Classic Songs: ‘Without Me’ by Eminem.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III aka Eminem is a polarising figure. Middle America couldn’t get enough of him during his heyday. But many in the rap community hated him. Even today Gen Z’s are out to get him in a growing cancel campaign. And despite all that here lies a guy who against all odds became the biggest selling rapper in history and more recently a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree.

Eminem’s biggest supporter Doctor Dre knew his “gifts were undeniable” from the get-go. He was willing to bet his entire career on the troubled Detroit youth whose love of hip hop was undeniable. So how does a white guy manage to out rap a long list of contemporaries who happen to be black? To best answer that question you have to look at his strengths. Importantly, he thrives on his underdog status. But what makes Eminem a force to be reckoned is without a doubt his technical skill, lyrical genius and his uncanny ability to remain relevant. He is both sharp-witted and offensive and his Parental Advisory Explicit Content warnings on his physical music are warranted.

And what about the rest of his story? Well his real life feuds are many and Eminem is always willing to answer his critics, sometimes destroying relationships and careers in the process. And if you are uncomfortable listening to Eminem it’s because he built his rap persona around hate (and being hated). He often lashes out at society (as a cultural provocateur) and doesn’t shy away from gruesome topics such as rape, murder, mayhem, homophobia and drug use. Yet despite all the toxicity and violence, Eminem occasionally uses his music to address important societal issues. (Eminem’s third single Stan, from his third album 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP, comes to mind as one of his most poignant songs on the destructive power of fame and crazy fans.) Even away from the glaring lights of fame, Mathers occasionally does some good. Notably is his charitable organisation which is dedicated to providing assistance to disadvantage youth in Detroit.

Love him or hate him, Eminem is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time with 15 Grammy awards, 10 No. 1 Billboard 200 albums, three RIAA-certified Diamond singles (Lose Yourself, Love the Way You Lie and Not Afraid) and an Oscar for Best Original Song  (Lose Yourself). And while most consider Lose Yourself Eminem’s crowning achievement, there are many others like the aforementioned Stan, The Way I Am, My Name Is and The Real Slim Shady which could all easily fall in that signature song category. All these songs are great, but one song above all others still manages to surprise and entertain like no other. That song is Without Me, Eminem’s rousing lead single from The Eminem Show (2002).

Eminem was arguably the biggest hip hop/pop star on the planet thanks to his previous album The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000. I’m not sure anyone thought he could outdo himself only two years later in 2002. But he did, almost singlehandedly with just one song – Without Me. It came at a time when the world seemed very preoccupied with Eminem. Everyone from then-Vice President Dick Cheney wife, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and even MTV had a problem with Mathers’ music. With his notorious acid-tongue he disses about all of them, including musical enemies NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, Limp bizkit and Moby and others just for good measure. 

But first the song (proper) opens with the instantly recognisable refrain “Two trailer-park girls go ‘round the outside/ Round the outside.” It’s a clever call-back to Malcolm McLaren’s 1982 song Buffalo Gals. And just when you think he’s finished pulling down your pants (figuratively) he breaks the news, “Guess who’s back, back again? / Shady’s back, tell a friend.”  

Importantly the song is a reminder that without Eminem’s influence hip hop really would be quite dull. So when he raps in the chorus “This looks like a job for me,” and “We need a little controversy” he actually means it. Moreover, Eminem goes to lengths in the song to point out how by creating a monster, his alter-ego Slim Shady (which fans can’t get enough of), nobody really wants the real Marshall Mathers any more.

“I’ve created a monster/ ‘Cause nobody wants to see Marshall no more, they want Shady, I’m chopped liver/ Well, if you want Shady, this is what I’ll give ya/ A little bit of weed mixed with some hard liquor.” 

Without Me is without a doubt a classic song not only as a result of its infectious disco beat and witty lyrics but also because of its hilarious music video. It features a break-dancing Elvis, Osama bin Laden and porn actress Jenna Jameson to name a few. But front and centre are both Eminem and Dr. Dre, dressed as caped-crusaders, in a weird Batman homage, out to stop out a kid from listening to his music. The ending is also quite satisfying as Eminem as “Rap Boy” snatches his CD out of the kid’s hands pointing out the parental advisory sticker, a nod to his troubles with the FCC.