Depending on who you talk to, Eminem is either one of the greatest rappers of all time, or just a really good battle rapper who got propped up by one of the best producers and record labels in the world.
Whatever your opinion of the artist, his works or his recent albums, one thing is for sure: Marshall Mathers’ pop culture impact is undeniable.
Em’s credentials got a further boost this week when the Oxford English Dictionary decided to make Stan, a term from one of his hit songs, an official word on its pages.
For those reading born after the 2000 release with Dido *shudder*, ‘Stan’ told the story of an obsessive Eminem fan who becomes increasingly desperate to get in contact with the rapper, before eventually killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend.
It was dark. It was powerful. It was strangely an outsider in the race for Christmas number one that year?
A long-recognised Urban Dictionary term, through the years ‘stan’ has come to mean an obsessive fan for a celebrity or sports team, unable to admit the object of their fandom might be flawed.
Does your friend think The Life of Pablo was the best album of last year? Kanye Stan.
Brother think Manchester United legitimately won three titles last season, including the Community Shield? Jose Mourinho stan.
Mate from work sharing Labour memes on Facebook? Corbyn stan.
The Oxford Dictionary entry says a stan is "an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity".
It also gives a helpful example about how it might be used: "He has millions of stans who are obsessed with him and call him a rap god”.
The OED has clarified the word stan can be used as both a noun and a verb, as in “Charlie’s mum was stanning for her boy at church last week”.
So there you have it. Are you are ShortList stan?
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