Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, MO), known… Read Full Bio ↴Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, MO), known professionally as Eminem (stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as influencing many musical artists. His most successful songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 include "The Real Slim Shady", "Without Me", "Lose Yourself", "Not Afraid", "Love the Way You Lie", "The Monster", "Godzilla", and "Houdini".
After the release of his debut album Infinite (1996) and the extended play Slim Shady EP (1997), Eminem signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and subsequently achieved mainstream popularity in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP. His next two releases, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002), were worldwide successes and nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of 2002. After the release of his next album, Encore (2004), Eminem went on hiatus, largely due to a prescription drug addiction. He returned to the music industry with the releases of Relapse (2009) and Recovery (2010), the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of 2010. He then released the U.S. number-one albums The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), Revival (2017), Kamikaze (2018), Music to Be Murdered By (2020), and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024).
Eminem was also a member of the hip-hop groups New Jacks, Soul Intent, Outsidaz, and D12, and has collaborated with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 5'9" as the duo Bad Meets Evil. Eminem starred in the 2002 musical drama film 8 Mile playing a dramatized version of himself. "Lose Yourself", a song from its soundtrack, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks—the most for a solo rap song—and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making him the first hip-hop artist ever to win the award. He also co-founded Shady Records, which helped launch the careers of artists such as D12, 50 Cent, and Obie Trice, and established his own Sirius XM Radio channel, Shade 45.
Eminem is amongst the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 220 million records. He was the best-selling music artist in the United States for the 2000s, placing third for the 2010s. He was the first artist to have ten albums consecutively debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and has had five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Curtain Call: The Hits (2005), "Lose Yourself", "Love the Way You Lie", and "Not Afraid" have all been certified Diamond or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and an MTV Europe Music Global Icon Award. Billboard named him the "Artist of the Decade (2000–2009)", and Rolling Stone named him one of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Early life
Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. and Deborah "Debbie" (née Nelson). His mother nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him. Eminem's parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before they separated. His father abandoned his family when Eminem was a year and a half old, and Eminem was raised only by his mother, Debbie, in poverty. He wrote letters to his father, but Debbie said that they all came back marked "return to sender".
By the age of twelve, Eminem and his mother shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St. Joseph, Savannah, Missouri, Kansas City, Warren, Michigan and Roseville, Michigan before settling in Detroit. For much of his youth, Eminem and his mother lived in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten several times by black youths. His mother had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Samara.
Eminem frequently fought with his mother, whom a social worker described as having a "very suspicious, almost paranoid personality". When he was a child, a bully named D'Angelo Bailey severely injured Eminem's head in an assault, an incident which Eminem later recounted (with comic exaggeration) on the song "Brain Damage". Debbie filed a lawsuit against the public school for this in 1982. The suit was dismissed the following year by a Macomb County, Michigan, judge, who said the schools were immune from lawsuits.
Eminem was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic book artist before discovering hip-hop. He heard his first rap song ("Reckless", featuring Ice-T) on the Breakin' soundtrack, a gift from Debbie's half-brother, Ronnie Polkingharn. His uncle was close to the boy and later became a musical mentor to him. Following Polkingharn's suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking publicly for days and did not attend his funeral.
At age 14, Eminem began rapping with high-school friend Mike Ruby; they adopted the names "Manix" and "M&M", the latter evolving into "Eminem". Eminem snuck into neighboring Osborn High School with friend and fellow rapper Proof for lunchroom freestyle rap battles. On Saturdays, they attended open mic contests at the Hip-Hop Shop on West 7 Mile Road, considered "ground zero" for the Detroit rap scene. Struggling to succeed in a predominantly black industry, Eminem was appreciated by underground hip-hop audiences. When he wrote verses, he wanted most of the words to rhyme; he wrote long words or phrases on paper and, underneath, worked on rhymes for each syllable. Although the words often made little sense, the drill helped Eminem practice sounds and rhymes.
In 1987, Debbie allowed runaway Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott to stay at their home. Several years later, Eminem began an on-and-off relationship with Scott. After spending three years in ninth grade due to truancy and poor grades, 17-year-old Eminem dropped out of Lincoln High School. Although interested in English, Eminem never explored literature, preferring comic books, and he disliked math and social studies. He states that he later received a GED.Eminem worked at several jobs to help his mother pay the bills, one of which was at Little Caesar's Pizza in Warren. He later said she often threw him out of the house anyway, often after taking most of his paycheck. When she left to play bingo, he would blast the stereo and write songs.
Alter egos
Eminem uses alter egos in his songs for different rapping styles and subject matter, including Slim Shady and Ken Kaniff, among others.
Slim Shady is the controversial and rebellious alter ego of Eminem, introduced in his 1997 extended play The Slim Shady EP. Conceived during a period of personal and professional struggle, Slim Shady allowed Eminem to express his darker, more aggressive thoughts through exaggerated and often violent lyrical content. This persona embodies the chaotic, satirical side of Eminem's music, pushing boundaries with provocative, sometimes offensive, themes, which blend fiction and reality. The use of Slim Shady is shown in The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Encore, Relapse, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Kamikaze, Music to Be Murdered By, and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
Slim Shady's influence on Eminem's career is significant. His shock-value content helped skyrocket the rapper to fame, but also attracted criticism and legal challenges, particularly due to songs like "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Kim", where he addresses deeply personal and often disturbing subjects, such as family conflicts and imagined violence. Despite the controversy, the Slim Shady character is credited with much of Eminem's early success, but over time, the persona also contributed to the rapper's personal struggles, including substance abuse.
Another character is Ken Kaniff, a gay man who pokes fun at Eminem's songs. Ken was created and originally played by fellow Detroit rapper Aristotle on The Slim Shady LP, where Kaniff makes a prank call to Eminem. An argument after the album's release prompted Eminem to use the Kaniff character on The Marshall Mathers LP and later albums (except Encore and Recovery). Aristotle, angry with Eminem's use of his character, released a mixtape in his Kaniff persona ridiculing him.
Acting Career
After small roles in the 2001 film The Wash and as an extra in the 1998 Korn music video for "Got the Life" (during which he gave the band a demo tape), Eminem made his Hollywood debut in the semi-autobiographical 2002 film 8 Mile. He said it was a representation of growing up in Detroit rather than an account of his life. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself" (which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003 and became the longest-running No. 1 hip-hop single in history). Eminem was absent from the ceremony and co-composer Luis Resto accepted the award.
Eminem voiced an aging, corrupt, AAVE-speaking police officer in the video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof and guested on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers and a Web cartoon, The Slim Shady Show He was signed to star in an unmade film version of Have Gun – Will Travel, and was considered for the role of David Rice in the 2008 film Jumper. Eminem had a cameo appearance, arguing with Ray Romano, in the 2009 film Funny People. In a 2010 interview with Jonathan Ross, he stated "You know, I love music so much. This is my passion, this is what I want to do. Not saying that I won't do a movie ever again, but this is me."
He played himself in the Entourage season-seven finale "Lose Yourself" with Christina Aguilera. Although Eminem was offered the lead role in the 2013 science-fiction film Elysium, he turned it down because director Neill Blomkamp would not change its location from Los Angeles to Detroit. Eminem had a cameo appearance as himself in the 2014 film The Interview. During an interview with the main character, Dave Skylark (James Franco), Eminem satirically comes out as gay.
Books and memoirs
On November 21, 2000, Eminem published Angry Blonde, a non-fiction book featuring a commentary of several of his own songs, along with several previously unpublished photographs.
On October 21, 2008, his autobiography The Way I Am was published. The book was first published on October 21, 2008, by Dutton Adult. It is a collection of Eminem's personal stories, reflections, photographs, original artwork, and original lyric sheets from "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady". It details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak, family and depression, along with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies. The book is illustrated with never before published photos of Eminem's life. It also contains original drawings, previously unpublished lyric sheets, and other rare memorabilia. The autobiography is named after his 2000 song "The Way I Am".
An autobiography of Eminem's mother (My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem) was published the following month, in which Debbie Nelson describes her childhood and adolescence, meeting Eminem's father and her son's rise to (and struggles with) fame.
Discography:
Studio albums
- Infinite (1996)
- The Slim Shady LP (1999)
- The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
- The Eminem Show (2002)
- Encore (2004)
- Relapse (2009)
- Recovery (2010)
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
- Revival (2017)
- Kamikaze (2018)
- Music to Be Murdered By (2020)
- The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) (2024)
Collaborative albums
- Devil's Night (with D12) (2001)
- D12 World (with D12) (2004)
- Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (2006)
- Hell: The Sequel (with Bad Meets Evil) (2011)
- Shady XV (2014)
Greatest Hits albums
- Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)
- Curtain Call 2 (2022)
(2024) Eminem album houdini
Soundtrack albums
- 8 Mile (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture) (2002)
- Southpaw (Music from and inspired by the Motion Picture) (2014)
Reissued albums
- Relapse: Refill (2009)
- Music to Be Murdered By – Side B (2020)
Extended plays
- Slim Shady EP (1997)
Box sets
- The Singles (2004)
- The Vinyl LPs (2015)
- Eminem x Fortnite Radio (2023)
After the release of his debut album Infinite (1996) and the extended play Slim Shady EP (1997), Eminem signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and subsequently achieved mainstream popularity in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP. His next two releases, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002), were worldwide successes and nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of 2002. After the release of his next album, Encore (2004), Eminem went on hiatus, largely due to a prescription drug addiction. He returned to the music industry with the releases of Relapse (2009) and Recovery (2010), the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of 2010. He then released the U.S. number-one albums The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), Revival (2017), Kamikaze (2018), Music to Be Murdered By (2020), and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024).
Eminem was also a member of the hip-hop groups New Jacks, Soul Intent, Outsidaz, and D12, and has collaborated with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 5'9" as the duo Bad Meets Evil. Eminem starred in the 2002 musical drama film 8 Mile playing a dramatized version of himself. "Lose Yourself", a song from its soundtrack, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks—the most for a solo rap song—and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making him the first hip-hop artist ever to win the award. He also co-founded Shady Records, which helped launch the careers of artists such as D12, 50 Cent, and Obie Trice, and established his own Sirius XM Radio channel, Shade 45.
Eminem is amongst the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 220 million records. He was the best-selling music artist in the United States for the 2000s, placing third for the 2010s. He was the first artist to have ten albums consecutively debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and has had five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Curtain Call: The Hits (2005), "Lose Yourself", "Love the Way You Lie", and "Not Afraid" have all been certified Diamond or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and an MTV Europe Music Global Icon Award. Billboard named him the "Artist of the Decade (2000–2009)", and Rolling Stone named him one of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Early life
Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. and Deborah "Debbie" (née Nelson). His mother nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him. Eminem's parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before they separated. His father abandoned his family when Eminem was a year and a half old, and Eminem was raised only by his mother, Debbie, in poverty. He wrote letters to his father, but Debbie said that they all came back marked "return to sender".
By the age of twelve, Eminem and his mother shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St. Joseph, Savannah, Missouri, Kansas City, Warren, Michigan and Roseville, Michigan before settling in Detroit. For much of his youth, Eminem and his mother lived in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten several times by black youths. His mother had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Samara.
Eminem frequently fought with his mother, whom a social worker described as having a "very suspicious, almost paranoid personality". When he was a child, a bully named D'Angelo Bailey severely injured Eminem's head in an assault, an incident which Eminem later recounted (with comic exaggeration) on the song "Brain Damage". Debbie filed a lawsuit against the public school for this in 1982. The suit was dismissed the following year by a Macomb County, Michigan, judge, who said the schools were immune from lawsuits.
Eminem was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic book artist before discovering hip-hop. He heard his first rap song ("Reckless", featuring Ice-T) on the Breakin' soundtrack, a gift from Debbie's half-brother, Ronnie Polkingharn. His uncle was close to the boy and later became a musical mentor to him. Following Polkingharn's suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking publicly for days and did not attend his funeral.
At age 14, Eminem began rapping with high-school friend Mike Ruby; they adopted the names "Manix" and "M&M", the latter evolving into "Eminem". Eminem snuck into neighboring Osborn High School with friend and fellow rapper Proof for lunchroom freestyle rap battles. On Saturdays, they attended open mic contests at the Hip-Hop Shop on West 7 Mile Road, considered "ground zero" for the Detroit rap scene. Struggling to succeed in a predominantly black industry, Eminem was appreciated by underground hip-hop audiences. When he wrote verses, he wanted most of the words to rhyme; he wrote long words or phrases on paper and, underneath, worked on rhymes for each syllable. Although the words often made little sense, the drill helped Eminem practice sounds and rhymes.
In 1987, Debbie allowed runaway Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott to stay at their home. Several years later, Eminem began an on-and-off relationship with Scott. After spending three years in ninth grade due to truancy and poor grades, 17-year-old Eminem dropped out of Lincoln High School. Although interested in English, Eminem never explored literature, preferring comic books, and he disliked math and social studies. He states that he later received a GED.Eminem worked at several jobs to help his mother pay the bills, one of which was at Little Caesar's Pizza in Warren. He later said she often threw him out of the house anyway, often after taking most of his paycheck. When she left to play bingo, he would blast the stereo and write songs.
Alter egos
Eminem uses alter egos in his songs for different rapping styles and subject matter, including Slim Shady and Ken Kaniff, among others.
Slim Shady is the controversial and rebellious alter ego of Eminem, introduced in his 1997 extended play The Slim Shady EP. Conceived during a period of personal and professional struggle, Slim Shady allowed Eminem to express his darker, more aggressive thoughts through exaggerated and often violent lyrical content. This persona embodies the chaotic, satirical side of Eminem's music, pushing boundaries with provocative, sometimes offensive, themes, which blend fiction and reality. The use of Slim Shady is shown in The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Encore, Relapse, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Kamikaze, Music to Be Murdered By, and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
Slim Shady's influence on Eminem's career is significant. His shock-value content helped skyrocket the rapper to fame, but also attracted criticism and legal challenges, particularly due to songs like "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Kim", where he addresses deeply personal and often disturbing subjects, such as family conflicts and imagined violence. Despite the controversy, the Slim Shady character is credited with much of Eminem's early success, but over time, the persona also contributed to the rapper's personal struggles, including substance abuse.
Another character is Ken Kaniff, a gay man who pokes fun at Eminem's songs. Ken was created and originally played by fellow Detroit rapper Aristotle on The Slim Shady LP, where Kaniff makes a prank call to Eminem. An argument after the album's release prompted Eminem to use the Kaniff character on The Marshall Mathers LP and later albums (except Encore and Recovery). Aristotle, angry with Eminem's use of his character, released a mixtape in his Kaniff persona ridiculing him.
Acting Career
After small roles in the 2001 film The Wash and as an extra in the 1998 Korn music video for "Got the Life" (during which he gave the band a demo tape), Eminem made his Hollywood debut in the semi-autobiographical 2002 film 8 Mile. He said it was a representation of growing up in Detroit rather than an account of his life. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself" (which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003 and became the longest-running No. 1 hip-hop single in history). Eminem was absent from the ceremony and co-composer Luis Resto accepted the award.
Eminem voiced an aging, corrupt, AAVE-speaking police officer in the video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof and guested on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers and a Web cartoon, The Slim Shady Show He was signed to star in an unmade film version of Have Gun – Will Travel, and was considered for the role of David Rice in the 2008 film Jumper. Eminem had a cameo appearance, arguing with Ray Romano, in the 2009 film Funny People. In a 2010 interview with Jonathan Ross, he stated "You know, I love music so much. This is my passion, this is what I want to do. Not saying that I won't do a movie ever again, but this is me."
He played himself in the Entourage season-seven finale "Lose Yourself" with Christina Aguilera. Although Eminem was offered the lead role in the 2013 science-fiction film Elysium, he turned it down because director Neill Blomkamp would not change its location from Los Angeles to Detroit. Eminem had a cameo appearance as himself in the 2014 film The Interview. During an interview with the main character, Dave Skylark (James Franco), Eminem satirically comes out as gay.
Books and memoirs
On November 21, 2000, Eminem published Angry Blonde, a non-fiction book featuring a commentary of several of his own songs, along with several previously unpublished photographs.
On October 21, 2008, his autobiography The Way I Am was published. The book was first published on October 21, 2008, by Dutton Adult. It is a collection of Eminem's personal stories, reflections, photographs, original artwork, and original lyric sheets from "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady". It details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak, family and depression, along with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies. The book is illustrated with never before published photos of Eminem's life. It also contains original drawings, previously unpublished lyric sheets, and other rare memorabilia. The autobiography is named after his 2000 song "The Way I Am".
An autobiography of Eminem's mother (My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem) was published the following month, in which Debbie Nelson describes her childhood and adolescence, meeting Eminem's father and her son's rise to (and struggles with) fame.
Discography:
Studio albums
- Infinite (1996)
- The Slim Shady LP (1999)
- The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
- The Eminem Show (2002)
- Encore (2004)
- Relapse (2009)
- Recovery (2010)
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
- Revival (2017)
- Kamikaze (2018)
- Music to Be Murdered By (2020)
- The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) (2024)
Collaborative albums
- Devil's Night (with D12) (2001)
- D12 World (with D12) (2004)
- Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (2006)
- Hell: The Sequel (with Bad Meets Evil) (2011)
- Shady XV (2014)
Greatest Hits albums
- Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)
- Curtain Call 2 (2022)
(2024) Eminem album houdini
Soundtrack albums
- 8 Mile (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture) (2002)
- Southpaw (Music from and inspired by the Motion Picture) (2014)
Reissued albums
- Relapse: Refill (2009)
- Music to Be Murdered By – Side B (2020)
Extended plays
- Slim Shady EP (1997)
Box sets
- The Singles (2004)
- The Vinyl LPs (2015)
- Eminem x Fortnite Radio (2023)
Groundhog Day
Eminem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What is a nightmare?
The dictionary tells us it is a terrifying dream
A nightmare
I used to think I had bad luck, but I wasn't superstitious
'Til one day I grew suspicious
When I stepped on a crack on Aunt Edna's stoop
And got pooped on by a group of stupid pigeonsThen we flew the coop to Michigan to start anew, but ditchin'
Missouri from Michigan didn't work
So we moved back to Missouri from Michigan
From Missouri back to Michigan
Someone put me out my misery, I can't do this again
Mom, please stick to a decision
Discipline, last thing I wanna do is listen
She's like Lex Luthor, b-, and rules are Krypton-ite
So the walls, I done lost my power to see through them b-
But I run into 'em, running through the kitchen
Pretending to be blind Superman
'Cause I had no supervision
But I did have a super power though
I could turn into Invisible Kid
Disappear out of sight like a true magician
And one day Uncle Ronnie brought over this new but different
Music into the picture, and it become my new religion
(I remember it clearly, even today)
Move back to Michigan again, to live with my Grandma Nan
Always itchin' for something to do, was flippin'
Through radio stations one day and discovered this DJ who was mixin'
I say it to this day, if you ain't listened to the The Wizard
You ain't have a f- clue what you was missin'
I'd zone out with my headphones, all I remember doing's wishing for shoesF- them stupid Pumas, b-, it's all about them new edition Troops
You get them LL Cool J coolin' systems
Made that final maneuver to 8 Mile and Hoover
And somehow I saw my future is in this that's how I know my mission
Little boom box boomin', spittin'
Practicin' numerous writtens
When I'd sit in my room, envisionin' my dreams come to fruition
I remember Proof would visit
Couldn't wait to play him my new sh-, he'd go cuckoo ballistic
Go through the roof for his sh-
It's like we knew the instant
We touched a mic that both of us two existed to do this sh-
Never quit, too persistent
(Carved out an underground empire)
Started a group of misfits, Proof had a proposition
If we all brand together, there ain't no stopping this sh-
Come up with aliases, bipolar opposites and
Be ready to come off the top as sharp precision
If you got dissed at the Shop, 'cause if they caught you slippin'
They'd take your spot if someone got to rippin' you
And you forgot your written
Opportunity knocks once, it ain't knockin' again
It tried ding-dong ditchin' shi-
I got that b- in a headlock
Cut off his oxygen, Slim
It's not budgin' like cinder blocks in the wind
Now I got my pot to p- in
Spot in that top position
Koppin' over the opposition
Lookin' like a dog that's p-
Leg up on the competition
Promisin' complete dominance, Sugar Ray Robinson
I'm in a league Muhammad's in
Ali's my colleague bombin' 'em
Probably end up on top of 'em
Stompin' 'em like Ndamukong
I'm Russian like a Ukrainian, LaDainian Tomlinson
Flow vomits in your face, competitors fall at my waist
You spit a rhyme, I spit in a rhyme's face
So name the time, place
To battle, b-, I'm still in that mind state
Don't make me step on you and make you wine grapes
Cry babies, maybe my way that I use words is loose
But you turds better be careful how you choose yours
'Cause feelings scar but egos bruise worse
And the truth hurts, sh-, no wonder you're sore losers
Now where's your poo, birds?
Ooh, no more drippin' in bird sh-
Songs of self-empowerment surgin'
Words of encouragement but discouragin' the rappers, the rap game's God
But the name's not James Todd, I'm just a wordsmith
So let these words lift
'Cause all I got is bars for you dumbbells
Since yours ain't working out
Each verse is more merciless than the first
And you ain't gotta wear no shoes and shirt in this bitch to get served
Bloodthirst, revenge of the nerds, chka
(Know too, you'll not escape my vengeance)
But the dumpy kid with them ears like Dumbo's gone
Word to Uncle Ron, I'm turnin' into an non-humble Don
You blonde dumb, all I got is d- for you to come blow on
So start the show, but I need a drum roll 'fore I go on
Better back away from the front row, get launched
Show you I'm bigger than Dikembe Mutombo on the f- Jumbotron
I'm a juggernaut, you do not wanna rumble, you bomboclaats
I'll leave you stretched out like a f- yawn
So mow the f- lawn, your asses are blades of grass
And I'm f- up this whole landscape of rap
The G.O.A.T. just ate eight acres, an eighth of that
Was just make a path and take it straight to your favorite rapper
Oh, look, my notebook looks smoke-cooked
Like the flow stood a foot over the flame on the stove, soot
Charred debris floatin' like Oakwood was burnin'
Return of the no good and I won't quit
(And the next thing I know
Something came crawling up from below
Something that made Godzilla look like a blamed)
And I don't quit, won't change
It's like a Groundhog's Day
So crowd around, y'all, 'cause you may
See if I popped your head
I'm a monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
I'ma turn into a monster
Monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
With my dick in your mouth all day
(I'm not so sure I want to know from whence it came
But the white flesh creature's trail is easily followed
There, before that shimmering veil of light, the ivory skin slug thing)
The dictionary tells us it is a terrifying dream
A nightmare
I used to think I had bad luck, but I wasn't superstitious
'Til one day I grew suspicious
When I stepped on a crack on Aunt Edna's stoop
And got pooped on by a group of stupid pigeonsThen we flew the coop to Michigan to start anew, but ditchin'
Missouri from Michigan didn't work
So we moved back to Missouri from Michigan
From Missouri back to Michigan
Someone put me out my misery, I can't do this again
Mom, please stick to a decision
Discipline, last thing I wanna do is listen
She's like Lex Luthor, b-, and rules are Krypton-ite
So the walls, I done lost my power to see through them b-
But I run into 'em, running through the kitchen
Pretending to be blind Superman
'Cause I had no supervision
But I did have a super power though
I could turn into Invisible Kid
Disappear out of sight like a true magician
And one day Uncle Ronnie brought over this new but different
Music into the picture, and it become my new religion
(I remember it clearly, even today)
Move back to Michigan again, to live with my Grandma Nan
Always itchin' for something to do, was flippin'
Through radio stations one day and discovered this DJ who was mixin'
I say it to this day, if you ain't listened to the The Wizard
You ain't have a f- clue what you was missin'
I'd zone out with my headphones, all I remember doing's wishing for shoesF- them stupid Pumas, b-, it's all about them new edition Troops
You get them LL Cool J coolin' systems
Made that final maneuver to 8 Mile and Hoover
And somehow I saw my future is in this that's how I know my mission
Little boom box boomin', spittin'
Practicin' numerous writtens
When I'd sit in my room, envisionin' my dreams come to fruition
I remember Proof would visit
Couldn't wait to play him my new sh-, he'd go cuckoo ballistic
Go through the roof for his sh-
It's like we knew the instant
We touched a mic that both of us two existed to do this sh-
Never quit, too persistent
(Carved out an underground empire)
Started a group of misfits, Proof had a proposition
If we all brand together, there ain't no stopping this sh-
Come up with aliases, bipolar opposites and
Be ready to come off the top as sharp precision
If you got dissed at the Shop, 'cause if they caught you slippin'
They'd take your spot if someone got to rippin' you
And you forgot your written
Opportunity knocks once, it ain't knockin' again
It tried ding-dong ditchin' shi-
I got that b- in a headlock
Cut off his oxygen, Slim
It's not budgin' like cinder blocks in the wind
Now I got my pot to p- in
Spot in that top position
Koppin' over the opposition
Lookin' like a dog that's p-
Leg up on the competition
Promisin' complete dominance, Sugar Ray Robinson
I'm in a league Muhammad's in
Ali's my colleague bombin' 'em
Probably end up on top of 'em
Stompin' 'em like Ndamukong
I'm Russian like a Ukrainian, LaDainian Tomlinson
Flow vomits in your face, competitors fall at my waist
You spit a rhyme, I spit in a rhyme's face
So name the time, place
To battle, b-, I'm still in that mind state
Don't make me step on you and make you wine grapes
Cry babies, maybe my way that I use words is loose
But you turds better be careful how you choose yours
'Cause feelings scar but egos bruise worse
And the truth hurts, sh-, no wonder you're sore losers
Now where's your poo, birds?
Ooh, no more drippin' in bird sh-
Songs of self-empowerment surgin'
Words of encouragement but discouragin' the rappers, the rap game's God
But the name's not James Todd, I'm just a wordsmith
So let these words lift
'Cause all I got is bars for you dumbbells
Since yours ain't working out
Each verse is more merciless than the first
And you ain't gotta wear no shoes and shirt in this bitch to get served
Bloodthirst, revenge of the nerds, chka
(Know too, you'll not escape my vengeance)
But the dumpy kid with them ears like Dumbo's gone
Word to Uncle Ron, I'm turnin' into an non-humble Don
You blonde dumb, all I got is d- for you to come blow on
So start the show, but I need a drum roll 'fore I go on
Better back away from the front row, get launched
Show you I'm bigger than Dikembe Mutombo on the f- Jumbotron
I'm a juggernaut, you do not wanna rumble, you bomboclaats
I'll leave you stretched out like a f- yawn
So mow the f- lawn, your asses are blades of grass
And I'm f- up this whole landscape of rap
The G.O.A.T. just ate eight acres, an eighth of that
Was just make a path and take it straight to your favorite rapper
Oh, look, my notebook looks smoke-cooked
Like the flow stood a foot over the flame on the stove, soot
Charred debris floatin' like Oakwood was burnin'
Return of the no good and I won't quit
(And the next thing I know
Something came crawling up from below
Something that made Godzilla look like a blamed)
And I don't quit, won't change
It's like a Groundhog's Day
So crowd around, y'all, 'cause you may
See if I popped your head
I'm a monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
I'ma turn into a monster
Monster, mutt
I'm a monster, mutt
With my dick in your mouth all day
(I'm not so sure I want to know from whence it came
But the white flesh creature's trail is easily followed
There, before that shimmering veil of light, the ivory skin slug thing)
The lyrics to Eminem's song, Groundhog Day, are deeply personal and describe his journey as a rapper, songwriter, and performer. The song opens with a discussion of bad luck and how superstitions can cloud our judgment. Eminem then describes his childhood and how he started developing an interest in music. He talks about how he would spend hours listening to a particular DJ mix music and how music started to become his new religion. As a young boy, Eminem would spend time in his room writing and practicing his music, envisioning his dreams come to fruition. This vision and dream were backed by his mentor Proof, who would visit him to hear his new music and give him feedback on it. Eminem eventually started a group with like-minded individuals, and together they created an underground empire dedicated to creating high-quality music.
The song concludes with Eminem stating that he is a monster, a mutt, and that he will not quit. Eminem emphasizes that he is not bound by any rules or constraints and will continue to push the limits of his music. The Groundhog Day reference in the song highlights the fact that Eminem is always pushing himself and trying to create something new, like the character in the movie. Overall, Groundhog Day represents Eminem's never-ending pursuit of musical excellence, his dedication to the craft, and his relentless drive to succeed.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to think I had bad luck, but I wasn't superstitious
Although I believed I had bad luck before, I wasn't actually superstitious
When I'd sit in my room, envisionin' my dreams come to fruition
I spent a lot of time in my room imagining my dreams coming true
Started a group of misfits, Proof had a proposition
I started a group of people who didn't fit in, and Proof had an idea
Opportunity knocks once, it ain't knockin' again
When an opportunity comes, you need to take it because it won't come again
But you turds better be careful how you choose yours
You need to be careful with your words because they can cause hurt or anger
You spit a rhyme, I spit in a rhyme's face
When you rap, you're competing against me, and I will defeat you
'Cause feelings scar but egos bruise worse
Words can hurt people emotionally and damage their self-esteem
Songs of self-empowerment surgin', words of encouragement
I write songs that empower people and encourage them to be their best
But the dumpy kid with them ears like Dumbo's gone
I used to be an insecure person with big ears, but I'm not anymore
I'm a monster, mutt, I'ma turn into a monster
I have a lot of anger and aggression that can make me into a monster
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SOCAN RR, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adam Feeney, Carl McCormick, David Guy, Homer Steinweiss, Leon Michels, Marshall Mathers, Thomas Brenneck, Jared M. Tankel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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David Yurch
on I Still Don't Give A Fuck
Are you sure he doesn't mean Marilyn Manson?
my boi
on Lose your Self
Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity
Imagine you had one chance to achieve your dreams
To seize everything you ever wanted
To grasp all that you desire
One moment
One specific instance in time
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Would you take advantage of it or lose the opportunity?
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
He's nervous and scared
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's so anxious, he's feeling physically sick
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
He's masking his feelings with a calm demeanor
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin'
He's forgetting his own lyrics while performing
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
The audience is making a lot of noise
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's unable to say what he wants to say
He's chokin', how, everybody's jokin' now
He feels like he's choking and everyone's laughing at him
The clocks run out, times up, over, blaow!
He's running out of time to finish his performance
Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity
He's suddenly brought back to reality
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
Success is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve
He blows us all over, these hoes is all on him
He's become very popular with women
Coast to coast shows, he's known as the globetrotter
He's performing all over the world
Lonely roads, God only knows
He's feeling isolated and alone on this journey
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold water
He's being thrown into a difficult situation
His hoes don't want him no mo, he's cold product
He's lost his popularity with women and become irrelevant
They moved on to the next schmo who flows
The audience has moved on to the next person who is performing well.
Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failures not
He's determined to succeed and failure is not an option
Mom, I love you, but this trail has got to go
He loves his mom, but needs to move on from his current situation to be successful
You can do anything you set your mind to, man
You have the ability to achieve anything you desire if you work hard enough
my boi
on Lose your Self
best raper ever listien to dr dre ()::::
Honour
on The Real Slim Shady
May I have your attention, please?
May I have your attention, please?
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I repeat, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
We're gonna have a problem here
Y'all act like you never seen a white person before
Jaws all on the floor like Pam like Tommy just burst in the door
And started whoopin' her ass worse than before
They first were divorced, throwing' her over furniture (ah)
It's the return of the "ah, wait, no way, you're kidding
He didn't just say what I think he did, did he?"
And Dr. Dre said, nothing, you idiots
Dr. Dre's dead, he's locked in my basement (ha ha)
Feminist women love Eminem
"Chicka, chicka, chicka, Slim Shady, I'm sick of him
Look at him, walkin' around, grabbing' his you-know-what
Flippin' the you-know-who"
"Yeah, but he's so cute though"
Yeah, I probably got a couple of screws up in my head loose
But no worse than what s going' on in your parents' bedrooms
Sometimes I wanna get on TV and just let loose
But can't, but it's cool for Tom Green to hump a dead moose
"My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips"
And if I'm lucky, you might just give it a little kiss
And that's the message that we deliver to little kids
And expect them not to know what a woman's clitoris is
Of course they're gonna know what intercourse is
By the time they hit fourth grade
They've got the Discovery Channel, don't they?
We ain't nothin' but mammals, well, some of us, cannibals
Who cut other people open like cantaloupes
But if we can hump dead animals and antelopes
Then there's no reason that a man and another man can't elope
But if you feel like I feel, I got the antidote
Women, wave your pantyhose, sing the chorus, and it goes
I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
Will Smith don't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records
Well, I do, so fuck him and fuck you too
You think I give a damn about a Grammy?
Half of you critics can't even stomach me, let alone stand me
"But Slim, what if you win, wouldn't it be weird?"
Why, so you guys could just lie to get me here?
So you can sit me here next to Britney Spears?
Shit, Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs
So I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst
And hear 'em argue over who she gave head to first
Little bitch put me on blast on MTV
"Yeah, he's cute, but I think he's married to Kim, hee-hee"
I should download her audio on MP3
And show the whole world how you gave Eminem VD (ah)
I'm sick of you little girl and boy groups
All you do is annoy me, so I have been sent here to destroy you
And there's a million of us just like me
Who cuss like me, who just don't give a fuck like me
Who dress like me, walk, talk and act like me
And just might be the next best thing, but not quite me
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
I'm like a headtrip to listen to, 'cause I'm only giving' you
Things you joke about with your friends inside your living' room
The only difference is I got the balls to say it in front of y'all
And I don't gotta be false or sugarcoat it at all
I just get on the mic and spit it
And whether you like to admit it, I just shit it
Better than ninety percent of you rappers out can
Then you wonder, "how can
Kids eat up these albums like Valiums?"
It's funny, 'cause at the rate I'm going, when I'm thirty
I'll be the only person in the nursing home flirting
Pinching nurses asses when I'm jacking off with Jergens
And I'm jerking, but this whole bag of Viagra isn't working
And every single person is a Slim Shady lurking
He could be working at Burger King, spitting' on your onion rings
Or in the parking lot, circling, screaming, "I don't give a fuck"
With his windows down and his system up
So will the real Shady please stand up
And put one of those fingers on each hand up?
And be proud to be outta your mind and outta control
And one more time, loud as you can, how does it go?
I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
'Cause I'm Slim Shady, yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating
So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?
Ha ha, I guess there's a Slim Shady in all of us
Fuck it, let's all stand up
Noah
on Remember Me?
Remember me? S executions
Remember me? I have no remorse
Remember me? I'm high-powered
Remember me? I drop bombs like Hiroshima
For this one, they scream "X, you retarded?!"
'Cause I grab the mic and get down like syndrome
Hide and roam into the masses
Without boundaries, which qualifies me
For the term "universal" without no rehearsal
I leak words that's controversial
Like I'm not the one you wanna contest, see
'Cause I'll hit your ass like the train did that bitch
That got banned from TV, heavyweight getup
Hit you, watch your whole head split up
Loco is the motion, we comin' through
Hollow-tips is the lead the .45 threw
Remember me? Throw your guns in the air
Remember me? Slam, slam
Remember me? Nigga, back the fuck up
Remember me? Chka-chka-Onyx
Niggas that take no for an answer get told no
Yeah, I been told no, but it was more like "No! No! No!"
Life a bitch, met her, fuck you if you let her
Better come better than better to be a competitor
This vet is ahead of the shit, it's all redder, you deader and deader
A medic instead of the cheddars and credda
Settle vendetta with metal Beretta from ghetto to ghetto
Evidence, nope, never leave a shred of
I got the soul of every rapper in me, love me or hate me
My moms got raped by the industry and made me
I'm the illest nigga ever, I told you
I get more pussy than them dyke bitches Total
Want beef, nigga? Pfft, you better dead that shit
My name should be Can't-Believe-That-Nigga-Said-That-Shit
Probably sayin' he ain't a killer, but I'm killin' myself
Smoke death, fuck bitches raw on the kitchen floor
So think what I'ma do to you, have done to you
Got niggas in my hood who'd do that shit for a blunt or two
What you wanna do? Cocksuckers, we Glock busters
'Til the cops cuff us, gon' start ruckus and drop blockbusters
Round the clock hustlers, you cannot touch us
I'm gettin' wires, niggas wantin' me dead
Wantin' my head, you think it could be somethin' I said?
Remember me? I just don't give a fuck
Remember me? Yeah, fuck you too
Remember me? I'm low down and I'm shifty
Remember me? I'm Shady
When I go out, I'ma go out shootin'
I don't mean when I die, I mean when I go out to the club, stupid
I'm tryin' to clean up my fuckin' image
So I promised the fuckin' critics
I wouldn't say "fuckin'" for six minutes
(Six minutes, Slim Shady, you're on)
My baby's mom, bitch made me an angry blonde
So I made me a song, killed her and put Hailie on
I may be wrong, I keep thinkin' these crazy thoughts
In my cranium, but I'm stuck with a crazy mom
(Is she really on as much dope as you say she's on?)
Came home and somebody must've broke in the back window
And stole two loaded machine guns and both of my trench coats
Six sick dreams of picnic scenes
Two kids, sixteen, with M-16s and ten clips each
And them shits reach through six kids each
And Slim gets blamed in Bill Clint's speech to fix these streets?!
Fuck that! Pfft, you faggots can vanish to volcanic ash
And reappear in hell with a can of gas and a match
Aftermath, Dre, grab the gat, show 'em where it's at
(What the fuck you starin' at, nigga?)
Don't you remember me?
Remember me?
Remember me?
Remember me? (Slim Shady!)
28Rivals
on Lose Yourself
@elchihuahua420 Damn bro, stay strong "You only get one shot don't miss your chance to blow." Don't let them bring you down in life and keep pushing
Noah
on Till ICollapse
Not Afraid
hope
on The Real Slim Shady
hi
eminem
on Crazy In Love
great song
serenity noble
on Lose Yourself
awesome