It wasn't just big numbers and critical acclaim. The Up in Smoke Tour was a big deal.
It was pretty successful and showed that if you can get the right mix of talent together a hip-hop tour can sellout arenas just as a rock band or singer can. Plus, it was relatively low on violence, just everyone out there having a great time.. Trying to minimize the impact of that run is stupid. It's partially the reason why hip-hop artists can do big dates in big cities. And yeah, like it or not Eminem was part of that too.