Like Toy Soldiers

Album

Encore (Eminem album)

Label

Shady Records

Genre

Conscious hip hop

Composer(s)

Marshall MathersLuis Resto;Marta Marrero;Michael Jay Margules

Entered Chart

Jan 29, 2005

Peak Date

Feb 12, 2005

Released

March 15, 20055

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Shady/Aftermath Album Cut

This samples the 1989 hit Toy Soldiers by Martika. This is about feuds in the rap community. It is common practice for rappers to sling insults at each other in their songs, and this often leads to violence. Eminem compares the rappers to toy soldiers, who are being controlled by someone else, which in many cases is a record company that sells albums and profits from the controversy. To make the point about the danger of rap feuds, Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G, Big L and former D12 member Bugz are shown at the end of the music video as examples of rappers who were killed by violence. >> When Eminem says, "I heard him say Hailie's name in a song I just lost it," he's talking about how Ja Rule and Benzino talk about his daughter in their songs. One Ja Rule song says, "You say your mom's a crackhead, Kim is a known slut, so what's Hailie going to be when she grows up?" Benzino says, "Hailie's in a coma I can smell the aroma." >>

Step by step, heart to heart, left, right, left
We all fall down
Step by step, heart to heart, left, right, left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart
We never win, but the battle wages on for toy soldiers

I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
I ain't never suppose to show it, my crew ain't suppose to know it
Even if it means going toe to toe with a Benzino, it don't matter
I never drag 'em in battles that I can't handle, 'less I absolutely have to
I'm suppose to set an example, I need to be the leader
My crew looks for me to guide 'em
If some shit ever does pop off I'm suppose to be beside 'em
That Ja shit, I tried to squashed it, it was too late to stop it
There's a certain line you just don't cross, and he crossed it
I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it
It was crazy, this shit went way beyond some JAY-Z and Nas shit
And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it
I spent so much energy on it, honestly, I'm exhausted
And I'm so caught in it, I almost feel I'm the one who caused it
This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it
That was never my object, for someone to get killed
Why would I wanna destroy somethin' I helped build?
It wasn't my intentions, my intentions were good
I went through my whole career with out ever mentionin'
And that was just outta respect, for not runnin' my mouth
And talkin' about somethin' that I knew nothin' about
Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef
So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth
While he's all over TV, down-talkin' the man
Who literally saved my life, like fuck it, I understand
This is business, and this shit just isn't none of my business
But still knowin' this shit could pop off at any minute 'cause

Step by step, heart to heart, left, right, left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart
We never win, but the battle wages on for toy soldiers

There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme
And wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin'
But now it's elevated, 'cause once you put someone's kids in it
The shit gets escalated, it ain't just words no more, is it?
It's a different ball game, you call names and you ain't just rappin'
We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin'
Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him
And asked him not to start it, he wasn't gonna go after him
Until Ja started yappin' in magazines how he stabbed him
Fuck it, 50, smash him, mash on him, let him have it
Meanwhile my attention's pulled in another direction
Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk
Has an erection for me and thinks that I'll be his resurrection
Tries to blow the dust of his mic and make a new record
But now he's fucked the game up 'cause one of the ways I came up
Was through that publication, the same one that made me famous
Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin'
Well, fuck it, that motherfucker can get it too, fuck him then
But I'm so busy being pissed off, I don't stop to think
That we've just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc.
And he's inherited mine, which is fine, ain't like either of us mind
We still have soldiers that's on the front line
That's willin' to die for us as soon as we give the orders
Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us
And maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus
To show 'em love 'em back and to let 'em know how important
It is to have Runyon Avenue soldiers up in our corners
Their loyalty to us is worth more then any award is
But I ain't tryna have none of my people hurt or murdered
It ain't worth it, I can't think of a perfecter way to word it
Then to just say that I love y'all too much to see the verdict
I'll walk away from it all 'fore I let it go any further
But don't get it twisted, it's not a plea that I'm copin'
I'm just willin' to be the bigger man if y'all can quit poppin'
Off at the jaws, well, then I can, 'cause frankly I'm sick of talkin'
I'm not gonna let someone else's coffin rest on my conscience 'cause

Step by step, heart to heart, left, right, left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart
We never win, but the battle wages on for toy soldiers