The duo broke up after a feud between Royce and the members of Eminem 's group D12. The feud ended when Proof, a D12 member and Eminem 's best friend, as well as a friend of Royce's, was killed in April 2006. After Royce's super-group Slaughterhouse signed to the Eminem -founded record label Shady Records, a reunion of Bad Meets Evil followed with the extended play Hell: The Sequel (2011), which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The album is now eligible for platinum certification in the US. The EP's lead single "Fast Lane" peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "Lighters", featuring Bruno Mars, peaked at number four on the same chart. The duo returned in 2014 for the 15-year anniversary album of Shady Records, Shady XV, for "Vegas", and again in 2015 to record two tracks for the boxing film Southpaw, titled "All I Think About" and "Raw". The duo has recently reunited for the song "Not Alike" on Eminem 's album Kamikaze (2018). Eminem was also featured in Royce's song "Caterpillar" on his album Book of Ryan (2018). Most recently Royce featured on Eminem's album Music To Be Murdered By (2020) with three songs, "You Gon' Learn", "Yah Yah" and "I Will". On the song "Godzilla" from the same album, Eminem confirms that the duo is still active by rapping ("pack heat, but it's black ink Evil half of the Bad Meets Evil, that means take a back seat").
Music career
Foundation and subsequent break-up
Eminem met Royce da 5'9" in 1997 when Royce was opening for entertainer Usher at the Palladium. Eminem and Royce da 5'9", became quick friends before Eminem's rise to fame, and collaborated on the track which led to the duo's foundation, "Bad Meets Evil", for Eminem's 1999 major label debut The Slim Shady LP. The duo's first work, a 1999 double-single, which was originally recorded in 1998, consisting of "Nuttin' to Do" and "Scary Movies", achieved respectable chart success, peaking at 36 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, while the latter peaked at 63 on the UK Singles Chart. A year later, the song "Scary Movies" was featured on the soundtrack of the horror comedy parody film Scary Movie.
"Renegade" was originally a song featuring Eminem recorded for Royce's first studio debut album Rock City (2002), but Royce's verses were later replaced with Jay-Z's for his 2001 album The Blueprint. Jay-Z contacted Eminem for a collaboration and beat while the song was being made. Limited in time for production, Eminem sent Jay-Z the beat for "Renegade" with approval from Royce. However, Eminem was still featured on Royce's Rock City album, on the title track.
Dr. Dre heard one of Royce's mix tapes through Eminem, deciding to sign him to Aftermath Entertainment. Eminem secured him a ghostwriting position on Dre's second studio album, 2001. After his manager Kino stated: "I've seen Em sit Dre down like a pupil and coach him on rhymes" on a phone interview, Dr. Dre requested that Royce cut ties with his manager. Royce refused to fire his manager, thus his relationship with Dre ended.
After Royce turned down Eminem's offer to join his Anger Management Tour as a hype man, Proof, member of Eminem's band D12 and his best friend, also a good friend of Royce's, took the place. Later, Royce wanted to continue working with Eminem, who was busy working with D12, which led Royce to believe that D12 was "souring" his relationship with Eminem. A feud with a series of diss tracks followed, resulting in the duo's break up.
Reunion
In 2011, Royce's rap group Slaughterhouse signed to Eminem's founded label Shady Records. This led to a reunion of Bad Meets Evil with the debut extended play Hell: The Sequel, released on June 14, 2011 after 11 years of inactivity in the group. A chart success, it peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
"Fast Lane" was released on May 3, 2011 as the lead single.It was recorded by Mike Strange at Effigy Studios (Ferndale, Michigan). Recorded a few months before its release, the song was written by Eminem, Royce da 5'9" and Sly "Pyper" Jordan, who also sings the chorus to the song with additional vocals from Denaun Porter. Eminem requested that Sly perform the chorus, after hearing Dr. Dre's hit single "Kush". Supa Dups and Jason "JG" Gilbert produced the song; Eminem and Mike Strange mixed the song. JG and Supa Dups also sample their own vocals. According to Supa Dups, he was asked to make a beat with JG, without knowing it was for Bad Meets Evil. He said that "[They] didn't even have Eminem in mind [when they made the beat]." According to this interview with Mixtape Daily, Supa Dups had little knowledge about the project, but simply submitted the beat to Eminem. Months after recording the song, on April 28, 2011, when it leaked onto the Internet, Supa Dups was impressed by the finished version, lyrically, and was proud to have participated in the project. The song peaked at number 34 on the Hot 100 chart.
The second single, "Lighters", was originally intended to be featured on Royce's fifth studio album, Success Is Certain, but the single itself had ended up on Hell: The Sequel. It was produced solely by Rochester, New York producer Battle Roy. After Royce had presented the track to Eminem, he was inspired to write and record the first verse, prompting Royce to write his the day afterwards. Bad Meets Evil then flew to Los Angeles, where R&B and pop singer Bruno Mars heard the song. Eminem and Mars then made minor changes to the musical arrangement. The song was recorded at Effigy Studios by Strange, Isolation Studios by Asar and Levcon Studios (Los Angeles, California) by Ari Levine of The Smeezingtons, a music production and songwriting group consisting of Philip Lawrence and Mars. Eminem, The Smeezingtons and Battle Roy produced the song. Battle Roy and Joe Strange also engineered the song. Luis Resto provided additional keyboards for the song. On May 25, 2011, when the track listing of Hell: The Sequel was announced, "Lighters" was revealed to the public to feature Mars. "Lighters" hit contemporary hit radio on July 5, 2011 as the second single from the EP. "Lighters" performed better on the charts than "Fast Lane", peaking at number four on the Hot 100 chart.
Bad Meets Evil released a new song, entitled "Vegas", for the compilation album Shady XV, which was released on November 24, 2014 through Shady Records.
In 2015, two new Bad Meets Evil songs were released. The two songs, "All I Think About" and "Raw" appear on the Southpaw Soundtrack, produced by Shady Records.
In 2018, two Bad Meets Evil songs were released "Caterpillar" which featured Eminem off Royce's Book of Ryan album and "Not Alike" which featured Royce off Eminem's Kamikaze album.
Cocaine
Bad Meets Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh
This game's like cocaine
I want this more than anything in the world
Got to have it
Yeah, I made it
I'm addicted
Yeah, I'm feigning
This is a beat with no words at first
It's a blank painting
Exercising the mind is brain strength training
Starts off with something, like Shady's an insane maniac,
Yeah, Slim Shady, that's a zany name, ain't it?
Now all you need's an image to go with the name, baby
Wife beaters and white t-shirts, Hanes mainly
It's a long shot, but is it possible there's a lane, maybe?
If not, he's gonna have to come and change the whole game, ain't he?
He wants the fame so bad he can taste it
He could see his name up in lights
Women screaming his fuckin' name, fainting
Shady did it, he sold out the whole dang stadium
Joe Schmoe made it, he took his Plain Jane lady and his baby Hailie out the trailer
But he ain't trailing anymore, he's ahead of the race
While maintaining his innocence
Little does he know, his train is derailing
And he's about to be raped by this game anally
What would you do for a little bit?
What would you give for a little hit?
For that C.O.C.A.I.N.E.
'Cause once you get in, you don't wanna leave
Got to have it
Yeah, I made it
I'm addicted
Yeah, I'm feigning
You're operating on all cylinders
Syllables spit like Dillinger's spilling ya guts
People are feeling ya mic skills, but these haters are ice grillin' ya
Willing to sacrifice anything for the life that they might steal from ya
Fake friends'll kill for ya, die for ya
But you can't decipher "why?" for the life of ya
It wasn't like this when you were Cypherin'
Argue wit' your wife again
She found vicodin in your pants last night again
Your dispute's public, nothing is private anymore
Oh, and your best friend? Say bye-bye to him
What kinda apple you take a bite'a, Slim?
(This is what you wanted Marshall, ain't it?)
Fuck no!
The way that it turned out was nothin' like the picture that I painted in my head
Sometimes a dream to make it, it's more fun than it is to actually make it
The game stripped me naked
It robbed me ever having another real relation-
-ship, with another girl
This world is a fuckin' trip
‘Cause I slip in another world, proceed, take another hit
Sniff 'til I fuckin' hurl, tell ‘em all to fuckin' sit
And spin 'til they fuckin' twirl, middle finger up again
Relapsing back in this game
Oh well, fuck it, then
What would you do for a little bit?
What would you give for a little hit?
For that C.O.C.A.I.N.E.
‘Cause once you get in, you don't wanna leave
Got to have it
Yeah, I made it
I'm addicted
Yeah, I'm feigning
Start off right
Just to see your name in lights
Just so you can live the life
You take a bite
And lose your sight
They call this (Fame)
You think you good (ha ha)
Just cause you got out the hood
Concerned only with getting dough,
No longer poor but lost your soul They call this. (Fame)
I hear it callin'
My name is callin'
Why you strugglin'
When you could be ballin'
My head is sayin' yeah
But my feet is stallin'
So many walk in
But any fallin'
But I got to have it
Like Eve and the apple
She had to grab it
I got to take it
I got to make it
That's the plan
And I can't forsake it.
What would you do for a little bit?
What would you give for a little hit?
For that C.O.C.A.I.N.E.
‘Cause once you get in, you don't wanna leave
Got to have it
Yeah, I made it
I'm addicted
Yeah, I'm feigning
('Cause once you get in, you don't wanna leave)
Guess I can't leave then
Guess I'm addicted
Oh well
The lyrics to Bad Meets Evil's song "Cocaine" portray the addiction to the music industry and fame as similar to that of a cocaine addiction. The chorus questions how far one is willing to go for a taste of the high that comes with success, while the verses explore the dark side of the industry, including the detrimental effects on personal relationships, the loss of privacy, and the constant pressure to maintain success.
In the first verse, Eminem alludes to the name "Slim Shady," which is his alter ego and the persona that he has become famous for. He also mentions the desire for fame and success in his career, despite the challenges and risks that come with it. The second verse expands on the negative consequences of fame, including strained relationships and the loss of privacy. The third verse talks about the struggle to resist the temptation of returning to the industry and the commitment to achieving success despite the challenges.
The song is a powerful commentary on the music industry and the pressures that come with fame. It highlights the addictive nature of success and reminds listeners of the importance of staying true to themselves and their values, no matter how tempting the fame may be.
Line by Line Meaning
This game's like cocaine
Compared to cocaine, I want this game more than anything in the world
Ha, so do I. At least I thought I did.
I thought I wanted it more than anything, but now I'm not so sure
Got to have it
Yeah, I made it
I'm addicted
Yeah, I'm feigning
I need this game, I created it, I'm hooked, and I'm craving it
It's a long shot, but is it possible there's a lane, maybe?
I know it's unlikely, but maybe there's a place for me in this game
If not, he's gonna have to come and change the whole game, ain't he?
If there's no place in the game for me, I'll have to make my own way and revolutionize the game
What would you do for a little bit?
What would you give for a little hit?
For that C.O.C.A.I.N.E.
What would you do for a bit of success? For a little fame? For that high that you get from being in this game?
You're operating on all cylinders
Syllables spit like Dillinger's spilling ya guts
You're at the top of your game, and your lyrics are fierce and gut-wrenching
The way that it turned out was nothin' like the picture that I painted in my head
Things didn't turn out the way I expected, and it's not what I imagined
This world is a fuckin' trip
‘Cause I slip in another world, proceed, take another hit
Sniff 'til I fuckin' hurl, tell ‘em all to fuckin' sit
This world is crazy, and I escape into another world through drugs. I'll keep using until I can't take it anymore
Start off right
Just to see your name in lights
Just so you can live the life
You take a bite
And lose your sight
They call this (Fame)
You start out with good intentions, but then you get a taste of fame and it consumes you. They call this 'Fame'
I hear it callin'
My name is callin'
Why you strugglin'
When you could be ballin'
I hear my name being called by the game, and wonder why I'm struggling when I could be successful
Got to have it
Like Eve and the apple
She had to grab it
I got to take it
I got to make it
I need it like Eve needed the apple in the Garden of Eden. I have to take it, make it, and succeed
Guess I can't leave then
Guess I'm addicted
Oh well
I realize I can't just walk away from the game, and I'm resigned to being addicted to it
Contributed by Matthew G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@samstevens745
TheAnt 777 I loved it to, as good as "I got it, high fived Nick Lachey
Stuck a pen in Jessica's head and walked away
And she blew around the room like a balloon
I grabbed the last can of chicken tuna
Out the trash can and zoom I
Headed straight back to the Neverland Ranch
With a peanut butter, jelly, chicken, tuna sandwich
And I ain't even gotta make no goddamn sense
I just did a whole song and I didn't say shit"
@battulgaenkhbat3256
I'm on syrup painkillers, cigarette, weed
Sober don't interest me
I'm on everything
Bout to sip the liquor like it's Caine
That's how high I am
I take painkillers to ease the pain
Though I ain't in pain
No, we, ain't the same, we drunk
I'm on everything
'Cept when I kick it, gout
Me sobering up, ha, alf
Cash rules everything, acid tab, hash, 'shrooms
I done woke up with a fucking tiger in my bathroom
I am fucking high, high, high, high
Menace to society I feel sorry for your mother
Me and Vicious on 'shrooms
Call us the Mario brothers
Back down, we never back down
Never laid out
Can't put my back down
Syrup, painkillers, cigarette, weed, Hennessy, vodka
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
Painkillers, I call 'em Caine pillars
'Cause they'll hold me up when I take 'em
I need a cane and pillows
I'm on everything
Sick when I kick it, barf
Me sobering up, fart
I crush ya brain like a pill crusher, lets crush a pill yeah
Fuck, I think I just crushed my last Tylenol three up
Grab the key up off the counter till the camp all left the crib
Man, who'd knew that three in the morning I'd still be up
Could barely see up over the steering wheel, crashed the whip, tore a tree up
On my way to the dealer's, tryna re-up
Call me Brett Favre, spell it F-A-V-R, E, yep
It's wrong, other words I just fucked my RV up
Bitch, it's on again yeah, break that Klonopin in half
While I smoke some chronic in the cab with Donovan McNabb
And I dye my hair back blond again and laugh
I'm the real macaroni you cheesy bitch, I'm demonic with the craft
There's a devil in my noodle, you angel hair pasta
Flows dreaded like some fucking tangled hair rasta
Farian, Jamaican, relax, man
I'll send a fucking axe at you if you insist on a fucking accent
Bad and Evil is back with an epidural, check ya girl
'cause after we prop you up, we propping her up
So, baby, come put ya feet up in these stirrups
Your boyfriend better find another fucking whore to smash the stir up
We rap like we're on
Syrup, painkillers, cigarette, weed, Hennessy, vodka
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
Syrup, painkillers, cigarette, weed, Hennessy, vodka
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on everything
I'm on syrup painkillers, cigarette, speed
Uh, classic!
It's Eminem and him again, my sentiments exactly
I told that bitch to get at me, then the bitch attacked me
Kid you not, I'm lit up as fuck, tablecloth tucked in my pants
Then I'm hearing dishes drop, 'cause I walked away from my dinner with schmucks
Then I aimed to the front of the K-Mart shopping center
With' a coupon book and a hundred and ten bucks
And a bunch of change and wife beater with a mustard stain
I'll crush your brain like I'm crushing pills
What the fuck's the muthfuckin' deal?
This shit's making me feel like I'm tryna do a mothafuckin' cartwheel up a hill
How many bars, how many tabs?
A-c-i-d, y-e-s, 'cause I'm sniffin n-y-e-s
F-you-c-k'ed up, and it's obvious
Smoking Henny in my chest
I'm b-a-n-a-n-a-s
I'm a c-o-c-o-n-you-t
Put this CD in and then you'll see
The sequel to Scary Movie, bad is to evil,
the roofie to Roethlisberger
You are gonna wind up six feet deep
Under that shits creek so I hope that you brought preservers
You could put a turd on the plate
Silverware on the tablecloth to serve us
You don't bring shit to the table
I mean your grill like a Seville when a mark gets murdered
You pushing the envelope, and I'm shovin' that whole post office further
Right off the surface, to the serpents in the darkest and the farthest corner
How many bars, how many bars
Maui, wow wee, sour diesel, how many jars,
To all my people I'll be the Mars, mommy come on
She can actually wrap my nut sack 'round the back of her neck in a bathroom stall
And she can just puke from sipping this piss from my twenty four inch catheter cord
I'm the type that'll take a bath with' a whore
Drown her, bang her head on the passenger door
When I'm stashin' 'er in the back, smackin' her forehead on the dash
And its accidentally blowin', a Benz jeep horn
My friends be knowin' that when I'm on a binge, I'm stingy
Even when I'm ten deep in a room with the MG and and with' Lindsay Lohan and she on
Syrup, painkillers, cigarette, weed, Hennessy, vodka
@Beastxxx15
Most slept on song from this era this is gold
@pyromaniacforhire
Right?! This song has been in our head periodically since the very day it dropped.
@elwoodriley390
Facts
@Prod.yungdoddi
Triple diamond*
@marjineptune5259
This song cracks me up. I’m in recovery but this song used to apply to me.
@Suprheem90
Proud of you!
@marjineptune5259
@@Suprheem90 thank you
@PsychoticFreakyGaming
I love syrup pain killers cigarettes and weed
@tylermartens9525
Quitter
@colistaturner8476
Congrats 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾