| "Rap God" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byEminem | ||||
| from the albumThe Marshall Mathers LP 2 | ||||
| Released | October 15, 2013 (2013-10-15) | |||
| Recorded | 2012–2013 | |||
| Studio | Markaz Records,Ferndale, Michigan | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 6:04 (album version) 6:06 (instrumental version) | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| The Marshall Mathers LP 2track listing | ||||
16 tracks
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| Eminem singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Rap God" onYouTube | ||||
"Rap God" is a song by American rapperEminem. The song premiered viaYouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the thirdsingle 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.
With 1,560 words, the song entered theGuinness World Records as the hit single that contains the most words.[1] The song was also nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Rap Performance but lost to "I" byKendrick Lamar.[2]
The hip hop song references a line from the firstMarshall Mathers LP, on the song "I'm Back", where he mentioned theColumbine school shooting, rapping "Take seven kids from Columbine / Put 'em all in a line, add anAK-47, arevolver and a '9." The verse was censored when originally released, and is included in "Rap God" to test public reaction.[3] Eminem references theClinton–Lewinsky scandal in order to demonstrate his longevity as a dominant force in the rap industry, thus establishing himself as an "immortal god".[4]
The song's tempo is 148 BPM, but may be played at 74 BPM in half-time.
Additional references include[5] a conflict betweenFabolous andRay J,Heavy D & the Boyz,[6]planking,[7]The Walking Dead,[8]J. J. Fad's 1988 song "Supersonic",Tupac Shakur,Run-DMC,Pharaohe Monch,Rakim,N.W.A,Eazy-E,Dr. Dre,DJ Yella,Ice Cube,MC Ren,Busta Rhymes,Lakim Shabazz,[9] the 2008Hotstylz song "Lookin Boy",Portal,Marvel andDC Comics,God andthe Devil, etc.[10][11][12]
In the part that begins at 4:26,[13] Eminem raps 99 words containing 157 syllables in 16.45 seconds—an average of 6.1 words per second, or 9.5 syllables per second—which he describes as "supersonic speed".[14]
The song'sproduction was handled by American hip hop producer Bigram Zayas, professionally known as Develop orDVLP; he has produced songs for rappers such asthe Diplomats,Rick Ross and most notablyLil Wayne.[15] The song was co-produced with Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno.[15] The song's recording session took place at Effigy Studios inMichigan, with brothers Mike and Joe Strange working with Eminem onmixing andengineering the song. Joe Strange also contributed additional keyboarding and programming.[16] On October 14, 2013, DVLPtweeted that the beat was two years old, made in November 2011, and that Eminem recorded the song in 2012.[17] The song entered the 2015 edition of theGuinness 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, 3 seconds.[18]
In the second verse of the song, Eminem raps about his success allowing him to speak at the induction of Run-DMC into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame and says "...the only hall of fame I'll be inducted in is the alcohol of fame, on the wall of shame." In 2022, he was named as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2022 induction class.[19] He would perform the song at his performance at the induction ceremony, including the full "summa lumma dooma lumma" fast rapping portion of the third verse of the song.[20]
On November 21, 2013, Eminem tweeted the trailer for the music video, directed byRich Lee, and announced it would be released on November 27, 2013.[21] On November 27, 2013, as scheduled, the music video was released onVevo at 12:00pm ET.[22] Eminem parodiedMax Headroom in the music video. There are also references toThe Matrix,The Walking Dead,Hellraiser and the video gamesPong,Portal andSuper Mario Bros. in the video. The video received three nominations atMTV Video Music Awards 2014 in the categories "Best Art Direction", "Best Editing", "Best Visual Effects".[23] On February 15, 2020, the video reached 1 billion views, making it his third video to reach this milestone.[24] The official video also has received over 16 million likes, making it the 25th most liked video on the site.
Consequence of Sound stated that the song is "anything but godly", the lyricism "falls victim to dated references [...] and the tired technique of using other rappers' monikers to complete rhymes." They also noted that the beat is "pedestrian at best", and that altogether the song "[lacks] the commercial appeal" of "Berzerk".[25] Lijas ofTime 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".[26] Jim Farber of theDaily News compared the song toThe 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".[27] Kory Grow ofRolling 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".[6] Nick Hill ofContact Music praised the song's rhyming and lyrical content. He exclaimed that the verse beginning at 4:20 best displays Eminem's rapping abilities.
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."[28]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."[29]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."[30]
The song debuted at number five on theUK Singles Chart and at number one on theUK R&B Chart, despite its late release.[31][32][33] It replaced "Berzerk", his first single from the album at that position.[34] In the United States, it debuted at number seven on theBillboardHot 100[35] and number two on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[36] With the R&B component removed it debuted at number one on theRap Songs chart.[37] It also debuted at number one on theDigital Songs chart,[38] with over 270,000 downloads sold.[39] "Rap God" was Eminem's seventh top 10 start on the Hot 100, pushing him pastLil Wayne (six) for the most among men in the chart's 55-year history.[39] Since its release, the song has been certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA.[40] and has sold 1,896,000 copies inUnited States as of September 2017.[41]
The lyrics of "Rap God" were criticized by theLGBTQ+ community and its supporters ashomophobic, due to lyrics in the song including "You fags think it's all a game" and "Little gay-looking boy / So gay I can barely say it with a straight face-looking boy." and, from the same verse, "Oh vey, that boy's gay, that's all they say lookin' boy."[42][43][44] In aRolling Stone interview, Eminem defended his usage of "faggot" and "gay-looking" by saying he "never really equated those words to actually mean 'homosexual'".[45]
In January 2015,TMZ reported that Chicago-based hip hop trioHotstylz were suing Eminem and Shady Records for the amount of $8 million, for using a 25-secondsample mid-track from their song "Lookin' Boy", without their permission.[46][47] In February 2016, the lawsuit between Raymond Jones of Hot Stylz and Eminem was dismissed by the judge following an agreement made by the parties.[48]
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | |||
| Detroit Music Awards[49] | Outstanding National Single | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Video / Major Budget (over $10,000) | Nominated | ||
| World Music Awards[citation needed] | World's Best Song | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards[23] | Best Art Direction | Nominated | |
| Best Editing | Won | ||
| Best Visual Effects | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Grammy Awards[2] | Best Rap Performance | Nominated |
| Guinness World Records[50] | Most words in a hit single | Won |
Track Track Allowance Track
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rap God" |
| 6:04 |
Taken from The Marshal Mathers LP 2 deluxe edition liner notes[51]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[73] | 6× Platinum | 420,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[74] | Diamond | 250,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[75] | Platinum | 80,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[76] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[77] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[78] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[79] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[80] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[81] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[40] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Dates | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 15, 2013[82] | Digital download | Shady,Aftermath,Interscope |
