Like Toy Soldiers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: ghetto slang, unencyclopedic prose. Please help improve this section if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (August 2011)
"Like Toy Soldiers"
Single by Eminem
from the album Encore
Released January 25, 2005
January 31, 2005 (UK)
Format CD
Recorded 2004
Genre Conscious hip hop
Length 4:56
Label Shady, Aftermath, Interscope
Writer(s) M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules
Producer Eminem, Luis Resto
Certification Gold (ARIA)
Gold (RIAA)
Eminem singles chronology
"Encore/Curtains Down"
(2004)		 "Like Toy Soldiers"
(2005)		 "Mockingbird"
(2005)

"Like Toy Soldiers" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fifth album Encore. The song samples 1989 song "Toy Soldiers" by Martika and the main title theme from 1972 film The Hot Rock.[1] The song reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, 2005[2], number one in the United Kingdom and the top ten in many other European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Contents

[edit] Content

"Like Toy Soldiers" tells the story of his attempts to calm a violent community of rappers. Eminem speaks openly about problems with The Source magazine and its editor Benzino, as well as Murder Inc. Records, and explains the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent, which Eminem felt went far beyond the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud.[3] The song finishes as Eminem offers a truce to his enemies.

Like Toy Soldiers features a vocal sample from "Toy Soldiers" by Martika, which makes up the chorus. In addition, this song also reveals that Eminem had tried to stop Ja Rule & 50 Cent's feud, but lost it when he heard Ja Rule making fun of his daughter on a track called "Loose Change" (The Ja Shit, I tried to squash it/It was too late to stop it/There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it/I heard him say Hailie's name in his song and I just lost it). In the song Ja Rule called Eminem's then ex-wife "a known slut" and his mother "a crackhead" and in addition he referenced Hailie by asking him what she's going to be "when she grows up".[4]

"Like Toy Soldiers" was later included on Eminem's compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005.

Eminem leaves out a word in this song when referring to one of Dr. Dre's altercations. Dr. Dre is Eminem's mentor, and Suge Knight had once said he wanted Dre to rot in hell. Despite the attack, Eminem did not assume Dre's beef and retaliate against Suge. Throughout his career, Eminem, at most, only alludes to Suge, completing a line in this song, "my intentions were good, I went through my whole career without ever mentioning -." Styles P used the instrumental version in his song "Soldiers Song", in 2005.[5]

[edit] Music video

Released in early 2005, the song's video starts with two young boys, one who is white and one who is black, watching the news and being bored, and as the news anchor says a rapper is trying to stop the rapwars. Cameo appearances in the video include 50 Cent, Luis Resto, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, and D12. Deceased rappers 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Big L, and former D12 member Bugz are also shown at the end of the music video to show the fatal consequences of rap wars.

In what was to become a tragic coincidence, the most cutting scene of the video would show D12 member, Proof getting shot by men in a drive-by and doctors trying to revive him in a hospital. Proof died the next year from a heated altercation at a nightclub.

[edit] Track listing

UK CD1
No. Title Writer(s) Sample(s) Length
1. "Like Toy Soldiers"   M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules Eminem, Luis Resto 4:56
2. "Rabbit Run"   M. Mathers, L. Resto Eminem, Luis Resto 3:10
UK CD2 / European CD single
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Like Toy Soldiers"   M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules Eminem, Luis Resto 4:56
2. "Just Lose It" (DJ Green Lantern Remix)      
3. "Like Toy Soldiers" (instrumental) M. Mathers, A spurlock, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules 4:56
4. "Like Toy Soldiers"   M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules Eminem, Luis Resto 4:56
DVD single
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Like Toy Soldiers" (Video) M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules Eminem, Luis Resto 4:56
2. "Like Toy Soldiers" (Making of the Video) M. Mathers, A spurlock, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules 4:56

[edit] Charts

Chart (2004–05) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[9] 18
Denmark (Tracklisten)[10] 2
Eurochart Hot 100 (Billboard)[11] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 15
France (SNEP)[13] 34
Germany (Media Control AG)[14] 8
Hungary (Mahasz)[15] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 3
Italy (FIMI)[17] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 7
New Zealand (RIANZ)[19] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[20] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21] 14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 3
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[23] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 34
US Pop Songs (Billboard)[25] 24
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] 64
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[27] 24

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/18449/Eminem-Like%20Toy%20Soldiers_Quincy%20Jones-The%20Hot%20Rock%20-%20Main%20Title/
  2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=vhQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27&dq=billboard+feb+12+2005&hl=en&ei=SpUrTp_yAZHUgAeT0q2ZCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=13&ved=0CFkQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=billboard%20feb%2012%202005&f=false
  3. ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5606
  4. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1471038/ja-rule-calls-50-loose-change.jhtml
  5. ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5606
  6. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  9. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers" (in French). ultratop.be. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  10. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. http://danishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: European Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=349&g=Singles. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  12. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  14. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Eminem / Single" (in German). musicline.de. Media Control Charts. http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Eminem/?type=single. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  15. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége" (in Hungarian). mahasz.hu. Mahasz. http://www.mahasz.hu/?menu=slagerlistak&menu2=archivum&lista=kislemez&ev=2005&het=10&submit_=Keres%E9s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  16. ^ "Discography Eminem". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Eminem. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. http://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  18. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 6, 2005" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Dutch Top 40. http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?&jaar=2005&maand=7&week=6. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  19. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  20. ^ "Eminem - Lose Yourself". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  21. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  22. ^ "Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers" (in German). hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=Like+Toy+Soldiers&cat=s. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  23. ^ "Eminem" (select "View Singles" tab). The Official Charts Company. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/Eminem. Retrieved 28 August, 2011. 
  24. ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=379&g=Singles. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  25. ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: Pop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=381&g=Singles. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  26. ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=367&g=Singles. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 
  27. ^ "Eminem > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Macrovision. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eminem-p347307/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 7 August, 2011. 

[edit] External links

"Like Toy Soldiers" Official Music Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexLAjh8fPA&feature=related

Eminem singles discography
The Slim Shady EP
The Slim Shady LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Eminem Show
8 Mile soundtrack
Encore
Curtain Call: The Hits
Eminem Presents: The Re-Up
Relapse/Refill
Recovery
Collaborations
Other songs
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Like_Toy_Soldiers&oldid=475715008"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages