The hip-hop world is continuing to step up to the plate to help out the people of Flint, Michigan. With the start of a new school year approaching, Eminem has once again lent a helping hand to his home-state, this time focusing on the children who won’t have access to much needed school supplies come the first day back.
In an Instagram post, the Rap God wrote that he was continuing to keep Flint in mind and that “90% of the kids in their public school system live in poverty”. He urged his followers to get involved by donating what they can to the cause, which aims to provide 5,500 students with a backpack full of school supplies.
The initiative is only Marshall Mathers’ most recent venture in lending a helping hand, having also backed the donation of 1 million bottles of water to the city from the bottled water company AQUAhdrate – which Sean “Diddy” Combs and Mark Wahlberg are both investors of. At the time, Diddy said in a statement that “The AQUAhydrate team is doing everything it can to help with this issue… Mark and I made an initial pledge to donate and are committed to the continued aid to Flint residents as long as they need it. We hope this commitment will inspire others to get involved as well.”
Eminem and Diddy (or is it Puff Daddy again?) are just two of a number of industry names who have been doing their part for the city of Flint as the community continues to struggle through poverty and the on-going effects of the water crisis. Though media coverage has become somewhat dormant, the impact of the lead poisoning epidemic in the city continues to be felt two years down the track, with recent findings suggesting that the water is causing skin irritations and rashes.
Beyonce, Big Sean, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Pusha T, Meek Mill and 50 Cent are among others who have donated to and raised awareness for Flint. Earlier this year, two Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials were arraigned on criminal charges over misconduct regarding the Flint water crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA
Image: HipHopDX
Lyrics annotation website Genius have once again released something remarkable, this time publishing an amazingly detailed biography of Eminem – entirely made up of lyrics from his songs.
“I almost died,” it begins – a lyric from Stronger Than I Was. “They said they found me on the bathroom floor. Technically, I’m not even really supposed to be here right now. Guess I’m lucky. Some of us don’t get a second chance,” which includes lyrics from Cinderella Man and Deja Vu.
It’s very long and absolutely astounding to read – here’s a few choice excerpts. See how many lyrics you can guess the song they’re from.
My adolescent years weren’t shit. Just shy and awkward, since age 12.They said I never knew which way I was going. I used to be the type of kid that would always think the sky is fallin’. Why am I so differently wired? Am I a martian? Felt like I don’t belong in this world. Class clown, scoffin’ at authority. Noncompliant at home and at school like “Fuck the next lesson! I’ll pass the test guessin’.” My English teacher wanted to flunk me in junior high.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNPnbI1arSE
Spoke to a generation of angry teenagers. I related to the struggles ofyoung America. When their fucking parents were unaware of their troubles. I never woulda dreamed in a million years I’d see so many motherfuckin’ people who feel like me. I’m the one they can relate to and look up to better. A bunch of little kids wanna swear just like me. Became a commodity because I’m W-H-I-T-E. MTV was so friendly to me.
Look at my sales. Let’s do the math: if I was black, I woulda sold half. They connected with me too because I looked like them. In the beginning, a few of the people who had a problem I was this good scoffed. Probably reminded you of the first time you saw Tiger Woods golf. Never thought about how much my race and nationality meant. But based on how I ascended, see how plain it was now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIzD0ZfTFg
We inherited 50’s beef with Murder Inc. We actually tried to stop the 50and Ja beef from happenin’, me and Dre had sat with him and asked him not to start it, he wasn’t gonna go after him until Ja started yappin’ in magazines how he stabbed him. I heard him say Hailie’s name on a song and I just lost it. Fuck it, 50, smash him! Ain’t got no more targets, shit Irv and Jeff, we done beat em to death. Benzino went deaf. Can-I-Bitch don’t want no beef with Slim, no!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07TNYA796GY
This is truly just an amazing piece of work. I would hate to think about how long this would’ve taken the Genius team to put together.
Eminem is no stranger to the lyrics website, having annotated lyrics to many of his own songs. He and his label Shady Records also announced a partnership with Genius late last year.
Image: Genius
Hip-hop is very much dependent on the ‘guest verse’ and the success of a hip-hop song will often hinge on whether it has that little ‘feat.’ tacked on at the end. In most other genres the lyrics are sung, and this naturally involves a range of notes and tones. Rapping, at its most basic level, involves listening to someone talk over a backing track. It can be extremely dull to listen to the same voice drone over an instrumental for 80 minutes. Enter the ‘guest’ rapper. A slight change in tone, pace or intonation can be all that is needed to breathe new life into a track.
Hip-hop, however, is also naturally about competition. The danger in depending on a support act is that the support act might upstage the main event. In an industry built on braggadocio and rivalry, there might be nothing more embarrassing than being bested on your own turf. Killed on your own track. Or as Nas famously put it, “murdered on your own shit.” We take a look back at hip-hop’s best scene-stealing cameos.
Track: Scenario Remix, 1992
Host: A Tribe Called Quest
Guest: Busta Rhymes
Charge: Manslaughter
Priors: Ghostface Killah on Iron Maiden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6TLWqn82J4
A Tribe Called Quest were the masters of the “hippity-hop” / Rappers Delight style of old-school early 90’s rap. Simple, bouncy rhymes that flowed naturally and landed right on beat. Dinco D’s verse is emblematic of early 90s hip-hop, almost whimsical with a child-like quality “true blue! Scooby Doo, whoopee doo!” Enter the Leaders of the New School and Busta Rhymes. Because of Busta’s representation of the “new school” the Scenario Remix feels like the passing of the torch. And whilst Busta Rhyme’s verse is hardly revolutionary, (and still contained some of the rhythmic hallmarks of the era) it paved the way for a more frenetic, relentless rapping style that would come to dominate the late 00s.
It’s almost as if the Tribe caught a glimpse of their own death. Busta Rhymes is formally announced by Q-Tip and then given a small bridge to start warming up. He is handpicked for the last verse, the perfect opportunity to provide the finishing blow. “Watch as I combine all the juice from the mind” Busta starts. This is the perfect explanation for the complex neurochemistry that is about to begin. Busta delivers a barbarian flow, wild and booming, as we’re introduced to his trademarks roads. He crams syllables into beats “vo-cab-u-lary’s necessary / when digging in-to my library.”
Busta’s verse is so iconic that it is one of the most sampled all of time. Afrika Bambaata used the line “heel up, wheel up, bring it back come rewind” in Zulu War Chant. Nicki Minaj transformed Busta’s most famous guttural bark “rawr rawr like a dungeon dragon” into an entire song. And who could forget the truly bizarre rework of Busta’s “chickity-choco the chocolate chicken” into the Barenaked Ladies’ “chickity China the Chinese chicken” in 1998 one-hit wonder One Week. Busta Rhymes is a manic assassin, spraying rounds and making messy casualties of legends Phife Dawg and Q-Tip. As the closing act for hip-hop’s greatest posse cut, Busta K.O’s it and alludes to the future of a more sophisticated art form.
Track: Renegade, 2000
Host: Jay-Z
Guest: Eminem
Charge: Murder
Priors: 50 Cent on Patiently Waiting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIaBx_2AzTk
In response to Jay-Z’s The Takeover Nas produced a diss track so hot that its burn was supernatural, Ether. In a track that implies Jay-Z was molested as a child, one line hit even harder: “Eminem murdered you on your own shit.” Thus Nas gave birth to the expression we now use when a guest verse is hotter than that of the original artist.
Nas was of course speaking of Renegade, the ill-fitting addition to Jay-Z’s The Blueprint. Renegade feels out of place because it was originally intended as collaboration between Eminem and Royce Da 5”9. Written in 2001, Renegade came at the beginning of Eminem’s burgeoning interest in music production. The haunting beat is pure Slim and maybe it’s the reason the Detroit prodigy was able to dethrone the God MC. Home-court advantage.
Renegade is a classic exercise in trading bars. Both rappers get two verses each and go line-for-line in the chorus. This kind of equality makes it very easy to compare the performance of the two rappers. Hova’s verses are representative of everything about The Blueprint, crisp and clean. Jay-Z respects the beat, landing perfectly with the iconic “motherfuckers / say that I’m foolish / I only talk about jewels do you / fools listen to music / or do you just skim through it?” Jay-Z peddles the narrative of his entire career; financial difficulties, a fatherless childhood, and being forced to sell drugs to survive – a winning formula. The only problem is that Eminem’s “Evil” is just so much more interesting than Jay-Z’s “Bad.” Both rappers are given the opportunity to sing the song’s chorus, it’s just that when Eminem screams “Renegade!” he really means it.
Eminem’s use of assonance is incredible – “who’s the king of these rude, ludicrous, lucrative lyrics?” Also, Em’s verse is almost unmatched for its crescendo-like quality, the subject matter and the quality of the rhymes getting more and more intense as he reaches this climax “go to war with the Mormons, take a bath with the Catholics in holy water, no wonder they tried to hold me under longer.” But did Eminem really murder Jay? Hov seems to think so, conceding defeat on A Star Is Born; “his flow on Renegade, fucking awesome, applaud him.”
This jousting was historically important. In 2000 the undisputed king of hip-hop was Jay-Z. Eminem was at most a shocking court jester. There was little doubt that his success would be a passing novelty. Five albums later and the world is still split on who is the GOAT, Eminem or Jay.
Track: Run This Town, 2009
Host: Jay-Z
Guest: Kanye West
Charge: Manslaughter
Priors: Drake on Pop Style
On Run This Town Kanye West gives us a glimpse of a magic trick he would perform again on Watch the Throne – sawing Jay-Z in half without ever lifting a finger. On Watch the Throne Kanye’s “less” beats Jay Z’s “more” time and time again. Kanye’s rhyme patterns are often simplistic. He falls into the habit of rhyming non-rhyming words. “Coke on her black skin made it striped like a zebra / I call that jungle fever.” But Kanye’s rhymes are moreish. They’re memorable. It’s his emphasis and Frank Sinatra-like enunciation. It’s his wit and effortlessness. It makes every line a punch line. The great mystery of this trick is that you know Jay-Z is the better rapper, but he’s not the rapper you want to hear more of.
Released in 2009 as a single off Jay-Z’s The Blueprint III, Ye’s verse comes at an established point in his career, but before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy took him to “genius” level. Kanye’s verse is important because it’s the first real time he challenges his mentor. What we get is Kanye butchering his Big Brother on his own song with a breezy flow chocked full of witty one-liners. “I can spend my whole life goodwill hunting / only good gonna come is it’s good when I’m cumming” Ye’s verse is jam-packed with quotables – “we give a damn about the drama that your dude bring / I’m just trying to change the colour on your mood ring.”
In 2016, Kanye is still assassinating rappers without breaking a sweat. He absolutely phones in his verse on Schoolboy Q’s THat Part. The last 20 seconds of his verse is something like a ”freestyle” where he resorts to making sound effects and then laughing hysterically. But it’s listenable. Kanye’s verse on Pop Style is the benchmark for simple, witty rhymes that everyone can sing along to at pre-drinks – “they like Pablo, “why are all the windows tinted on your Tahoe?”
Something of a gracious loser, Jay-Z again conceded defeat. Well sort of. In an interview Jigga was asked whether Kanye had killed him on his own track, he said: “as long as I’ve been in the game, that’s gong to happen, once or twice or even three times.
Track: Skew It On The Bar-B, 1998
Host: Outkast
Guest: Raekwon
Charge: Manslaughter
Priors: Mobb Deep on Nighttime Vultures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XU2o8p-Ixo
By 1998 Outkast had already shattered perceptions of the South as a hip-hop backwater. Nonetheless, the hip-hop intelligentsia had still decreed East-Coast boom bap as the benchmark of the genre. On their magnum opus Aquemini, Outkast invited Raekwon The Chef to join them on Skew It On The Bar-B, with the hopes of murdering the east-coast great on home turf.
Raekwon, used to the simple boom bap drums of the East Coast, might have been expected to struggle with Outkast’s melody and distinct Southern flavour. The Chef rises to the challenge. He embraces the style of the track, yet still delivers his trademark “ghetto Mafioso” flow.
It’s no easy feat to best a rapper regularly placed in the top five of all time list, but Raekwon manages to slay Andre the Giant on his own song. Andre 3000 comes with one of the most memorable opening verses of all time, “the common denominator, the n**ga numerator / never know the hater, n**gas cater to your ego.” Outkast love showing off their supersonic rhyming speeds and this track is no exception. The assonance in Andre’s verse is delectable.
The typically lethargic Rakewon is energised by the bouncy Organized Noize track. Matching the speed of Outkast without compromising his own style. Raekwon’s ability to adapt shows the versatility of his flow. But his choice of subject matter is safe territory, preferring the thematics of drug dealing and skirmishes with police than the extra-terrestrial nonsense of the Atlanta natives. Raekwon takes it to one of the greatest rappers all time, seamlessly rhyming off the same word for twelve whole bars, “hydro slide raw like fuck Ronaldo, fly ride though, shit lookin wild dope.” Raekwon milks this “o” sound, repeating it a full 25 times. Outkast hoped for an ambush but instead got killed in their own home.
Track: Diamonds from Sierra Leone Remix, 2005
Host: Kanye West
Guest: Jay Z
Charge: Murder in the First Degree
Priors: Pusha T on Drug Dealers Anonymous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92FCRmggNqQ
Given that Kanye and Jay’s relationship was far from perfect in the early stages of Kanye’s career, the track does contain a sense of the Def Jam President putting the young upstart in his place. From the beginning, Jay-Z seems dismissive of his protégé, ‘leave this to the professionals’ he implies; “yup, I got it from here, Ye damn.”
On the Diamonds from Sierra Leone Remix Yeezy does a decent job of tackling dense issues on an already superb track. Kanye explores the conflict diamond trade with some serviceable rhymes, but Jay-Z’s verse is truly memorable. If nothing else, it gave us the homophone that is the ultimate slogan for Jay-Z’s entire career: “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” With a basketball team, a clothing line, his own brand of cognac and an entire identity built around entrepreneurship, the catechism perfectly captures the phenomenon that is ‘Jay-Z.’
The master of multiple meanings, Jay-Z’s verse contains one of the densest quadruple entendres with “the pressure’s on, but guess who ain’t gonna crack?” In a time before Rap Genius, unpacking this line would have required reference to Jay Z’s autobiography and lyric bible, Decoded The line simultaneously refers to four things: the pressure of keeping Roc-A-Fella afloat after a falling out with co-founders Dame Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, the high pressure conditions in the Earth’s mantle necessary for the creation of diamonds, the natural pressures that come with selling crack cocaine. In the following line Jay-Z says “haha, pardon me, I had to laugh at that.”: His own wit has caused him to ‘crack up’ laughing.
Early in his career, Kanye showed a degree of humility that would not be seen again after 2009. Big Brother deals with how Kanye’s admiration for Jay-Z inspired him to work harder. Despite his best efforts, he concedes that on “that Diamonds Remix, I swore I’d spazz / then my big brother came through and kicked my ass.”
Track: International Player’s Anthem, 2007
Host: UGK
Guest: Andre 3000
Charge: Murder in the First Degree
Priors: Jay-Z on 30 Somethin’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMIbA34MT8
UGK’s International Player’s Anthem and its classic video clip centres around the wedding of Andre 3000 and the admonitions of his friends, who warn him against abandoning the single life. Andre might provide the guest verse, but it is Andre’s wedding, Andre’s story, and Andre’s verse that you remember from this anthem.
Forever a master of “Storytellin’” this verse is exceptional for its vivid narrative, covering everything from communicating to ex-lovers to fidelity and revenge. It’s a rare hip-hop ode to monogamy, Andre acknowledging that a married life means foregoing the sea of women that surround him. Andre adopts a spoken word style suited to the confessional rap. Andre uses that classic Outkast technique of splitting up words so the rhyme arrives on beat, “reconsider, read some liter-rature on the subject” and “fuck it / you know we got your back like chiroprac-tic.” This verse also contains a killer double entendre “I’m so like a pimp / I’m glad it’s night.” Both a reference to the peak business hours for pimping and the soul of Gladys Knight And The Pips
This verse in 2007 almost kicked off the trend of Andre 3000 channelling his numerous talents into measly guest verses. Whilst we have to be thankful for Andre’s killer verses on Lloyd’s Dedication to my Ex, Beyoncé’s Party, and Frank Ocean’s Pink Matter, these verses may have slaked Andre’s urge to rap, and it might be the reason we haven’t had a solo album from him since The Love Below.
The curious thing about International Player’s Anthem is that Andre really provides more of an ‘intro’ or ‘opening monologue’ than a ‘verse.’ The bass drops when Pimp C takes the mic, and the song is completely transformed into a crunk banger. Pimp C and Bun B ride the fast pace of the new song, and provide its ‘anthem’ element. Even when ‘warming up’ Andre 3000 is spitting fire.
Track: Shadowboxin, 1995
Host: GZA
Guest: Method Man
Charge: Murder in the First Degree
Priors: LL Cool J on 4, 3, 2, 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7kAk5dTsj0
Liquid Swords by the Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA is still considered to be one of hip-hop’s finest displays of lyricism. An old-school disciple of quality rhymes, the GZA was the architect responsible for putting together some of the finest rhymes ever pressed on wax. Getting Method Man to jump on Shadowboxin’ was a calculated decision, Meth complementing the feel of the track perfectly. Method Man and GZA box, but it is the former who comes out on top, besting the Genius at the top of his game.
In retrospect, the verse is trademark Method Man. Meth’s flow has a Dr. Seuss-like quality to it, shifting between nonsense words and pop-culture references (“ticallion stallion, chinky-eye and snot-nosed”). The comparisons between Busta Rhymes are fair, not only for the guttural noises (“everything huh in any shape form or fashion / now everybody talking bout they blasting hmmmm) but for the sheer range of his subject matter and vocabulary (“slip the cardiac arrest me, exorcist Hip Hop possess me.”)
The hip-hop world knew right away that Method Man had brought his A-game, earning the prestigious “Hip Hop Quotable of the Month” for his verse in the December 1995 issue of The Source.
It might not be correct to classify this as a ‘guest verse’ since Method Man anchors the entire track, with his talents being put front and centre in contributing both the first and last verses. Legend has it that the middle verse from GZA was an afterthought; a fun opportunity to jump onto an already hot track. Again, the GZA knew he had been bested, conceding in an interview that it “always seemed more like Meth’s track” with his verse as “filler.” But it’s unfair to dismiss the GZA’s verse as mere “filler,” dropping an unreal line with “my sword still remain imperial / before I blast the mic, RZA scratch off the serial.”
Track: Beautiful Bliss, 2009
Host: Wale
Guest: J. Cole
Charge: Pre-meditated Murder
Priors: Jay-Z on A Star Is Born
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lirCKMj-cis
What makes this murder so particularly twisted and cruel is the sense of betrayal, of thwarted dreams and a stolen birthright that came with it. In 2009 Wale signed with Interscope and was being touted as the next big thing. His debut album Attention Deficit sold poorly, despite favourable reviews from critics. This album was supposed to be the real debut of Wale, but what we got instead was the debut of J. Cole.
Wale invited up and coming rapper J. Cole to put down a guest verse on the otherwise forgettable Beautiful Bliss. Like Renegade, the name of the song has become synonymous with guest-on-host murder.
Legend has it that J. Cole was extremely conscious of the attention surrounding this mainstream feature and made a concerted effort to spazz. As a result, Cole’s verse is filled with vivid imagery, catchy punchlines and raw energy. On Beautiful Bliss J. Cole shows his hunger. “Ain’t nothing given, dog, it’s earned / if you just living, dog, you learn / I let you n*ggas see the light / I’m like the prison yard, I yearn.” J. Cole’s final exclamation “I’m from the Ville boy!” shows his intensity.
The cruelty of this murder is that Wale probably thought he was doing J. Cole a favour. Putting a young rapper on an album guaranteed to blow. What Wale could not have foreseen was that J. Cole would spit flames and then go on to forge a far more successful career in the exact same lane. Wale accidentally gave life to a terrifying rival in the alternative hip-hop scene. While Wale never lived up to his potential, his protégé showed early signs of becoming one of the greats.
Track: Monster, 2010
Host: Kanye West
Guest: Nicki Minaj
Charge: Triple Homicide
Priors: Big Sean on Dance (A$$)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGyIXJ4KG8U
File this under triple homicide. On Monster the “bride of Chucky” easily disposes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and (to a much lesser extent) Rick Ross. It’s more than the best verse on the track. Or even the best verse on the album. It simply must be considered one of the greatest verses of all time.
Nicki Minaj’s verse on Monster is even more shocking because it is effectively her debut. It’s true that Minaj had already had a strong summer on urban radio with her first single Your Love and an equally blistering verse on Trey Songz’ Bottoms Up. But it was Monster that brought Nicki to mainstream audiences and provided the perfect launching platform for her debut album Pink Friday, released just one-month later. Nicki says it best herself: “50K for a verse, no album out.” Believe the hype, this is an artist to invest in. Less than six years later and she has become a hip-hop institution and the frontrunner for the greatest female MC of all time.
Minaj’s energy and vibrancy make it abundantly clear that she will carry the torch for the next generation. She utterly shames the G.O.A.T. contender, the not-so-Young Hov. Her distinctive tones are a breath of fresh air on the very album that revitalized the whole genre. On an album as bright as MBDTF, Minaj manages to eclipse not just some of the best rappers on earth, but the best artists. Although it is one of the great humblebrags, Kanye West has it right when he describes it as “the best verse on the best hip-hop album of all time.”
Minaj does imagery like few others. The first few lines of her verse paint one of the most vivid in hip-hop (“I’m in that Tonka colour of Willy Wonka”). She takes aim at male-dominated industry (“you can be the King but Watch the Queen conquer”). She pays homage to her Trinidadian roots (“Tony Mattheron, dutty wine it, wylin”), boasting one of the many accents and voices at her disposal. A voice Minaj uses like an instrument, constantly altering between sickly sweet chirping, low growls and piercing screams, all in the one breath.
It is a credit to the quality of this verse that, despite its sheer complexity, everyone knows the words. It’s the kind of verse that you make the effort to learn. This is exactly what hip-hop is about. This is what you live for.
Track: Control, 2013
Host: Big Sean
Guest: Kendrick Lamar
Charge: Mass Murder
Priors: Pusha T on Nosetalgia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7zdMeZPkpY
No surprises here. This is an example of premeditated murder. An act of hip-hop terrorism, Kendrick Lamar’s verse was a calculated move to incite fear amongst the rap community.
Big Sean and Jay Electronica provide serviceable verses, but none can compare to K.Dot’s conscious intent to “blow up the internet.” Kendrick’s worldwide chest-thumping transformed a B-side reject from Big Sean’s sophomore album into a social media shitstorm. Lamar’s Twitter account saw a 510% increase in followers in the week following the track’s release and he gained 88,000 new fans on Facebook. Even the lesser artists that Kendrick shouted out received a boost in profile, with Mac Miller gaining 87,000 new followers. The official story is that it could not be included because the “sample didn’t’ clear.” Or maybe Big Sean didn’t want to give any more oxygen to Kendrick Lamar on his own album.
Hip-hop is inherently about bragging, but Kendrick’s boasts on Control border on sacrilegious. He places himself right at the beginning of a ‘barber shop’ lists of the G.O.A.T that includes Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem and Andre 3000. He claims to descend directly from 2pac, and most shockingly calls himself “the King of New York.” It’s testament to Kendrick’s skills that some of these claims don’t even seem that outlandish.
He adopts an unusually gruff voice that’s suited to the seriousness of the subject matter. “This is hip-hop and n**gas should know what time it is” he says, offering a warning and wake-up call to his competition. Kendrick’s verse is blistering and relentless. While the earlier bars contain some of the most quotable lines of all time, the final moments show off his skills as a lyricist, with vivid images and complex internal rhymes.
Nowadays, even the least subtle diss tracks have the good sense not to specifically mention the rapper’s name. On Control Kendrick methodically moves through the list of top rappers, articulating their stage names with his gravelly voice. “Big Sean, Jay Electron,’ Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n**gas.” You know that Kendrick wanted to see his name on lists like this when he specifically used the exact language Nas used to describe Eminem’s verse on Renegade.
Kendrick’s Control verse served to revitalise the competitive spirit of the genre. It called forth a wave of response tracks and incited more debate and discussion than any hip-hop track since.
Image: Discogs
Less than two weeks ago we wrote about Eminem‘s latest annotations on lyrics website Genius. Now, he’s added even more, and they’re some of his best to date.
While the recent annotations focused on songs from his latter-day albums, today’s come from some of his biggest, most important tracks, including Stan, Criminal, The Real Slim Shady and The Way I Am. Huge!
They’re wickedly funny, an amazing reminder of how hilarious Eminem is as a person as well as a rapper. I couldn’t decide which were my favourite, so I’m going to share them all here:
These annotations are wonderful. His lyrics are revealing enough, so to see an even deeper explanation like this is incredible.
Like I said. Brutal truth.
Nice. Really nice wordplay there.
Ha!
Well I’m happy that was cleared up for us all.
Wow, wow, wow. To hear a story like this about one of the most important songs of the past couple decades, certainly the most important song for Eminem’s career at that point, is brilliant. Imagine what that original take would’ve sounded like! There’s a lesson to be learnt here, for sure.
Read the rest of Eminem’s Genius annotations here. Consider that he and Shady Records have partnered with the website, I have no doubt we’ll continue to find more in future.
It goes without saying that music is all about being at the forefront of a sound. Being more experimental with both lyrics and production is the best way to set contemporary artists apart from everyone else, and the only way we can really get back to the way things were is by listening to older music.
Melbourne MC Marone‘s new single They Don’t Know (Don’t Know Shit), is all about channelling the old-school and classic sounds of hip-hop and using them in a new way. From the get go, the plucked bass line and simple percussion take things back to basics. It’s a backbeat that could’ve been taken straight from an old Eminem record, and as a result it’s easy to love straight up. His vocals follow a similar path, taking it to a no bullshit place – “I be on my magician shit Abracadabra, put that rabbit in the hat then out comes Cleopatra.”
The hook of the track sticks out too, taking aim at MCs comparing themselves to the late greats of the genre. Marone took his time to give us his own opinion on the issue, and his process in writing the hook.
“Now I’m all for debates, the purpose of it is to explore two sides right? And everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it’s just irritating when the whole circle is listening to one person preaching for no reason, giving unnecessary input and force feeding you the most outlandish shit you’ll ever hear. Especially when they claim they’re hip-hop heads or die hard rap fans and then they suggest you to listen to some “real hip-hop” but it just doesn’t impress you. The hook of the song is dedicated to these people.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixPujmVvn8E
Good to see Marone showing love to where it all came from and doing it damn well. You can download the track free of charge via his Triple J Unearthed profile, and stay updated on the quality material he’ll no doubt be releasing soon.
Image: Supplied
You often see the words “limited edition” or “collectibles” thrown around, but Eminem has taken that to another level to celebrate the 16th anniversary of his album, The Marshall Mathers LP. The collectibles on offer are so limited, because they are literally salvaged materials from his childhood home – the same home featured on the cover of the album.
That’s right, you can buy yourself a brick from the house the one and only Slim Shady grew up in, as well as re-issued cassette tapes to commemorate the release of his seminal record. There are only 700 bricks on offer, and you best believe they will be selling as quickly as the words come out of Em’s mouth for his verses. That’s not all though, as Marshall Mathers dog tags created from re-purposed wood (taken from the same house) are also on offer in extremely limited numbers. Not sure if it’s legit? Eminem’s handwritten signature is on the Certificate of Authenticity, so you know you have the real deal.
The Marshall Mathers LP is one of the most iconic albums in hip-hop, and by extension music everywhere. It thrust Eminem onto the world stage as a true force to be reckoned with, as well as casting a light on the struggles of Detroit and the lower class of America. It grapples with issues that many just weren’t speaking about, and saw the begin of the world domination the Eminem quickly embarked upon.
You can head to Eminem.com now to get your own. A portion of the proceeds will go towards Eminem’s continuing endeavours to restore the city of Detroit, and will be donated to the Marshall Mathers Foundation, which provides funds for organisations working with at-risk youth in Michigan and throughout the U.S.
See More: Read our retrospective feature on “The Marshall Mathers LP”
Image: DJBooth
Other than Howl & Echoes, Genius is my favourite website in the whole world. A hub for lyrics, explanations and intensely detailed stories penned by the most dedicated stans, the capacity for what you can learn trawling through the website for a few hours is endless.
One of my favourite aspects of the website are the annotations (and co-signed user annotations) made by artists themselves – usually about their own songs, but not always. Eminem, Rick Rubin, Chance the Rapper, various members of Wu-Tang Clan and many more have taken to the website to provide insight into their own lyrics. Recently, Eminem shocked fans around the world by explaining that the opening words on Cleanin’ Out My Closet – “Where’s my snare? I have no snare in my headphones,” meant that indeed, he did not have any snare on his headphones. Crazy, I know.
Marshall Mathers has once more taken to the website to provide more insight on a few of his songs. They’re all latter-day Eminem, sure, but it doesn’t make them any less interesting.
He’s actually gone pretty deep – you you can check the full list out here, or the highlights below:
Last year, Eminem’s Shady Records announced a partnership with Genius, joining the ranks of Pharrell Williams and Nas among others as key partners and investors in the beloved website. Genius has also recently partnered with Spotify for a really exciting new feature on the streaming service, which sees Genius lyric annotation pop up as the song plays on Spotify.
Image: Genius
Legendary rapper Eminem has a pretty good sense of humour, apparently, or is at least aware of the internet. Using one of the stranger branded holidays to promote new merch, he has released a series of Mother’s Day-specific t-shirts referencing the famous “Mom’s spaghetti” meme based off his song Lose Yourself.
A cool reference to his movie 8 Mile and his song Lose Yourself, the shirts are the product of a partnership with Unfortunate Portrait and are a limited time offer. They will only be available for three days, so if you want one, I recommend picking it up soon.
The sales pitch reads: “You only get one shot, do not miss your opportunity… because this is only available for 3 days. Vomit not included,” also referencing Lose Yourself. The shirts will be available in black or white, so they will go with anything!! A perfect addition to your wardrobe!
The shirts will also hold added value for longstanding fans of Eminem, with Slim having recently made up with his mother after a period of public fighting. Those interested in the hilarious wardrobe memery can pre-order a shirt here.
It’s also approaching 16 years since the release of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, and you can read Flashback Friday piece on the album here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yhyp-_hX2s
Image: HipHopDX
In a recent interview with Larry King, rapper G-Eazy was asked to respond to claims that he gets compared to Eminem.
G-Eazy neither agrees not disagrees. He says nobody likes comparisons, but that it’s an honour to be compared anyway, because Eminem is the greatest. He then makes a somewhat convoluted comment about how nobody likes being put in a box, but that they’re ultimately necessary.
“I don’t think anybody likes to be compared to anybody. It’s beyond an honour, Eminem’s the greatest to ever do it.” He continued, “I don’t think anybody likes to be put in a box, but the world needs boxes, the world needs categories, it just comes with the territory.”
It’s a smart way to frame his response in a way which acknowledges that comparisons are in fact made.
Yes, we do need categories, and yes white rappers tend to get compared on some levels (well, one). But G-Eazy and Eminem?
I’m not trying to diss you, G. I really liked your album When It’s Dark Out, and although I fundamentally disagree with some of your lyrics and performance antics, you’re very talented and your fans love you.
The simple truth is that you don’t get compared to Eminem, you just don’t. I’ve literally never heard anyone compare you. Even you deny it! Here is a recent interview where you flatly deny being compared to Eminem because you’re both white.
The only person who has made a comparison on a skill or lyrical level has been you, G-Eazy, on the song Calm Down, with the lyrics “Fuck it, I’m the coldest white rapper in the game since the one with the bleached hair.”
In terms of music and production, your songs are completely unrelated. Same with your flow, themes, lyrics and actual vocal tone. You’re both white, but that’s where the similarities end. For the record, Beastie Boys, El-P, Action Bronson, Aesop Rock, Mac Miller, Lil Dicky and 95% of Australian hip-hop is also white, but they don’t get compared to Eminem either. Yelawolf maybe, but that’s only because he’s signed to Shady Records. So to say that people need categories and boxes, and you and Em happen to share one, just isn’t true in 2016.
Again, G, I’m not dissing you. I think you’re great.
But nobody thinks you’re Eminem.
That’s all.
Image: Michelle Grace Hunder / Howl & Echoes
We all know those little samples and vocal inclusions in hip-hop tracks that seem to be arbitrary, yet are eternally instilled in your mind, memorised along with the rest of the lyrics, regardless of their meaning. One of the most famous ones, for instance, is Jay-Z’s “You’re crazy for this one Rick!” on 99 Problems, a reference to producer Rick Rubin. Another, of course, is Eminem asking, “Where’s my snare? I have no snare in my headphones” at the opening of confronting The Eminem Show single Cleaning Out My Closet.
In a new annotation on lyric website Genius, Em revealed that this was in fact true, it wasn’t just a cool way to start the song.
“This was true. I was recording and couldn’t hear the snare, the engineer had it muted for some reason. I left it.”
Well, there you go. A simple but interesting, and for some people, important piece in the endless puzzle that is understanding Eminem.
Eminem recently announced that he and Shady Records had become investors in the website, who have gone from strength to strength in recent years, including recently teaming up with Spotify to introduce lyric annotations to the streaming platform.
For now, let’s revisit the dark and tormented track, which, presumably after Em heard the snares, went on to become one his most popular singles to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9_TKayu9s
Image: Song Texte