Without Me is a song by Eminem from his fourth album, The Eminem Show. It was released in 2002 and is one of his most successful music releases. It was produced by Shady, Aftermath, and Interscope labels. The song is written by Jeffrey Bass, Marshall Mathers, Malcolm McLaren, and Trevor Horn. Without Me celebrates the comedic hip-hop genre, and here is its context
Before we explain the meaning of the song Without Me, we should tell you there is a bit of a backstory. Eminem is known to sing or rap about the apparent issues in society or the entertainment industry. Thus, the artist brings a similar issue to light through Without Me. He discusses how everyone in the musical artistry is afraid to rap. Eminem feels personally offended that rap is not taken seriously. Therefore, he attempts to deliver his perspective, blatantly mentioning that the music industry has lacked quality since Eminem has not released an album in a long while. In other words, he feels personally obligated to revive the music industry through this song.
How to Download Eminem – Without Me
You can download the song from Apple Music or Amazon Music. Click on the Download button that is located below this review. If you like Eminem, check out also his other hit songs – Not Afraid, Venom, and Fall.
The Song Review
Without Me by Eminem Lyrical Interpretation
Eminem is bold enough to mention Miss Cheney, the then-wife of the Vice Present of the USA. The artist justifies the namedrop by saying she is very opinionated about the current music. Eminem claps back, saying she should instead focus on her husband, suffering from cardiac problems.
Eminem later mentions the MTV station and the FCC. Both organizations have tried to censor his lyrics and performance. Yet, he is still very much relevant and adored by his fans. Even with such childish attempts against him, Eminem will continue to release songs and represent the music industry.
Eminem compares himself to Elvis Presley, insinuating both artists have made a name for themselves in an industry pre-dominated by artists of color. He continues to rap, admitting Presley and Eminem suffered through unnecessary criticism for their taste in music.
The artist also namedrops his own mother. The strenuous mother-son relationship is a public matter. Eminem and his mother do not get along very well due to unknown reasons. Other people he mentions in the song include:
- NSYNC member Chris Kirk Patrick
- Rap-rock band Limp Bizkit
- Singer/songwriter Moby
Eminem has taken over the responsibility to lead the music industry to greatness as its ever-lasting, immortal pioneer.
Without Me – the Video
A TV producer counts down from four. He points at the TV, and the Eminem Show is live. As the show begins, Eminem wakes up in his bed with a girl on his left. After checking his phone for updates, a second sits up from his right. It seems our artist was involved in lustful activities the previous night.
Eminem is Rap Boy, a superhero responsible for saving his town from numerous dangers. However, Rap Boy must protect the music industry in the lyrical sense. The video takes a comic approach to the song with dialogue bubbles, comic book layout, and two-dimensional rendering.
Eminem has attached electrical cables to a music record producer at one point in the video. It implies the musical industry has recently become inactive and needs someone like Eminem to breathe life into it. Rap Boy impersonates Presley, a Sumo wrestler, and a Dalai Lama.
There are other scenes where Eminem is seen saving the entertainment industry, such as a TV talk show, a reality TV show, wrestling, etc. Eminem rapping as a segue between different settings is the only location that stays constant, with a bold, yellow alphabet E bouncing behind him. The video concludes with Rap Boy distributing a CD album among music lovers.
What Did you Learn from the Song?
In a gist, the song Without Me delivers two functions. It is a showpiece that flaunts Eminem’s undeniable influence in the music industry. Furthermore, it also showcases the American music stance against different genres. It opens our eyes to excessive criticism artists and musicians face when they are the ones providing entertainment and temporary solace.
