Whose King? What Elvis, Eminem, and a Road Trip Taught Me About Cultural Open-Mindedness

I was on a four-hour road trip with my co-founder Khalil. If you’ve ever been stuck in a car with someone for that long, you know the conversations can swing wildly. From business models, to silly stuff our kids say, to whatever random thought pops up.

Somewhere between gas stations and playlists, Khalil started talking about a book he was reading. The author casually claimed Elvis Presley as the founder of rock and roll.

Now, I’m an avid music history buff. And as a bit of a nerd in that department, I couldn’t let it pass. I launched into my version of the “well, actually” speech. Rocket 88 by Ike Turner’s band (1951) is widely credited as the first rock and roll record. Bill Haley & His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” (1954) was the first to chart on Billboard. Elvis wasn’t the founder. He was the popularizer.

But while I was sharpening my fact-check, I noticed something. Khalil wasn’t just correcting history. He was bothered, maybe even offended, that Elvis was being framed as the founder at all.

And that’s when the conversation shifted from a trivia debate to something deeper.

Two Histories of Elvis

Growing up white in America, Elvis was handed to me as gospel. He was The King. The swiveling hips. The gold suit. The Vegas era. The guy who transformed music and made rock mainstream.

But Khalil didn’t inherit that same story. For him, and for many in the Black community, Elvis symbolized something else entirely.

Elvis borrowed heavily from gospel, rhythm and blues, and Black artists who never got their due. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sister Rosetta Tharpe… these were the true architects. Elvis had the platform, the radio play, the movie deals. They didn’t.

Worse, Elvis became a cultural figure who often dismissed or distanced himself from Black communities. Stories of his lack of acknowledgment, and even disrespect, circulate to this day.

So here we were, in the same car, with the same name, Elvis Presley, but carrying two completely different legacies.

Privilege is Invisible Until It Isn’t

That moment made me stop and recognize something uncomfortable. My cultural privilege had shaped my perception of Elvis. I got to grow up with the myth. Khalil grew up with the receipts.

It wasn’t about who was “right” about Elvis. It was about realizing that culture itself isn’t neutral. The narratives we inherit aren’t equally distributed.

For me, Elvis was a hero. For Khalil, Elvis was a thief. Both perspectives are valid, but one has dominated textbooks, documentaries, and media for decades. The other has lived in community conversations, rarely amplified until more recently.

Elvis, Eminem, and the Ongoing Story

This isn’t just about Elvis. The same debate resurfaces today with artists like Eminem. Is he one of the greatest rappers alive? Undeniably. Did he also benefit from being a white face in a Black genre, receiving recognition that equally skilled Black artists struggled to achieve? Also undeniably.

It’s a pattern as old as American pop culture itself. White artists borrow from Black innovation, then become the ones to break through to the mainstream. Jazz, blues, rock, hip hop… the story repeats.

What makes Elvis such a lightning rod is that he became the symbol of rock and roll. He wasn’t just another artist in the genre. He was crowned the “King.” Which, for many, erases the true royalty who came before him.

Why This Matters Beyond Music

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, but this is just a history lesson. What does it have to do with business or culture today?”

Everything.

At Nichefire, we talk a lot about predictive cultural listening. The ability to see the cultural shifts around the corner before they explode. But there’s a catch: you can’t see what you don’t know to look for.

If you only look at culture from your vantage point (your background, your privilege, your personal story) you’re going to miss massive parts of the picture.

Take Elvis right now. Baz Luhrmann’s new concert film “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is drawing rave reviews. For some audiences, it’s nostalgia at its finest. For others, it reopens the wound of cultural appropriation. The same cultural artifact sparks joy in one group and frustration in another.

If you’re a brand jumping on the Elvis wave without understanding that complexity, you’re not listening. And in 2025, when cultural narratives spread at light speed on TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube, missing the nuance can cost you relevance… or worse, trust.

Cultural Open-Mindedness is a Superpower

So what’s the lesson from that road trip with Khalil?

It’s not just about Elvis. It’s about cultivating open-mindedness when it comes to culture.

1. Stay Curious, Not Defensive. My instinct could have been to argue my case about Rocket 88. Instead, I listened. That small shift opened the door to a bigger conversation.

2. Assume Multiple Realities Exist. Culture is lived experience. Two people can look at the same event, song, or icon and see opposite things. And both can be true.

3. Check Your Blind Spots. Privilege often shows up in what we don’t notice. For me, Elvis was always celebrated. I didn’t see who was excluded from the celebration.

4. Respect the Roots. Whether it’s food, music, or beauty, trends come from somewhere. And often from marginalized communities first. Crediting and investing in those roots isn’t just respectful. It’s smart.

From a Car Ride to a Broader Mindset

By the time we pulled into our destination, Khalil and I hadn’t solved the Elvis debate. But I walked away with something more valuable: a reminder that my version of history is not the history.

Culture is perspective. Culture is privilege. Culture is the stories we’ve been told, and the ones we’ve been shielded from.

And the more open we are to perspectives beyond our own, the better we can understand not just culture, but the world itself.

Because here’s the truth. Innovation, creativity, and empathy don’t come from doubling down on your story. They come from hearing someone else’s.

So the next time someone challenges your “cultural truth”, whether it’s about Elvis, Eminem, or something as simple as food or fashion, pause. Don’t rush to defend. Ask instead:

What’s the story I haven’t heard yet?

That’s where the real insights live.