Peak
7
Weeks
20
Score
2,410
Chart Year
2013
This track was produced by DVLP, who also helmed Lil Wayne's "Beat The S—t." It starts with plodding piano strikes, while cinematic overdubs and movie-like dialogue sets the tone, which includes paying homage to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's classic line on their 1985 single "The Show": "Six minutes Six minutes Six minutes Doug E Fresh you're on." Doug E. Fresh is a member of the Church of Scientology and he has said that he put the "6,6,6" motif into the song to evoke the presence of the Devil's temptation. Em jumps in after the intro and raps: "I'm beginning to feel like a rap god..." Slim Shady is not alone in elevating himself to a deity. Jay-Z rapped "You in the presence of a king. Scratch that, you in the presence of a God," on the Magna Carta track "Crown." Also, Kanye West's Yeezus title, raised some eyebrows by combining his first name with that of Jesus. The six minute long track finds Em spitting frenzied rhymes about reigning in rap over DVLP's trap beat. He references and pokes fun at several celebrities, mentioning the kerfuffle between Fabolous and Ray-J, and also the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's affair. He even gives a nod to the superhero Thor. Eminem gives shout outs to some of his Hip-Hop peers, including Dr. Dre, N.W.A., 2Pac, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Pharoahe Monch, Run-DMC, and Lakim Shabazz. The latter got his start rapping alongside Queen Latifah in the Flavor Unit crew. Eminem's line in the hook: "Now who thinks their arms are long enough to slapbox, slapbox?" originates from James Weldon Johnson's poem The Prodigal Son, which was published in his 1927 book of sermons, God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. The African American author wrote: "Young man— Young man— Your arm's too short to box with God." The phrase has been used by other rappers. Xzibit previously rapped "Your lungs is too small to hotbox with God" during his verse in Eminem's "Bitch Please 2." Nas also used the line in his song "You're Da Man" from his 2001 album Stillmatic. Report this ad The song references a line from "I'm Back," a track from the first Marshall Mathers LP where Eminem talks about the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. We hear him spit on this song: "I take seven kids from Columbine, stand 'em all in a line Add an AK-47, a revolver, a nine See if I get away with it now that I ain't as big as I was." The Marshall Mathers LP was released a year after the Columbine High School shootings, when sensitivities about the atrocity were still high. Consequently, the words "kids" and "Columbine" were censored and replaced with silence. A decade later, Em recycles those same bars and dares the critics to stop him. Em raps part of his final verse at warp pace. In this passage, he includes a nod to all-girl Hip-Hop trio J.J. Fad's late 1980s hit "Supersonic." ("Lyrics coming at you at supersonic speed.") The song has been criticised by several gay individuals and organizations for its homophobic lyrical content, which include the line: "Breaking a motherf--king table over the back of a couple faggots and crack it in half." Former Culture Club singer Boy George tweeted Eminem asking him, "Fag? Is this really recovery talk or are you running your own program these days? Eminem has attracted criticism from the gay community throughout his career. When he performed "Stan" with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2001, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), condemned the openly gay British singer's decision to perform with the rapper, claiming he promoted hatred. Speaking with Rolling Stone soon after the release of this song, Eminem claimed that his use of the word 'faggot' is not rooted in homophobia. He explained that when he came up as a rapper in Detroit the word was used freely. "It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or a--hole," he said. "So that word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people." Slim added: "Not saying it's wrong or it's right, but at this point in my career - man, I say so much s--t that's tongue-in-cheek. I poke fun at other people, myself. But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all. I'm glad we live in a time where it's really starting to feel like people can live their lives and express themselves. And I don't know how else to say this, I still look at myself the same way that I did when I was battling and broke." DVLP told MTV News that when his manager Stephen Hacker began shopping around the beat there were other artists in the running. "Before it got to Em, it was talked about for like T.I. — I don't know who else, maybe Fab or something. Even when they said those names, it was like, that's not really where I hear this record going. It's not that kind of record," he said. "Thankfully everything worked out where it made its way over to the Shady side." Eminem spits a total of 1,560 words on this super-lyrical track. It earned him an entry in the 2015 Guinness Book of Records for "most words in a hit single." The song's music video was directed by Rich Lee, who also filmed Eminem's "Not Afraid" and Bad Meets Evil's "Lighters" clips. It was shot at the Russell Industrial Centre in Detroit and opens with Marshall Mathers parodying Max Headroom. Max was an animated science-fiction character from '80s British TV, who was played by Canadian Matt Frewer. The sci-fi host also starred in the song "Paranoimia" by The Art of Noise and was the inspiration for Usher's "OMG" visual. Eminem and Interscope were sued for $8 million by Chicago rap trio Hotstylz over the lyrics to this song. They claimed the track samples seconds of their 2007 cut "Lookin' Boy" without permission. Speaking to XXL in November 2014, HotStylz member Raymond Jones, who goes by Raydio G, said: "At first we was like, 'Aight, cool,' but at the same time, we was like, 'F--k Eminem,' because he didn't reach out to us. He took so much of the record. That just don't sit right with us." "The thing is they used so much of the song, he could have reached out," Jones continued. "He could have reached out to us directly. He could have found a way to reach out to us through some kind of channel. We just addressed that issue on a song called 'Rap Fraud.' We addressed how we felt about it." Eminem explained the lyric "School flunkie, pill junky. But look at the accolades the skills brung me," in an annotated comment on the Rap Genius site: "I don't ever want to be too braggadocious. If I'm going to brag, let me pull it back with lines like 'school flunky, pill junkie.' I'm a f---ing waste of life. I'm a waste of sperm. I am a f---ing outcast of society, I am a piece of s--t. But I know how to rap. Other than that, I'm a f---ing scumbag. I'm worthless. Or this is what I've been told." Em references his love of comic books when he spits "Kneel before General Zod this planet's Krypton No Asgard, Asgard. So you be Thor and I'll be Odin, you rodent, I'm omnipotent." "I've always been into comic books," said the MC. "Spider-Man, Hulk, old Batmans, Supermans - mostly vintage Marvel s--t from before I was born. Just being able to have those pieces of history is crazy. I would not want to face off with somebody comparing comic book knowledge, but I know a pretty good amount."
Look, I was gonna go easy on you and not to hurt your feelings But I'm only going to get this one chance (six minutes, six minutes) Something's wrong, I can feel it (six minutes, six minutes, Slim Shady, you're on) Just a feeling I've got, like something's about to happen, but I don't know what If that means what I think it means, we're in trouble, big trouble And if he is as bananas as you say, I'm not taking any chances You are just what the doctor ordered I'm beginning to feel like a Rap God, Rap God All my people from the front to the back nod, back nod Now who thinks their arms are long enough to slap box, slap box? They said I rap like a robot, so call me Rapbot But for me to rap like a computer must be in my genes I got a laptop in my back pocket My pen'll go off when I half-cock it Got a fat knot from that rap profit Made a livin' and a killin' off it Ever since Bill Clinton was still in office With Monica Lewinsky feelin' on his nutsack I'm an MC still as honest But as rude and indecent as all hell syllables, killaholic (kill 'em all with) This flippity dippity-hippity hip-hop You don't really wanna get into a pissing match with this rappidy brat Packin' a MAC in the back of the Ac', backpack rap crap, yap-yap, yackity-yack And at the exact same time, I attempt these lyrical acrobat stunts while I'm practicin' that I'll still be able to break a motherfuckin' table Over the back of a couple of faggots and crack it in half Only realized it was ironic I was signed to Aftermath after the fact How could I not blow? All I do is drop F-bombs, feel my wrath of attack Rappers are having a rough time period, here's a Maxipad It's actually disastrously bad For the wack, while I'm masterfully constructing this masterpièce 'Cause I'm beginning to feel like a Rap God, Rap God All my people from the front to the back nod, back nod Now who thinks their arms are long enough to slap box, slap box? Let me show you maintaining this shit ain't that hard, that hard Everybody want the key and the secret to rap immortality like I have got Well, to be truthful the blueprint's simply rage and youthful exuberance Everybody loves to root for a nuisance Hit the Earth like an asteroid, did nothin' but shoot for the moon since (pew) Mc's get taken to school with this music 'Cause I use it as a vehicle to bus the rhyme Now I lead a new school full of students Me? I'm a product of Rakim Lakim Shabazz, 2Pac, N.W.A, Cube, hey Doc, Ren, Yella, Eazy, thank you, they got Slim Inspired enough to one day grow up, blow up and be in a position To meet Run-D.M.C and induct them into the motherfuckin' Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Even though I walk in the church and burst in a ball of flames Only hall of fame I'll be inducted in is the alcohol of fame on the wall of (shame) You fags think it's all a game 'til I walk a flock of flames Off a plank and tell me what in the fuck are you thinkin'? Little gay lookin' boy So gay I can barely say it with a straight face lookin' boy You witnessin' a mass-occur Like you're watchin' a church gathering take place lookin' boy "Oy vey, that boy's gay", that's all they say, lookin' boy You get a thumbs up, pat on the back And a "Way-to-go" from your label every day, lookin' boy Hey, lookin' boy, what you say, lookin' boy? I get a "Hell yeah" from Dre, lookin' boy I'ma work for everything I have Never asked nobody for shit, get outta my face, lookin' boy Basically boy, you're never gonna be capable Of keepin' up with the same pace, lookin' boy 'Cause I'm beginning to feel like a Rap God, Rap God All my people from the front to the back nod, back nod The way I'm racin' around the track, call me NASCAR, NASCAR Dale Earnhardt of the trailer park, the White Trash God Kneel before General Zod, this planet's Krypton, no Asgard, Asgard So you be Thor and I'll be Odin, you rodent, I'm omnipotent Let off then I'm reloadin' immediately with these bombs I'm totin' And I should not be woken I'm the walkin' dead, but I'm just a talkin' head, a zombie floatin' But I got your mom deep-throatin' I'm out my ramen noodle, we have nothin' in common, poodle I'm a Doberman, pinch yourself in the arm and pay homage, pupil It's me, my honesty's brutal But it's honestly futile if I don't utilize what I do though For good at least once in a while So I wanna make sure somewhere in this chicken scratch I scribble and doodle Enough rhymes to maybe to try to help get some people through tough times But I gotta keep a few punchlines just in case 'cause even you unsigned Rappers are hungry lookin' at me like it's lunchtime I know there was a time where once I Was king of the underground, but I still rap like I'm on my Pharoahe Monch grind So I crunch rhymes, but sometimes when you combine Appeal with the skin color of mine You get too big, and here they come tryin' to Censor you like that one line I said on "I'm Back" from the Mathers LP One When I tried to say, "I'll take seven kids from Columbine Put 'em all in a line, add an AK-47, a revolver and a nine" See if I get away with it now that I ain't as big as I was, but I'm Morphin' into an immortal comin' through the portal You're stuck in a time warp from 2004 though And I don't know what the fuck that you rhyme for You're pointless as Rapunzel with fuckin' cornrows You write normal? Fuck being normal And I just bought a new ray-gun from the future Just to come and shoot ya like when Fabolous made Ray J mad 'Cause Fab said he looked like a fag at Mayweather's pad Singin' to a man while he played piano Man, oh man, that was a 24/7 special on the cable channel So Ray J went straight to the radio station the very next day "Hey, Fab, I'ma kill you" Lyrics coming at you at supersonic speed, (JJ Fad) Uh, sama lama duma lama, you assumin' I'm a human What I gotta do to get it through to you, I'm superhuman? Innovative and I'm made of rubber So that anything you say is ricochetin' off of me and it'll glue to you I'm devastating, more than ever demonstrating How to give a motherfuckin' audience a feelin' like it's levitating Never fading, and I know that the haters are forever waiting For the day that they can say I fell off, they'll be celebrating 'Cause I know the way to get 'em motivated I make elevating music, you make elevator music Oh, he's too mainstream Well, that's what they do when they get jealous, they confuse it It's not hip-hop, it's pop, 'cause I found a hella way to fuse it With rock, shock rap with Doc Throw on Lose Yourself and make 'em lose it I don't know how to make songs like that I don't know what words to use Let me know when it occurs to you While I'm rippin' any one of these verses diverse as you It's curtains, I'm inadvertently hurtin' you How many verses I gotta murder to Prove that if you were half as nice, your songs you can sacrifice virgins too? Uh School flunkie, pill junkie But look at the accolades the skills brung me Full of myself, but still hungry I bully myself 'cause I make me do what I put my mind to And I'm a million leagues above you, ill when I speak in tongues But it's still tongue in cheek, fuck you I'm drunk so Satan take the fucking wheel, I'm asleep in the front seat Bumping Heavy D and the Boys, still chunky but funky But in my head, there's something I can feel tugging and struggling Angels fight with devils and here's what they want from me They're askin' me to eliminate some of the women-hate But if you take into consideration the bitter hatred I have Then you may be a little patient and more sympathetic to the situation And understand the discrimination But fuck it, life's handing you lemons, make lemonade then But if I can't batter the women, how the fuck am I supposed to bake them a cake then? Don't mistake him for (Satan) It's a fatal mistake if you think I need to be overseas And take a vacation to trip a broad And make her fall on her face and Don't be a retard, be a king? Think not Why be a king when you can be a God?
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 2, 2013 | 7 | 119 |
| 2 | Nov 9, 2013 | 21 | 105 |
| 3 | Nov 16, 2013 | 17 | 109 |
| 4 | Nov 23, 2013 | 13 | 113 |
| 5 | Nov 30, 2013 | 32 | 94 |
| 6 | Dec 7, 2013 | 59 | 67 |
| 7 | Dec 14, 2013 | 48 | 78 |
| 8 | Dec 21, 2013 | 39 | 87 |
| 9 | Dec 28, 2013 | 34 | 92 |
| 10 | Jan 4, 2014 | 38 | 88 |
| 11 | Jan 11, 2014 | 33 | 93 |
| 12 | Jan 18, 2014 | 46 | 80 |
| 13 | Jan 25, 2014 | 46 | 80 |
| 14 | Feb 1, 2014 | 51 | 75 |
| 15 | Feb 8, 2014 | 53 | 73 |
| 16 | Feb 15, 2014 | 55 | 71 |
| 17 | Feb 22, 2014 | 58 | 68 |
| 18 | Mar 1, 2014 | 59 | 67 |
| 19 | Mar 8, 2014 | 58 | 68 |
| 20 | Mar 15, 2014 | 67 | 59 |