play: The height of his success came in the early 2000s and he's stayed popular with tracks in the last decade like "Rap God" and "The Monster."
Flashback: I'm 26 and remember the impact his 2010 album, "Recovery," had with "Love the Way You Lie" and "Not Afraid." It saturated top 40 radio in a way that cemented Em into pop star status. But even those tracks aren't what most Shady stans would rank among his essential work.
The bottom line: It's been 20 years since Em was at the top of his game, but his subpar output over the last few years clearly hasn't turned off everyone. He didn't receive less than 70% of the vote in our bracket until the final.
- I read a tweet that l said, "If Eminem or Danny wins, the kids are alright."
If kids had voted in this poll, Skilla Baby would've won!