Phenomenal

Album

Southpaw (soundtrack)

Label

Shady Records

Genre

Stage & Screen

Composer(s)

Marshall Mathers;Luis Resto;Mario Resto

Entered Chart

Jun 20, 2015

Peak Date

Jun 20, 2015

Released

June 2, 2015

Recorded

2015

Catalog #

Shady Digital

This DJ Khalil produced song was recorded by Eminem for the boxing movie Southpaw. The rapper's label Shady Records produced the OST for the film. Originally Eminem was earmarked to star in the movie when it was announced in December 2010 but he later dropped out and was replaced by actor Jake Gyllenhaal. The song was previewed in a Beats By Dre advert, which features Eminem's fellow Michigan native Draymond Green, a forward for the Golden State Warriors. Filmed in Tokyo, the 7-minute video features Eminem as a person with superhuman abilities. The clip starts off with the Detroit rapper waking up in a hospital then breaking out as he wishes to find out his true identity. We then see Eminem encounter a stranger played by John Malkovich with whom he has a conversation, before getting chased across the city where the stunts include Slim Shady riding a flaming motorbike and jumping out of an exploding helicopter. Eventually Em lands on stage at a massive gig with Dr Dre. Asked during a Twitter Q&A how he approached this song as the title track, given the success of the 8 Mile theme tune "Lose Yourself," Eminem replied: "'Phenomenal' is different from 'Lose Yourself.' Its just grit and determination. 'Lose Yourself' was more of a theme for the film."

I am phenomenal
With every ounce of my blood
With every breath in my lungs
Won't stop until I'm phe-no-menal
I am phenomenal
However long that it takes
I'll go to whatever lengths
It's gonna make me a monster though
I am phenomenal
But I never say, oh, it's impossible
'Cause I'm gonna be phenomenal

Unstoppable, unpoppable thought bubbles
Untoppable thoughts, fuckin' juggernaut that'll
Stomp you in the verse, obstacles I'm drawn to 'em
When the going got rough
Show 'em what I done thought that was the worse, little sissy
Who the fuck taught you how to persevere?
There ain't no situation that you ever had to respond to that's adverse
The messiest thing you've ever gone through is your purse
Yeah, I don't try like Captain, I might as well
Hang it up like a shelf, gotta keep growin' with it, evolve
'Cause you can keep throwin' shit at the wall
But you're gonna find that nothing's gonna stick until you apply yourself
Time to slip in that zone till' I find myself
Inside the realm where the unknown and boldly go
In the waters where nobody else has gone before
Or willing to go, uncharted, feeling is so
Bomb, I'm feelin' myself, I'm a giant
Sometimes I gotta remind myself that I am

I am phenomenal
With every ounce of my blood
With every breath in my lungs
Won't stop until I'm phenomenal
I am phenomenal
However long that it takes
I'll go to whatever lengths
It's gonna make me a monster though
I am phenomenal
But I never say, oh, it's impossible
'Cause I'm gonna be phenomenal

Let me self-empower you
When you're down and they're tryin' to clown the fuck out of you
When you feel like you're runnin' out of fuel
I'll show you how to use doubt as fuel
Convert it to gunpowder too
Now what you do is put the match to the charcoal fluid
Put a spark to it like Martha Stewart barbecuing
Ah screw it, feel like you want to hit that wall then do it
Punch through it, just cock back, put your all into it
Now you gon' take that rage and make that what you raise
Never take back what you say
If you stay trapped in your brain, engage in this fueled cage match
Ready to scrap asap
Take your fists to his bones
Show Biggie who's smallest you're Christopher Wallace
Yeah I picture 'em all as plastic and foam
Lays flat, where you put your dinner plates at
And set it off like a placemat
(I am phenomenal)
And I want you to say that

With every ounce of my blood
With every breath in my lungs
Won't stop until I'm phenomenal
I am phenomenal
However long that it takes
I'll go to whatever lengths
It's gonna make me a monster though
I am phenomenal
But I never say, oh, it's impossible
'Cause I'm gonna be phenomenal

Step into the unknown
And find yourself your glory, free the ignoring person

Got a fuckin' mouth with no shut-up valve
Can't even cut the power to it, when it's what allowed
Me to come up out from under the fuckin' ground
'Cause I worked my butt off now
It's a subject I don't know how to shut up about
'Cause I stuck it out
Like a motherfucking tongue to tie, I responded when I got shoved around
You're gonna have non-believers
But when you're beyond belief, you probably shouldn't wonder how
Get it how you live
But are you prepared to give more than you get?
And put in twice what you get back from this shit
Though what you sacrifice barely is half, never give
Rap is my shiv
But it's like my shield at the same time I wield, I'ma knife this will
Sometimes I feel just like B. Real from Cypress Hill
How I can just kill a cypher, survivor's guilt
I rhyme like life is still an uphill climb
Ready to face it, each challenge waitin'
Can taste it, it's salivation, I'm wagin' retaliation
Look what I have built, reputation is delegation
The only thing I'm capable of makin' is amazing
Only thing you're capable of makin' is a false statement
An accusation, I am legendary status, in fact
That is the only way you'll ever be able to say
Your legend is makin' an allegation
I write with the left, same hand I hold the mic with
As I fight to the death, 'til my last breath
Managed to prove who the best man is
Surveil it, all cards be the only ones left standing
In the end, but I ain't gonna be the only one with the advantage
Of knowing what it's like to be southpaw
'Cause you can bet your ass you'll be left handed
'Cause I am

Phenomenal
With every ounce of my blood
With every breath in my lungs
Won't stop until I'm phenomenal
I am phenomenal
However long that it takes
I'll go to whatever lengths
It's gonna make me a monster though
I am phenomenal
But I never say, oh, it's impossible
'Cause I'm gonna be phenomenal