Can Mac Miller become the next Eminem?

By The Voice
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Last week, Donald Trump made an interesting statement regarding rap sensation, Mac Miller. Trump predicted Miller could very well become the next Eminem. Donald Trump heard of Mac Miller after the young rapper made a song in his namesake.

It takes no genius to figure out Donald Trump does not know much about hip hop. Furthermore, it is obvious the only reason he compared Mac Miller to Eminem was because of race. By looking at their two styles, Mac Miller and Eminem are nothing alike.

Hip hop began as an expressive outlet for young, black men. Still, hip hop was not solely made for one race. Before Eminem, other white rappers had minimal success. However, Eminem was a fan of hardcore hip hop and grew up just as rough as the gangsta rappers.

Because of this, and the passionate story he tells, Eminem captured the ears of listeners around the world, which led to him becoming one of the most-popular rappers ever. Mac Miller had a different upbringing and his music mostly consists of partying. It is clear, to those who know hip hop, Mac Miller will never make the type of music Eminem does.

However, one thing Mac Miller and Eminem do have in common is popularity. Recently, Eminem was named the king of hip hop by Rolling Stones. The voting centered around overall popularity, adding record sales to hits on YouTube and things of that nature. Mac Miller grew up in the age of the internet and used the social networking boom to his advantage.

Seeing how Mac Miller already knows how to use social networking, himself, and has already generated millions of hits, can he one day surpass Eminem? By far, Eminem is the most-successful non-black rapper in history. Mac Miller, given his knowledge of social media, could possibly put out enough music and videos to one day find himself named the king of hip hop.

Of course, he will also have to be able to sell the type of records Eminem has, over the years.