"bUt It'S cAlLeD ThE ROCK aNd ROLL hALL Of FaMe!!"

Listen, I get it. Eminem is not a rock artist. But at what point to we accept that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame IS more than one genre now?

Doesn't hurt any less, because we were given a "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 1986. Something to have and to hold as our own in the genre... and then in 1997, it all fell apart when The Bee Gees were let in.

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DISCO!!! Really? Rock's mortal enemy! You're gonna let them into our house?

Nonetheless, the flood gates were opened, and now we have "non-rock" artists like Grand Master Flash, Madonna, and Dr. Dre in the Hall. Which leads us to this year's nominees, specifically the fan-votes - Duran Duran, and Eminem.

While I know the rock purists will be clamoring for Duran Duran here (even though they aren't rock either), I actually have to side with Eminem, one of Michigan's own.

The Hall has become more of a Rock and Roll "attitude" than a genre to get in. So with that in mind, let's explore the reasons why Eminem is MORE deserving of a Rock Hall induction, than Duran Duran.

1. COLLABORATIONS

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Eminem has worked with Limp Bizkit, Pink (her live show is ABSOLUTELY a rock show), fellow Michigander Kid Rock, AND current inductees Dr. Dre and Jay-Z. In addition, he's worked with Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne, who's really more of a metal guy than he is hip hop.

Duran Duran has worked on a few projects with Robert Palmer, but as far as anything noteworthy... not a lot of rock stars in there. Mostly nu-wave and pop artists.

2. ROCK AND ROLL ATTITUDE

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I mean, CLEARLY Eminem embodies the Rock and Roll attitude here. About half his photos are him flipping someone off, he's had controversy after controversy, and shrugged them all off. The biggest controversy that I can find with Duran Duran is a sexual assault claim against Simon Le Bon. The woman went public in 2018, claiming an assault form 1995, but never filed suit, or asked for money. Two sides to this coin: If he did it, then he's not a rock star, he's a jerk. If he didn't do it, then the ONLY controversy with Duran Duran is debunked.

3. MUSIC THAT MAKES YOU BANG YOUR HEAD

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It's not hard to get into hip hop and start bobbing your head. One of the biggest tests for me on whether a song is good or not, is what I call the "head nod" test. If you're not at least nodding, or bobbing your head a little... then it's no good. For Eminem, that's nearly every song he's ever done. For Duran Duran.... idk, Hungry Like the Wolf is kind of a bop, but like.... it doesn't make me wanna go to war or anything. The video for "Wild Boys" LOOKS like a Motley Crue video, but sounds like generic 1980s sci-fi movie background. Eminem's music invokes the same kind of feelings I get listening to Metallica, or Sabaton... it actually gets me moving. Duran Duran nearly put me to sleep on the treadmill once.

4. SIMPLY... BECAUSE!

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I mean, which would you rather have in the Hall between these two? The English nu-wave pop/synth band, or the guy who has sampled Black Sabbath on one of his songs? (See video below) Who, despite moving to L.A., still represents his home in Detroit, still represents his home state of Michigan, everywhere he goes?

So don't "Lose Yourself" in this argument of "WeLl nEiThEr Of tHeM iS rOcK, So nO oNe ShOuLd gEt In!". Get over this whole "rock elitist" thing, and pick the better of the two, who best embodies the spirit of Rock and Roll. You know what the right choice is. Let's get another Michigander into the Hall.

Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Famers

Here's a few of the 120 Michigan Musicians Honored in The Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

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