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TIA: Eminem let everyone know he was still a force to be reckoned with when he dropped "Rap God" in 2013.
TIA: It’s the third most viewed song on Genius of all time, and he even broke a world
record for most words in a hit single: 1,560 packed into a little over six minutes.
TIA: So let’s break down some of his most notable lines.
TIA: In the opening and throughout the video, we see Eminem parody the 1980s character
Max Headroom.
And the first few lyrics sample a Captain America comic book.
TIA: Em loves comic books and superheroes.
He even said himself in an annotation on the Genius song page:
TIA: Underneath the intro, we hear Eminem interpolating parts of Doug E. Fresh’s 1985 track, "The Show."
TIA: The chorus is one of the most notable parts of the song. In an annotation Em said,
TIA: Here, Em shouts out a number of other rap legends:
Rakim, Lakim Shabazz, 2Pac, and each member of N.W.A.
And these are just some of the people he’s mentioned.
On “Rap God” Eminem name drops over 20 people.
TIA: Eminem came up on the underground rap circuit and was known for his intense freestyling skills.
And who could forget his performance in '8 Mile.'
TIA: Here, he mentions underground rapper Pharaohe Monch, who he’s openly admired.
And it looks like the feeling is mutual.
TIA: Em is arguably one of the most controversial rappers to-date.
One of the most notable incidents stemmed from a verse on “I’m Back” in 2000,
on ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ when he rapped this same line shortly after the Columbine
school shooting.
TIA: Besides that, Em was also accused of homophobia for a few of the lines on “Rap God,"
to which he responded quote:
TIA: Throughout his career, Em’s been open about his issues with drug abuse,
and went in-depth on albums like 'Relapse,' 'Relapse: The Refill,' and 'Recovery.'
TIA: Since then, he appears to have overcome his struggles and if “Rap God” is any indication,
Shady’s skills are unmatched.
TIA: I’m Tia with Genius News bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music.