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.
Living Proof
Bad Meets Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't stop
Yeah, Bad and Evil is (back)
We bout to get into a tail of gunner that details the dungeon
This is the pale moon illuminates the hail and thundering
Oh once again where I fail from blundering
Now I'm free fallin'
My career is gone and the weed callin'
Regardless of who's fault I was b-ballin'
God bubble wrapped me and dropped me on top of the Earth
Marshall double backed and got me from on top of the hearse
I'm alive, nigga, Justin T ain't got nothing on me
Cause I done cried Mary J Blige rivers
I realized that God's with us as soon as I decided
To put that bottle down and pick up my tie bridges
The writings on the wall
Since niggas seen me at the baseball game with Shady and Jay-Z
Suddenly everybody calls
"Like I'm just checking on you dog"
While I throw up this message on the star
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my mama
I'ma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters don't stop (don't stop)
I'm living proof, nigga
It's pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
It's the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof, nigga
Your body language is sayin' your confidence is gone
Well pick ya ass up lil' homie, come on
You just gone sit there and take it or make 'em suck it
Tell 'em where to shove it straight up
You gon' make love to the world or you gon' fuck it?
The last time the light kicked me in the ass
I pulled down it's pants and put a foot up its ass
Man what a catastrophe it'd be for me to be a bitch ass pussy
And not open a can of whoop ass
Did ya piss ass whoop me will be the day I say I ain't poop
Shit, the day that I don't straight shoot
I'll drop out of my anti-women hate group
Say I'm a sissy faggot, record it play it back and put it on straight loop
You haters look like you ate a grape fruit
You see me climbing back on that wagon
Got my swagger back I was dragging, hop back on it
Grab the reigns on that bastard and came back on 'em
Without remorse man
Man of course I'm a one trick pony
Cause I'll be screaming on these whores 'til I'm hoarse
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my mama
I'ma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters don't stop (don't stop)
I'm living proof, nigga
It's pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
It's the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof, nigga
Nah I ain't fading yet
I'd rather stay and rap
I mighta made a deck
I find excitement in wondering what I'ma write next
So I don't stay in debt
Me broke
You might as well cut the embryo out my mama
And play catch with the baby
With AK's with baby bayonet's
I'ma get rich or I'ma die trying
That's why its either kill or be killed
So call me suicide homicide Ryan
There's a bomb inside my head
I'ma live wire, I am on the edge
Teetering on it like I tore the iron mike
Get on a nut like a tire iron
I have no desire stopping so why would I drop and roll
That's how much on fire I am
Rappers are fun and I'm the time cause I'm just flying by 'em
Man I'm laughing at 'em the entire time, why am I up?
Cause tribulations I have triumphed bitch I'm fired up
So it's time for me to slit your fucking lighter, light the sky up
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my mama
I'ma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters don't stop (don't stop)
I'm living proof, nigga
It's pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
It's the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof, nigga
The song "Living Proof" by Bad Meets Evil is a confident and reflective track that talks about the struggles that Eminem and Royce da 5’9’’ have faced in their career and personal lives. The song has a powerful message about perseverance and overcoming life's obstacles. The chorus of the song repeats the line "When them bottles stop poppin' and them dollars start stopping, do what you did to get it and don't stop," which means that even when success starts to fade, one should never give up and keep pushing forward to achieve their goals.
In the first verse, Royce da 5’9’’ talks about his career downfall and how Eminem helped him to rise again. He also talks about overcoming his addiction to alcohol and realizing that God is with him. The second verse is more aggressive, with Eminem pushing himself to the limit to prove his doubters wrong. He talks about being a "live wire" and "on the edge," meaning that he is always ready to take on whatever challenge comes his way.
Overall, "Living Proof" is a song that motivates listeners to keep chasing their dreams and not give up when things get tough.
Line by Line Meaning
We bout to get into a tail of gunner that details the dungeon
We are about to tell a story of an expert shooter who reveals the secrets of the underground world.
This is the pale moon illuminates the hail and thundering
The eerie moonlight highlights the stormy weather, setting a dark tone.
Oh once again where I fail from blundering
Once again, I made a mistake and messed up.
Shady lifted his wing than I fell from under it
Eminem supported me, but when he left, I fell apart.
Now I'm free fallin'
I'm falling without control and can't stop the descent.
My career is gone and the weed callin'
My career is over, and I'm turning to drugs to cope.
Regardless of who's fault I was b-ballin'
Even though it was my fault that my career ended, I was balling and making money.
God bubble wrapped me and dropped me on top of the Earth
God kept me safe and put me back on top of the world.
Marshall double backed and got me from on top of the hearse
Eminem came back and saved me from the brink of destruction.
I'm alive, nigga, Justin T ain't got nothing on me
I'm still alive and doing well, even better than Justin Timberlake.
Cause I done cried Mary J Blige rivers
I have cried so much that it's equivalent to the amount Mary J Blige sang about in her songs.
I realized that God's with us as soon as I decided
I understand that God is always with us as soon as I made the decision.
To put that bottle down and pick up my tie bridges
Once I stopped drinking and picked up my adult responsibilities, I realized the truth.
The writings on the wall
It's clear to see what's going on.
Since niggas seen me at the baseball game with Shady and Jay-Z
Since people saw me hanging out with Eminem and Jay-Z at a baseball game.
Suddenly everybody calls
All of a sudden, everyone is checking in on me.
"Like I'm just checking on you dog"
They say things like, "I'm just making sure you're okay, man."
While I throw up this message on the star
At the same time, I am expressing myself to the world through my music.
When them bottles stop poppin'
When the alcohol runs out and the parties end.
And them dollars start stopping
And the money stops flowing.
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
We need to keep working hard and not give up on our goals.
I made a promise to my mama
I promised my mother that I would be successful.
I'ma out live her
I plan to live longer than my mother did.
How can I be a quitter when haters don't stop (don't stop)
I can't give up when people are constantly trying to bring me down.
I'm living proof, nigga
I'm an example of someone who overcame adversity.
It's pretty safe to say
It's fair to assume.
God giveth and God taketh away
God gives us good things and can also take them away from us.
It's the Worldwide American way
It's common in America and around the world.
Your body language is sayin' your confidence is gone
Your posture suggests that you lack confidence.
Well pick ya ass up lil' homie, come on
Get up and keep going, my friend.
You just gone sit there and take it or make 'em suck it
You have two choices: do nothing or fight back.
Tell 'em where to shove it straight up
Don't take their insults or negativity lying down, stand up for yourself.
You gon' make love to the world or you gon' fuck it?
Will you embrace life and love it, or will you attack it?
The last time the light kicked me in the ass
The last time life beat me down.
I pulled down it's pants and put a foot up its ass
I retaliated and fought back against life's difficulties.
Man what a catastrophe it'd be for me to be a bitch ass pussy
It would be terrible for me to give up and be weak.
And not open a can of whoop ass
I must fight back and show what I'm made of.
Did ya piss ass whoop me will be the day I say I ain't poop
If someone can beat me in a fight, then I'm not who I thought I was.
Shit, the day that I don't straight shoot
The day that I don't speak the truth.
I'll drop out of my anti-women hate group
I'll leave my misogynistic beliefs behind.
Say I'm a sissy faggot, record it play it back and put it on straight loop
I'll accept their insults and make it into a hit song and earn money from it.
You haters look like you ate a grape fruit
You look sour and bitter like you have eaten a grapefruit.
You see me climbing back on that wagon
You see me getting back on track and making progress.
Got my swagger back I was dragging, hop back on it
I regained my confidence and got back up to speed, keep going.
Grab the reigns on that bastard and came back on 'em
I took control and defeated my opponents.
Without remorse man
Without feeling any guilt.
Man of course I'm a one trick pony
I only have one talent, but I'm making the most of it.
Cause I'll be screaming on these whores 'til I'm hoarse
I'll be rapping about women and sex until I sound horse from all the screaming.
Nah I ain't fading yet
I'm not giving up or losing my touch.
I'd rather stay and rap
I want to continue making music instead of quitting.
I mighta made a deck
I might have made a fortune.
I find excitement in wondering what I'ma write next
I enjoy the thrill of creating new lyrics and music.
So I don't stay in debt
So I don't owe anyone anything.
Me broke
If I'm poor and broke.
You might as well cut the embryo out my mama
It's as if they should have aborted me before I was born.
And play catch with the baby
They might as well have played catch with the unborn baby's limbs.
With AK's with baby bayonet's
Using guns and knives made for babies.
I'ma get rich or I'ma die trying
I want to get rich and succeed no matter what, even if it risks my life.
That's why its either kill or be killed
That's why I have to fight and win, or else I'll lose and die.
So call me suicide homicide Ryan
I'm willing to die trying to succeed, even if it means causing harm to others.
There's a bomb inside my head
I am filled with energy and power.
I'ma live wire, I am on the edge
I'm ready for anything and can explode at any moment with my music and creativity.
Teetering on it like I tore the iron mike
I'm pushing the envelope and balancing the edge, just like Mike Tyson in his prime.
Get on a nut like a tire iron
I'll get crazy and wild like someone hitting a lug nut with a tire iron.
I have no desire stopping so why would I drop and roll
I have no interest in giving up, so why would I stop and roll away from my goals?
That's how much on fire I am
That's how passionate and energized I am about my music.
Rappers are fun and I'm the time cause I'm just flying by 'em
Other rappers are fun, but I'm timeless and always moving forward, leaving them behind.
Man I'm laughing at 'em the entire time, why am I up?
I'm enjoying my success and laughing at the other rappers who can't keep up.
Cause tribulations I have triumphed bitch I'm fired up
I've conquered my struggles and hardships, so I'm ready and fired up for whatever comes next.
So it's time for me to slit your fucking lighter, light the sky up
It's time for me to step up and take control of the music industry, shining brighter than anyone else.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marshall B. III Mathers, Ryan D. Montgomery, James Brown, Denaun M. Porter, Alexander Merzin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@muhammadshishtawy1503
Don't stop
Don't stop
Yeah, Bad and Evil is (back)
We bout to get into a tail of gunner that details the dungeon
This is the pale moon illuminates the hail and thundering
Oh once again where I fail from blundering
Shady lifted his wing than I fell from under it
Now I'm free fallin'
My career is gone and the weed callin'
Regardless of who's fault I was b-ballin'
God bubble wrapped me and dropped me on top of the Earth
Marshall double backed and got me from on top of the hearse
I'm alive nigga, Justin T ain't got nothing on me
Cause I done cried Mary J Blige rivers
I realized that God's with us as soon as I decided
To put that bottle down and pick up my tie bridges
The writings on the wall
Since niggas seen me at the baseball game with Shady and Jay-Z
Suddenly everybody calls
"Like I'm just checking on you dog"
While I throw up this message on the star
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my momma
I'mma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters dont stop (dont stop)
I'm living proof nigga
Its pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
Its the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof nigga
Your body language is sayin' your confidence is gone
Well pick ya ass up lil homie, come on
You just gone sit there and take it or make em suck it
Tell em where to shove it straight up,
You gon' make love to the world or you gon' fuck it?
The last time the light kicked me in the ass
I pulled down it's pants and put a foot up its ass
Man what a catastrophe it'd be for me to be a bitch ass pussy
And not open a can of whoop ass
Did ya piss ass whoop me will be the day I say I ain't poop
Shit, the day that I don't straight shoot
I'll drop out of my anti-women hate group
Say I'm a sissy faggot, record it play it back and put it on straight loop
You haters look like you ate a grape fruit
You see me climbing back on that wagon
Got my swagga back I was dragging, hop back on it
Grab the reigns on that bastard and came back on em
Without remorse man
Man of course I'm a one trick pony
Cause I'll be screaming on these whores till I'm hoarse!
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my momma
I'mma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters dont stop (dont stop)
I'm living proof nigga
Its pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
Its the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof nigga
Nah I ain't fading yet
I'd rather stay and rap
I mighta made a deck
I find excitement in wondering what I'mma write next
So I don't stay in debt
Me broke
You might as well cut the embryo out my momma and play catch with the baby
With AK's with baby bayonet's
I'mma get rich or I'mma die trying
That's why its either kill or be killed
So call me suicide homicide Ryan
There's a bomb inside my head
I'mma live wire, I am on the edge
Teetering on it like I tore the iron mike
Get on a nut like a tire iron
I have no desire stopping so why would I drop and roll
That's how much on fire I am
Rappers are fun and I'm the time cause I'm just flying by 'em
Man I'm laughing at 'em the entire time, why am I up?
Cause tribulations I have triumphed bitch I'm fired up
So it's time for me to slit your fucking lighter, light the sky up
When them bottles stop poppin'
And them dollars start stopping
Do what you did to get it and don't stop (don't stop)
I made a promise to my momma
I'mma out live her
How can I be a quitter when haters dont stop (dont stop)
I'm living proof nigga
Its pretty safe to say
God giveth and God taketh away
Its the Worldwide American way
I'm living proof nigga
@Technician397
Royce and Eminem compliment each other unbelievably. They bring out such fire when they go together, it's unreal.
@MegaTwiztid15
+Matt Aumend Fire? This shit was lava.
@Kay-ol2ev
feels like goku and vegeta lol
@jackcravford8744
I love that screaming in eminems voice. So raw and graspy. That snare on this track is so punishing and Royce has really charismatic voice.
@Leestevensmusic
This shit sick. I feel like no one will ever create a rap album as good as this.
@artificial4612
FACTS! 🔥👌💯🙏
@joshlewis575
So slept on as n album. Pretty tight all the way through, n a few bangers such as this. That 1st eminem verse is top 5 in his career! Sick
@thezjewelrycompany1799
And until now nobody ever has
@simphiwengwazi1646
That 2:43-2:54 flow comes in like a tsunami. Damn!!!
@yasisawyer3639
Simphiwe Ngwazi ok