The real Slim Shady is standing up against Trump in his new single, “Campaign Speech.”
The rap artist Eminem, who has been quiet since his 2013 album “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” reassured his Twitter followers Wednesday that he is still making music. The rapper tweeted, “Don’t worry I’m working on an album! Here’s something, meanwhile,” with a YouTube link to his new single.
For a long time, Eminem has thrust himself to the spotlight and conversations by using provocative or controversial lyrics. He succeeded once again in getting people to talk with “Campaign Speech.”
He not only says he’s going to “dunk a bunch of Trump supporters underwater,” but continues on to rap this verse: “You say Trump don’t kiss ass like a puppet?/ ‘Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the funding?/ And that’s what you wanted?/ A f*ckin’ loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button/ Who doesn’t have to answer to no one?/ Great idea!”
Many Trump supporters admire the candidate because he claims he pays for his campaign out of his own deep pockets. Eminem asks if that is even commendable in a government that has relied on a system of checks and balances.
Some might be a little surprised to see that Eminem did not support the Republican candidate, considering Trump has shown support for the rapper in 2004. Along with internet circulation of the song is a video from a party Eminem threw in 2004 to promote his album “Encore,” and his new radio station on Sirius XM. Trump introduced the rapper at “The Shady National Convention,” and said:
“When the Shady Party called and told me there’s going to be a convention, I said it’s got to be a really big one — and it’s got to be right here in New York. Because this is the best city anywhere in the world. Am I right? Of course I’m right. I’m always right — I’m Donald Trump, I’m always right. I know a winner when I see one, and Donald Trump is telling you right now, Slim Shady is a winner. He’s got brains, he’s got guts, and he’s got Donald Trump’s vote!”
Though the Trump bash is what has most people talking about the new track, it is just one small portion of the eight-minute, near 1,500-words-long song.
Slim makes a rhyme about every five syllables, often changing the emphasis of words and enjambment of sentences to find a rhyme in unexpected places. The song has no melody and no chorus, so it’s not likely going to gain the popularity some of his other more recent work has gained, like “Not Afraid” or “Rap God.” But, it is a good demonstration of his word play skills.
The song is full of one liners like “Stegosaurus, Chuck Norris with a thesaurus.” However, many of the lyrics, like all other Eminem songs, are explicit to the point that many consider his words crude and offensive. His rhymes, though clever, often delve into overtly sexual content like the “Campaign Speech” line, “Met a contortionist, said, ‘When you wanna get sexual?’/She said, ‘However I fit in your schedule. I’m flexible.’”
He raps over a minimalist, ominous synth tone with no beat. The rapped words create the song’s rhythm, which changes depending on the stanza. This makes the song sound like a freestyle session – which, knowing Eminem’s history of rap battling and recording impressive freestyles, it very well could be.
Overall, the song is not catchy; it’s not something you would dance to, or hear anywhere outside of an internet search. But, Eminem fans are sure to have it in their earbuds this week, and anyone who can appreciate a good rhyme scheme should as well.