What does Eminem's popularity say about racism in the US?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: What does Eminem's popularity say about racism in the US?
Position‹3 of 4›: Eminem is a product of institutional racism
Argument: Eminem's lyrics disrespect black women

Eminem has apologized for lyrics which target and negatively stereotype black women. However, many critiques still hold that his songs disrespect black women in particular.

The argument

Eminem admitted to writing and recording “Foolish Pride”, a song that portrays black women as unintelligent and as gold diggers. “Blacks and whites sometimes mix,” he raps in the song, “But black girls only want your money ‘cause they’re dumb chicks.” He also compares black women to white women, the latter of which he describes as “good” and “fine”. Eminem publicly apologized for the track and even mentioned it in a 2004 song titled “Yellow Brick Road” (“I singled out a whole race / and for that I apologize”), but did not face any repercussions or decline in popularity for the racist lyrics.

Premises

[P1]Eminem wrote and recorded lyrics that demean black women as unintelligent gold diggers while elevating white women. [P2] Despite these racist lyrics being made public, Eminem faced no meaningful repercussions or loss of popularity. [P3] A society that rewards a white artist who disparages black women while ignoring the harm reflects institutional racism. [C] Therefore, Eminem's continued popularity in the face of his disrespect toward black women shows he is a product of institutional racism.

Counter-arguments

Critics reply that 'Foolish Pride' was an unreleased recording Eminem made as a teenager, which he later disowned and apologised for, so treating it as representative of the body of work his fame rests on is selective. His sustained popularity is at least as plausibly explained by his acknowledged technical skill and a widely accepted apology as by a society choosing to reward racism. And one excused early track does not by itself demonstrate institutional racism, which is a systemic claim requiring evidence well beyond a single artist's misstep.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] 'Foolish Pride' was an unreleased teenage recording Eminem disowned and apologised for, so it is not representative of the work on which his popularity actually rests. [Rejecting P2] His sustained popularity is plausibly explained by his acknowledged skill and a widely accepted apology, not necessarily by a society rewarding racism. [Rejecting P3] One excused early track does not establish institutional racism, which is a systemic claim needing evidence beyond a single artist. [Rejecting C] The episode does not by itself show that Eminem is a product of institutional racism.