The song, produced by Rick Rubin, samples Billy Squier's "The Stroke", the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right", taken from their 1986 debut album Licensed to Ill and also produced by Rubin, and Naughty by Nature's "Feel Me Flow".
The song starts with a "blast of static, hard guitar and Em roaring out of the gate sounding like the long-lost, fourth Beastie Boy", according to Yahoo! Music critic Craig Rosen. The song samples the "Kick it!" part of "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", performed by Ad-Rock. According to Billboard's Lars Brandle, the song is "a punchy, guitar-and-beats driven song which channels Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' I Love Rock 'n' Roll and Licensed to Ill-era Beastie Boys."
During the halftime at the September 7, 2013 Michigan–Notre Dame football game, Eminem premiered a preview of the music video for "Berzerk". Then the video was premiered two days later on September 9, via VEVO. The video was filmed in Brooklyn, New York and directed by Syndrome. It features cameo appearances from fellow American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Kid Rock (both of whom Eminem mentions in the song's lyrics) in addition to Shady Records labelmates Slaughterhouse, Mr. Porter, Yelawolf and The Alchemist, the song's producer Rick Rubin and Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg. The video also features short clips of backyard wrestling, and public fights as well as short clips of the official music video of Billy Squier's "The Stroke", which is heavily sampled in the song. The video received a nomination at MTV Video Music Awards 2014 in the category "Best Hip-Hop Video".
"Berzerk" sold 362,000 downloads in its first week in the US, debuting at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 (behind Katy Perry's Roar and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines) becoming Eminem's 15th Top 10 hit on the Hot 100. The song has peaked at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. When the R&B component of the chart is removed, the song debuted at number one on the Rap Songs chart. "Berzerk"'s debut is just below the debut of the lead single for Recovery, "Not Afraid", which sold 379,000 copies in its first week. It has sold over a million copies in the US as of October 2013.
In Canada, the song debuted at number two with 50,000 downloads sold, which more than doubled the 24,000 downloads sold in the debut week of "Not Afraid". It was Eminem's best one week download total ever in the country, until it was surpassed by the 54,000 downloads sold for Eminem's later single, "The Monster". The song was certified Double Platinum in Digital downloads in Canada on November 1, 2013.
The song debuted at number one on the UK R&B Chart, and was replaced on the chart by his single "Rap God".
Will Hermes of Rolling Stone gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting its goal to "celebrate old-school hip-hop". Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, stating the song "harks back" to Eminem's "Slim Shady days". Copsey compared the song to Beastie Boys circa 1986, although the song as "inimitable" and "unmistakably Eminem". VH1 India gave the song 8/10 concluding, "Whether you shudder under 'Berzerk's' cacophonous assault or wear its raps like an emblem — it's 2013, and Eminem still got your attention."
Berzerk
Eminem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's take it back to straight hip-hop and start it from scratch
I'm 'bout to bloody this track up, everybody get back
That's why my pen needs a pad 'cause my rhymes on the rag
Just like I did with addiction I'm 'bout to kick it
Like a magician, critics I turn to crickets
Got 'em still on the fence whether to pick it
But quick to get impaled when I tell 'em, "Stick it"
'Bout to go ham, ya bish, shout out to Kendrick
Let's bring it back to that vintage Slim, bitch
The art of MCing mixed with da Vinci and MC Ren
And I don't mean Stimpy's friend, bitch
Been public enemy since you thought PE was gym, bitch
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down and
(Go berzerk) all night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out and
(Go berzerk) all night long
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud, 'cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M.
So, baby, make just like K-Fed and let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (go berzerk)
Grab your vial, yeah
Guess it's just the way that I'm dressed, ain't it?
Khakis pressed, Nike shoes crispy and fresh laced
So I guess it ain't
That aftershave or cologne that made 'em just faint
Plus I just showed up with a coat fresher than wet paint
So if love is a chess game, check mate
But girl your body's banging, jump me in, gang bang bang
Yessiree Bob, I was thinking the same thing
So come get on this kid's rock, ba-wit-da-ba dang-dang
P-p-p pow-pow, chicka-bow, chicka-bow-wow
Got your gal blowin' up a valve, v-v-valve-valve
Ain't slowin' down, throw in the towel, t-t-towel-towel
Dumb it down, I don't know how, huh-huh, how-how
At least I know that I don't know
Question is, are you bozos smart enough to feel stupid?
Hope so, now ho
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down and
(Go berzerk) all night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out and
(Go berzerk) all night long
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud, 'cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M.
So crank the bass up like crazy and let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (go berzerk)
Grab your vi-
Everybody
And they say that love is powerful as cough syrup and Styrofoam
All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo
With the ugly Kardashian
Lamar, oh sorry, yo, we done both set the bar low
Far as hard drugs are though, that's the past
But I done did enough codeine to knock Future into tomorrow
And, girl, I ain't got no money to borrow
But I am tryin' to find a way to get you alone, car note
Oh, Marshall Mathers shithead with a potty mouth
Get the bar soap lathered, Kangols and Carheartless Cargos
Girl, you're fixin' to get your heart broke, don't be absurd ma'am
You birdbrain baby, I ain't called anybody baby since Birdman
Unless you're a swallow (ha-ha)
Word, Rick? Word, man you heard, but don't be discouraged, girl
This is your jam, unless you got toe jam
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down and
(Go berzerk) all night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out and
(Go berzerk) all night long
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud, 'cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M.
So, baby, make just like K-Fed and let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (go berzerk)
Grab your vial, yeah
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud, 'cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M.
So crank the bass up like crazy and let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (go berzerk)
Grab your vial, ye-
The lyrics to Eminem's song Berzerk are about the rapper feeling dissatisfied with the current state of hip-hop music and wanting to return to its roots. He wants to take the party back to straight hip-hop and start from scratch. Eminem is about to "bloody this track up" and everyone needs to get back. He compares his pen to a pad to a woman's menstrual cycle because his rhymes are on the rag. Eminem is "bout to kick it" like he did with addiction, and he compares himself to a magician, turning critics into crickets.
Eminem then brings up the art of MCing, mixed with da Vinci and MC Ren, and he mentions Public Enemy, who has been his inspiration since people only thought of PE as a gym class. The chorus urges everybody to let go, forget their worries, and go crazy until morning because life's too short to not go for broke. The song ends with the same chorus, but the verse includes a reference to love being as powerful as cough syrup and Styrofoam. Eminem talks about codeine and wanting to find a way to get someone alone. Overall, the song is an homage to old-school hip-hop and urges listeners to let go and have a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
Now this shit's about to kick off, this party looks wack
Eminem thinks the party is about to start and it's not looking good
Let's take it back to straight hip-hop and start it from scratch
Eminem suggests to go back to the basics of hip-hop
I'm 'bout to bloody this track up, everybody get back
Eminem is going to destroy this track with his rapping skills
That's why my pen needs a pad 'cause my rhymes on the rag
Eminem needs to write down his rhymes to express them better
Just like I did with addiction I'm 'bout to kick it
Eminem compares his addiction to drugs to his addiction to music and he's about to conquer it again
Like a magician, critics I turn to crickets
Eminem can silence critics with his talent like a magician can silence an audience
Got 'em still on the fence whether to pick it
Critics are undecided whether to like his music
But quick to get impaled when I tell 'em, "Stick it"
Critics who don't like his music will get verbally attacked
So sick, I'm looking pale, well that's my pigment
Eminem is so sick with rhymes that he looks pale
'Bout to go ham, ya bish, shout out to Kendrick
Eminem is about to go hard and shouts out to Kendrick Lamar
Let's bring it back to that vintage Slim, bitch
Eminem wants to go back to his old style of rap
The art of MCing mixed with da Vinci and MC Ren
Eminem wants to mix the art of MCing with the talent of da Vinci and MC Ren
And I don't mean Stimpy's friend, bitch
Eminem clarifies that he's not talking about Stimpy's friend
Been public enemy since you thought PE was gym, bitch
Eminem has been a public enemy since the time when people thought PE meant gym class
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down and
(Go berzerk) all night long
Eminem wants everyone to relax and go crazy all night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out and
(Go berzerk) all night long
Eminem wants everyone to let loose and act weird all night long
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud, 'cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M.
Eminem wants to party hard all night and create chaos till morning
So, baby, make just like K-Fed and let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (go berzerk)
Eminem wants everyone to enjoy their life to the fullest without any regrets and go crazy
Guess it's just the way that I'm dressed, ain't it?
Khakis pressed, Nike shoes crispy and fresh laced
So I guess it ain't
That aftershave or cologne that made 'em just faint
Plus I just showed up with a coat fresher than wet paint
So if love is a chess game, check mate
Eminem is dressed nicely and thinks that his style is what makes the girls faint, not his aftershave or cologne
But girl your body's banging, jump me in, gang bang bang
Yessiree Bob, I was thinking the same thing
So come get on this kid's rock, ba-wit-da-ba dang-dang
P-p-p pow-pow, chicka-bow, chicka-bow-wow
Got your gal blowin' up a valve, v-v-valve-valve
Ain't slowin' down, throw in the towel, t-t-towel-towel
Dumb it down, I don't know how, huh-huh, how-how
Eminem wants to have sex with the girl and has some sexual innuendos in his lyrics
At least I know that I don't know
Question is, are you bozos smart enough to feel stupid?
Hope so, now ho
Eminem suggests that ignorance is bliss and wonders if people are smart enough to understand his music
And they say that love is powerful as cough syrup and Styrofoam
All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo
With the ugly Kardashian
Lamar, oh sorry, yo, we done both set the bar low
Far as hard drugs are though, that's the past
But I done did enough codeine to knock Future into tomorrow
And, girl, I ain't got no money to borrow
But I am tryin' to find a way to get you alone, car note
Oh, Marshall Mathers shithead with a potty mouth
Get the bar soap lathered, Kangols and Carheartless Cargos
Girl, you're fixin' to get your heart broke, don't be absurd ma'am
You birdbrain baby, I ain't called anybody baby since Birdman
Unless you're a swallow (ha-ha)
Word, Rick? Word, man you heard, but don't be discouraged, girl
This is your jam, unless you got toe jam
Eminem talks about his experiences with love and drugs, mentions some celebs, and tries to hit on a girl
Grab your vial, ye-
Eminem wants everyone to party and enjoy themselves
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Motor Songs GmbH, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marshall B Mathers III, Keir Gist, Vincent E. Brown, George Porter, Anthony Shawn Criss, Adam Yauch, Adam Keefe Horovitz, Joseph Modeliste, Cyril Neville, Aaron Neville, Rick Rubin, William H Squier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kennethadam13
[Verse 1: Eminem]
Now this shit's about to kick off, this party looks wack
Let's take it back to straight hip-hop and start it from scratch
I'm 'bout to bloody this track up, everybody get back
That's why my pen needs a pad, 'cause my rhymes on the rag
Just like I did with addiction, I'm 'bout to kick it
Like a magician, critics I turn to crickets
Got 'em still on the fence whether to picket
But quick to get it impaled when I tell 'em, "Stick it!"
So sick, I'm looking pale—wait, that's my pigment
'Bout to go ham, ya bish, shout out to Kendrick
Let's bring it back to that vintage Slim, bitch!
The art of MCing mixed with da Vinci and MC Ren
And I don't mean Stimpy's friend, bitch
Been Public Enemy since you thought PE was gym, bitch
[Pre-Chorus: Eminem]
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down
(And go berserk) All night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out
(And go berserk) All night long
[Chorus 1: Eminem & Billy Squier]
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud
'Cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M
So, baby, make just like K-Fed
And let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it!" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (Go berserk)
Grab your vial, yeah
[Verse 2: Eminem]
Guess it's just the way that I'm dressed, ain't it?
Khakis pressed, Nike shoes crispy and fresh laced
So I guess it ain't that aftershave
Or cologne that made 'em just faint
Plus I showed up with a coat fresher than wet paint
So if love is a chess game, check mate
But girl, your body's bangin', jump me in, dang, bang-bang
Yes siree 'Bob', I was thinking the same thang
So come get on this Kid's rock, baw with da baw, dang-dang
Pow-p-p-p-pow, chica, pow, chica, wow-wow
Got your gal blowin' up a valve, v-v-valve-valve
Ain't slowin' it down, throw in the towel, t-t-towel-towel
Dumb it down, I don't know how, huh-huh, how-how
At least I know that I don't know
Question is, are you bozos smart enough to feel stupid?
Hope so, now ho
[Pre-Chorus: Eminem]
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down
(And go berserk) All night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out
(And go berserk) All night long
[Chorus 2: Eminem & Billy Squier]
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud
'Cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M
So crank the bass up like crazy
And let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it!" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (Go berzerk)
Get your vinyls
[Scratch]
[Verse 3: Eminem]
And they say that love is powerful as cough syrup in styrofoam
All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo
With the ugly Kardashian, Lamar, oh
Sorry, yo—we done both set the bar low
Far as hard drugs are though, that's the past
But I done did enough codeine to knock Future into tomorrow
And girl, I ain't got no money to borrow
But I am tryin' to find a way to get you alone: car note
Oh, Marshall Mathers
Shithead with a potty mouth, get the bar of soap lathered
Kangol's and Carheartless Cargos
Girl, you're fixin' to get your heart broke
Don't be absurd, ma'am, you birdbrain, baby
I ain't called anybody baby since Birdman, unless you're a swallow (Ha-ha!)
Word, Rick? (Word, man, you heard)
But don't get discouraged, girl
This is your jam, unless you got toe jam
[Pre-Chorus: Eminem]
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down
(And go berserk) All night long
Grow your beard out, just weird out
(And go berserk) All night long
[Chorus 1: Eminem & Billy Squier]
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud
'Cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M
So, baby, make just like K-Fed
And let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it!" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (Go berserk)
Grab your vial, yeah
[Chorus 2: Eminem & Billy Squier]
We're gonna rock this house until we knock it down
So turn the volume loud
'Cause it's mayhem 'til the A.M
So crank the bass up like crazy
And let yourself go, let yourself go
Say, "Fuck it!" before we kick the bucket
Life's too short to not go for broke
So everybody, everybody (Go berzerk)
Get your vials
@SpideyWarsStudios
Eminem needs to make more rock-esque music. This is one of my favorite Eminem songs
@Zajko999
Agree
@Zajko999
@Blaza probably 10 milions people
@stukablyat7136
"Make"
Look up Billy Squier - The Stroke
@artemyburakh12
You know that revival exists, right?
@margparis4442
si Nu Metal😎
@HipHopNeverDieDjDucReMix
30 years later and Em is still rapping faster than my internet connection 🤯
@mr.potato1578
This isn't even fast bruh
@emmenthaler5809
@LBXTG that tells you a lot about his internet connection I guess xD
@tylerwiseman453
🤣🤣