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Rap God

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"Rap God"
Song

"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube, on October 14, 2013 and was released in the US on October 15, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). It contains references to previous conflicts in Eminem's career, as well as to other rappers' conduct. The song received very positive reviews, with critics praising Eminem's lyrical ability and rapping speed.

The song entered the Guinness World Records as the hit single which contains the most words; it totals 1,560 words.

Composition

The song references a line from the first Marshall Mathers LP, on the song "I'm Back", where he talks about the Columbine High School massacre, rapping "Seven kids from Columbine; Put 'em all in a line, add an AK-47, a revolver, a nine." The verse was censored when originally released, and is included in "Rap God" to test public reaction.[2] Eminem references the Lewinsky scandal in order to demonstrate his longevity as a dominant force in the rap industry, thus establishing himself as an "immortal god".[3]

Additional references include[4] a conflict between Fabolous and Ray J, Heavy D & the Boyz,[5] planking,[6] The Walking Dead,[7] J. J. Fad's 1988 song "Supersonic", Tupac Shakur, Pharaohe Monch, Rakim, N.W.A, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Lakim Shabazz[8] and the 2007 Hotstylz song "Lookin Boy".[9][10][11]

"Rap God"
Eminem raps 97 words in 15 seconds - an average of 6.5 words per second - which he describes as "supersonic speed" (7-22).
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In the verse that begins at 4:26,[12] Eminem raps 97 words in 15 seconds — an average of 6.5 words per second — which he describes as "supersonic speed":[13]

Uh, sama lamaa duma lamaa you assuming I'm a human
What I gotta do to get it through to you I'm superhuman
Innovative and I'm made of rubber
So that anything you say is ricocheting off of me and it'll glue to you
I'm devastating, more than ever demonstrating
How to give a motherfuckin' audience a feeling like it's levitating
Never fading, and I know the haters are forever waiting
For the day that they can say I fell off, they'd be celebrating
'Cause I know the way to get 'em motivated
I make elevating music, you make elevator music...

— Eminem, "Rap God"[13]

The song's production was handled by American hip hop producer Bigram Zayas, professionally known as Develop or DVLP; he has produced songs for rappers such as The Diplomats, Rick Ross and most notably Lil Wayne.[14] The song was co-produced with Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno.[14] The song's recording session took place at Effigy Studios in Michigan, with brothers Mike and Joe Strange working with Eminem on mixing and engineering the record. Joe Strange also contributed additional keyboarding and programming.[15] On October 14, 2013, DVLP tweeted that the beat was two years old, made in November 2011, and that Eminem recorded the song in 2012.[16] The song entered the 2015 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records in which Eminem is commended for the most words in a hit single, 'Rap God', totalling 1,560 words in 6 minutes, 4 seconds.[17]

Music video

On November 21, 2013, Eminem tweeted the trailer for the music video and announced it would be released on November 27, 2013.[18] On November 27, 2013 as scheduled, the music video was released on Vevo at 12:00pm ET.[19] Eminem parodied Max Headroom in the music video. There are also references to The Matrix, The Walking Dead, Hellraiser and the video games Pong, Portal and Super Mario Bros. in the video. The video received three nominations at MTV Video Music Awards 2014 in the categories "Best Art Direction", "Best Editing", "Best Visual Effects".[20]

Critical reception

"Rap God" was met with critical acclaim from music critics. Critics praised the song's lyrical content and rapping speed. Per Lijas of Time gave the song a positive review, stating that "the world can expect an immortal recording" based on "Rap God" and the album's lead single, "Berzerk".[21] Jim Farber of the Daily News compared the song to The Marshall Mathers LP, stating that the song "revives the super-sick humor of that era, which comes as a relief after all the internalizations and ruminating of Em’s more recent work".[22] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also gave the song a positive review, praising that instead of "giving his chorus to an R&B crooner like Rihanna or the New Royales' Liz Rodrigues", "he instead delivers a straight rap refrain about feeling like a rap deity. His verses recall hip-hop history ... as much as his own history".[5] Nick Hill of Contact Music praised the song's rhyming and lyrical content. He exclaimed that the verse beginning at 4:20 best displays Eminem's rapping abilities.

Conversely, Consequence of Sound stated that, although the flow of the verses is impressive, the lyricism "falls victim to dated references [...] and the tired technique of using other rapper’s monikers to complete rhymes." They also noted that beat is "pedestrian at best", and that altogether the song "[lacks] the commercial appeal" of "Berzerk".[23]

Complex ranked the song number 14 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013. They commented saying, ""Rap God" is another entry in the "Oh My God, This Guy Raps Better Than Anyone On The Planet" category. Eminem has been adding chapters in that book for over a decade now, so it's easy to sit back with your arms crossed and look unimpressed."[24] Rolling Stone positioned the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 best songs of 2013. They elaborated saying, "Eminem rolls out a six-minute argument for his immortal hip-hop genius, and it's pretty convincing. [...] For pure word-scrambling, syllable-stringing pyrotechnics, no one can touch him."[25] Complex also named Eminem's third verse the third best rap verse of 2013. They said, "Within the seemingly never-ending verbal waterfall, Em touches on just about anything he could, should or would: his underground origins, the criticisms of his lyrics, the positive power his words have had for so many, and pop culture references. It's all done with impeccable technical tact, including a brief section of triple time mayhem. In other words, this verse captures exactly why the man's become a Rap God."[26]

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart and at number one on the UK R&B Chart, despite its late release.[27][28][29] It replaced "Berzerk", his first single from the album at that position.[30] In the United States, it debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100[31] and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[32] With the R&B component removed it debuted at number one on the Rap Songs chart.[33] It also debuted at number one on the Digital Songs chart,[34] with over 270,000 downloads sold.[35] "Rap God" was Eminem's seventh top 10 start on the Hot 100, pushing him past Lil Wayne (six) for the most among men in the chart's 55-year history.[35] Since its release, the song has sold 3 million copies in United States.[36]

Controversy

In January 2015, TMZ reported that Chicago-based hip hop trio Hotstylz, were suing Eminem and Shady Records for the amount of $8 million, for using a 25-second sample mid-track from their song "Lookin' Boy", without their permission.[37][38]

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Award Result
2014 World Music Awards World's Best Song Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Best Art Direction Nominated
Best Editing Won
Best Visual Effects Nominated
2015 Grammy Awards Best Rap Performance Nominated

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[58] Platinum 80,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Silver 200,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[60] Gold 0^
United States (RIAA)[61] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States October 15, 2013[62] Digital download Shady, Aftermath, Interscope

References

  1. ^ Steffen Hung. "Eminem - Rap God". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
  2. ^ Graham, Adam (October 14, 2013). "Emimem strikes again with 'Rap God' single". The Detroit News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Markman, Rob (October 15, 2013). "Eminem's 'Rap God' Decoded: What He's Really Saying On Venomous Track". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  4. ^ "Eminem's 'Rap God' Debuts As Latest Cut Off Of 'The Marshall Mathers LP 2'". The Huffington Post. AOL. October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Grow, Kory (October 14, 2013). "Eminem Declares Himself a 'Rap God'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  6. ^ Kurp, Josh (October 15, 2013). "Oh Good, Eminem References Monica Lewinsky In His New Song 'Rap God'". Uproxx. Uproxx Media. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  7. ^ Chai, Barbara (October 14, 2013). "Eminem Drops 'Rap God' Single". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  8. ^ "Rap God". Rap Genius. October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  9. ^ Lobenfeld, Claire (October 14, 2013). "Eminem – "Rap God"". Stereogum. Spin Media. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  10. ^ Staff (October 14, 2013). "Listen to Eminem's new song "Rap God", which is anything but godly". Consequence of Sound. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  11. ^ Markman, Rob (October 14, 2013). "Eminem's New Track Proves He's 'A God,' Too". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  12. ^ Hill, Nick (October 16, 2013). "Eminem Drops The Ferocious 'Rap God' Showing Why He Is The Best!". Contact Music. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  13. ^ a b Acuna, Kirsten (October 15, 2013). "Here's What Eminem is Saying During His 'Supersonic Speed' Verse In New Song 'Rap God'". Business Insider. Business Insider Inc. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Markman, Rob (October 23, 2013). "Eminem's Thanks 'Rap God' Producer For One Of The 'Illest Beats' He's Heard". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  15. ^ "Eminem "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" Album Credits Released". HipHopDX. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Twitter / its_dvlp: #RapGod track is 2 YEARS old". Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  17. ^ Stutz, Colin (September 3, 2014). "Metallica, One Direction, Eminem, Among New Adds to Guinness World Records". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  18. ^ Jackson, Dan. "Eminem Teases "Rap God" Video". XXL Magazine. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  19. ^ Grow, Kory. "Eminem Embraces Hip-Hop History in 'Rap God'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  20. ^ "2014 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations: Get The Full List". MTV. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  21. ^ Lijas, Per (October 15, 2013). "Eminem's New 'Rap God' is Divine". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  22. ^ Farber, Jim (October 15, 2013). "Eminem's 'Rap God' is throwback to rapper's playful prime: music review". Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  23. ^ Staff (14 October 2013). "Listen to Eminem's new song "Rap God", which is anything but godly". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  24. ^ Insanul Ahmed. "Eminem "Rap God" - The 50 Best Songs of 2013 - Complex". Complex. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  25. ^ "Eminem, "Rap God"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  26. ^ Adam Fleischer. "Eminem "Rap God" (Verse 3) - The 13 Best Rap Verses of 2013 - Complex". Complex. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  27. ^ "2013-10-26 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive". Official Charts. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
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  29. ^ "Lawson and OneRepublic take on Miley Cyrus for Number 1". Officialcharts.com. 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
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  35. ^ a b Trust, Gary (2013-10-23). "Lorde's 'Royals' Is Hot 100's Ruler For Fourth Week". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  36. ^ http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
  37. ^ http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6429477/eminem-sued-chicago-rappers-hot-stylz-rap-god-lyrics
  38. ^ http://www.vibe.com/2015/01/chicago-rappers-hotstylz-sue-eminem-over-rap-god-lyrics/
  39. ^ "Eminem – Rap God". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  40. ^ "Eminem – Rap God" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
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  43. ^ "Eminem – Rap God". Tracklisten. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
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  46. ^ "Classifiche – Top Digital – Classifica settimanale WK 42 del 2013". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved April 28, 2015
  47. ^ "Eminem – Rap God" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
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  51. ^ "Eminem – Rap God". Swiss Singles Chart.
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  54. ^ "Eminem Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  55. ^ "Eminem Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  56. ^ "2013 Year End Charts — R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  57. ^ "ARIA Charts — Accreditations - 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  58. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Eminem – Rap God". Music Canada.
  59. ^ "British single certifications – Eminem – Rap God". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Rap God in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  60. ^ "Certificeringer" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  61. ^ "American single certifications – Eminem – Rap God". Recording Industry Association of America.
  62. ^ "Rap God - Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
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