Whatever You Say I Am:
The Life and Times of Eminem
(Crown/Random House), 2003
Selected Reviews
“While most scribes, with eyes closed, have long been pushing pens in hot pursuit of international rap phenom Eminem, Anthony Bozza has wisely devoted his time to exploring the trials and tribulations of Detroit native Marshall Mathers III. And he who understands Mathers understands the fabric of American society – beautiful stitches, stains, rips, and all.”
– Sacha Jenkins, former Music Editor of Vibe Magazine and coauthor of Ego Trip’s Big Book of Racism
“Bozza deserves props for sticking to the critical high road. More than anything else, he makes a compelling case that Eminem is the perfect voice of the post-September 11th generation: jaded but vulnerable, damaged and complicated, desperate to be understood.”
– The Detroit Free Press
“Brilliantly, Bozza tells the tale of an elusive genius in Whatever You Say I Am, and every white-hot truth is here. This is more than the definitive portrait of Eminem’s emergence and meaning; it’s a manual for loving music and understanding how passion is born.”
– Cameron Crowe, writer-director
“It is time for a thoughtful look at what Eminem’s appeal really signifies and Bozza does a creditable job.”
– The New York Times
“Bozza’s unprecedented access to Mathers then and now has given rise to one of the only fully honest accounts of the now brilliant star.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Anthony Bozza was granted an access to Eminem that no journalist is likely to see again soon – and so Whatever You Say I Am offers the most intimate glimpses yet of the most towering, complicated figure of our culture”
– Alan Light, former editor-in-chief of Spin and Vibe and editor of The Vibe History of Hip Hop
A Word from Anthony
I was lucky enough to have gotten my foot in the door at Rolling Stone, which in 1999, was, without question, the largest international stage upon which to talk about music. Writing the first national cover story on Eminem was the opportunity of a lifetime. That story is how I came to write my first book. That book is why I’ve been able to continue writing books and why you’re on my website right now. I’m forever grateful to Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner and all of my editors for the entrée into what has become the most fulfilling job I could have hoped for: co-writing with people I admire so much. But back to the beginning: when I got the offer to write a book about Marshall, I wasn’t going to pass it up, even though I’d never written anything close to that long in my life. I’d been there from the beginning and he and I had a rapport. I’d been granted access that no one else would ever get. And with his blessing, I was allowed the chance to share it all with you.
