"I got the idea after I performed with Elton John at the Grammies," Eminem said. "I noticed that a lot of people were surprised by me doing that, and I began to realise that the public don't see me as an entirely wholesome performer. I mean, I'm a nice guy. I'm just a nice guy who happens to sing about beating his wife. So I thought I'd try and change my image by singing about something better."
And try he has. The album contains such tracks as "Deck tha hood with boughs of holly", "Bust a cap in Rudolph's ass" and the controversial "Jesus be my bitch so I'll slap him like one", all of which are sure to be heard at department stores across the country over the coming season.
But Eminem is not just doing this to boost his image, or to cash in on the commercial aspect of Christmas. He says, "I wanted to give my fans a chance to experience Christmas the way I did during my childhood." When asked how that was, he replied: "Like in 'It's a Wonderful Life', except Jimmy Stewart gets killed in a drive-by shooting on the way home."
There was some talk of this album coming under censorship, as was the case with the recent Destiny's Child Christmas release, which had to have two tracks taken from it; "Have Yourself a Bootylicious Christmas" and "Deliver Gifts to the Hand coz the Face Ain't Receiving". However, Eminem has denied such rumors. When asked how he felt about adult performers releasing albums to do with a holiday predominantly aimed at children, Eminem said he didn't care, because most of his fans still believed in Santa Claus anyway.
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