Eminem's Political Lyrics: A History

It's more and more likely that Eminem will come through with a new single called "Walk On Water" before the week is over, leaving many speculating what the rapper might have to say. As for making an educated guess, his previous releases have been heavy on the politics, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Em tackling some of the world's problems on the upcoming Revival.  After all, he's been taking shots at politicians for years now, so why would he stop when after all this premium material? 

There’s no denying that Eminem’s recent ether of Donald Trump has spurred an evocative response from the community. Some rappers, like Snoop Dogg, T.I., and T-Pain, have spoken out in support of Em’s move, while Vince Staples and Joey Bada$$ have taken a more critical stance. It’s one of many examples in which political commentary can yield a divided response, even when both parties are fighting for the same side. To some, Eminem’s shift into the political discourse may seem sudden, in reality, Eminem has been one of hip-hop’s most politically active rappers in recent history.

Long before Donald Trump ever took office, Em was both targeting and being targeted by politicians. The controversial nature of his lyrical content and his no-fucks-given attitude made him an easy scapegoat for those looking to sell an agenda. For example, after Columbine, Em felt targeted by Bill Clinton (as referenced in “Remember Me”), when the president seemingly alluded to the influence of music as a catalyst for violent behavior. Since The Slim Shady LP dropped in 1999, Em continued to find himself making headlines, and along the way, made several political enemies. Since his career kicked off, Em has been active through four presidential administrations, and the prolific rapper has never been shy about voicing his thoughts on those in the political spotlight.

So, in the wake of Eminem’s Trump takedown, let’s look back his finest shots at all the politicians and pundits who ended up on his shit-list.  

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

Ultimately, the Clintons got it relatively easy compared to George W. Bush and Donald Trump, but that didn’t stop Em from dropping some bars at Bill or Hilary’s expense. In truth, Clinton’s mistress Monica Lewinsky may very well have gotten it the worst, but Em has made more than a few references to the Clintons over the course of his career. While Bill and Hilary weren't subjected to a direct assault like some of the later candidates, Em still referenced them long after Bill left office, most notably in "Rap God."

Role Models

“So if I said I never did drugs
That would mean I lie and get fucked
More than the President does
Hillary Clinton tried to slap me and call me a pervert
I ripped her fucking tonsils out and fed her sherbet (Bitch)”

Who Knew

I'm sorry, there must be a mix-up
You want me to fix up lyrics
While the President gets his dick sucked?

Remember Me (ft. RBX & Sticky Fingaz)

Sick, sick dreams of picnic scenes
Two kids, sixteen, with M-16's and ten clips each
And them shits reach through six kids each
And Slim gets blamed in Bill Clint's speech to fix these streets?!

The Re-Up (ft. 50 Cent)

He's already reconciled with his ex, a chainsaw and an axe
Choke a bitch to death, strangle her neck
While we have sex, while Bill Clinton plays the sax

Rap God

Made a livin' and a killin' off it
Ever since Bill Clinton was still in office
With Monica Lewinsky feelin' on his nutsack

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While Trump may give him a run for his money, George W. Bush Jr. spent a long time as Eminem’s most hated rival not named Ja Rule or Benzino. It was here when Em’s Democratic tendencies began to emerge, and the rapper who once aimed without discrimination soon began honing in on a specific brand of target: Republicans. When Bush was in office, Eminem began experimenting with more political content; what started as punchlines evolved into verses, and as the War in Iraq waged on, verses grew into entire songs.

The Bush Administration found Em at his most political, and songs like “Square Dance,” “Mosh,” “We As Americans,” and “Public Enemy #1” directly targeted George Bush and his cohorts. Comparatively, the Clintons got off easy. While Em seemed to respect Bill’s proclivities for saxophone and weed, he had no patience for anything Bush stood for.

This period also marked the beginning of Eminem as an overtly political artist, and Eminem Show songs like “White America” and “Square Dance” found the rapper directly criticising America and those in charge. His anti-Bush rhetoric reached a peak during the Encore era, where a controversial line in “We As Americans” even landed Em under secret service investigation (though let’s be honest, they weren’t going to do anything about a lyric.)

White America

The ringleader of this circus of worthless pawns
Sent to lead the march right up to the steps of Congress
And piss on the lawns of the White House
To burn the ​​flag​​ and replace it with a Parental Advisory sticker
To spit liquor in the faces of this democracy of hypocrisy
Fuck you, Ms. Cheney! Fuck you, Tipper Gore!
Fuck you with the freest of speech this Divided States of Embarrassment will allow me to have! Fuck you!

Square Dance

Yeah, the man's back
With a plan to ambush this Bush administration
Mush the Senate's face and push this generation
Of kids to stand and fight for the right
To say something you might not like

&

Yeah, you laugh 'til your mothafuckin' ass gets drafted
While you're at band camp thinking that crap can't happen
'Til you fuck around, get an Anthrax napkin
Inside a package wrapped in Saran Wrap wrappin'
Open the plastic and then you stand back gaspin'
Fuckin' assassins hi-jackin' Amtraks, crashin'
All this terror, America demands action
Next thing you know you've got Uncle Sam's ass askin'
To join the army or what you'll do for their Navy
You just a baby getting recruited at 18
You're on a plane now, eating their food and their baked beans
I'm 28, they gonna take you 'fore they take me

Mosh

Stomp, push shove, mush; fuck Bush!
Until they bring our troops home, come on

&

Imagine it pouring, just raining down on us
Mosh pits outside the Oval Office
Someone's trying to tell us something, maybe this is God just
Sayin' we're responsible for this monster
This coward that we have empowered

&

Maybe we can reach al-Qaeda through my speech
Let the President answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an AK-47, let him go
Fight his own war, let him impress Daddy that way
No more blood for oil
We got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare
To trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country
We're patronizing a hero; look in his eyes, it's all lies
The stars and stripes have been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, mosh now or die
If I get sniped tonight, you'll know why—‘cause I told you to fight!

We As Americans

Fuck money! I don't rap for dead presidents
I'd rather see the President {dead}
It's never been said, but I set precedents

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Alex Wong / Getty Images

Like many rappers, Eminem had nothing but love for Barack Obama, and never used his music to tear the former POTUS down. In fact, the only time Eminem references Obama is in direct comparison with himself, such as in his 2009 BET Cypher: “I’m a fuckin’ cross between Osama, Dahmer, Obama, and Dalai Lama” - or Recovery’s “Seduction: “Obama took the bomb from my name.”

In short, it was all love between Em and Obama. In fact, in an interview below, Em openly called Obama “great” and admitted to voting for him. “Obama is definitely giving people hope,” said Em. “I never, me personally, followed an election as close as this one, and wanted someone to win as much as this one...Man, this guy’s great.”

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David Becker / Getty Images

Unfortunately for Eminem, the Obama era has come to an end. Replacing him is none other than Donald Trump, and it didn’t take long before Em had set his sights on the former Apprentice star. In fact, the majority of Em’s recent music has been political in nature, starting with his mid-election return, the seven minute “Campaign Speech.”

 If Em’s recent music is any indication, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his upcoming album emerge as his most political yet. After all, there’s certainly plenty of material to draw from, and Em has always proven adept at satirizing current events.

Campaign Speech

Run the faucet, I'mma dunk
A bunch of Trump supporters underwater
Snuck up on 'em in Ray-Bans in a gray van with a spray tan
It's a wrap, like an ACE bandage

 &

Consider me a dangerous man
But you should be afraid of this dang candidate
You say Trump don't kiss ass like a puppet
'Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin'
And that's what you wanted
A fuckin' loose cannon who's blunt with his hand on the button
Who doesn't have to answer to no one—great idea!

No Favors (with Big Sean)

And fuck Ann Coulter with a Klan poster
With a lamp post, door handle, shutter
A damn bolt cutter, a sandal, a can opener
A candle, rubber, piano, a flannel, sucker
Some hand soap, butter, a banjo and manhole cover
Hand over the mouth and nose smother

&

I'm anti, can't no government handle a commando
Your man don't want it
Trump's a bitch, I'll make his whole brand go under

And of course, there’s “The Storm.” If you want to catch the highlights of Em’s notorious Trump takedown, check out the most scathing lyrics below:

The Storm

But we better give Obama props
'Cause what we got in office now's a kamikaze
That'll prob'ly cause a nuclear holocaust
And while the drama pops
And he waits for shit to quiet down he'll just gas his plane up and fly around 'til the bombing stops

&

Racism's the only thing he's fantastic for
'Cause that's how he gets his fucking rocks off and he's orange

&

But this is his form of distraction
Plus, he gets an enormous reaction
When he attacks the NFL so we focus on that in
-stead of talking Puerto Rico or gun reform for Nevada
All these horrible tragedies and he's bored and would rather
Cause a Twitter storm with the Packers

&

Same shit that he tormented Hillary for and he slandered
Then does it more From his endorsement of Bannon
Support for the Klansmen
Tiki torches in hand for the soldier that's black
And comes home from Iraq
And is still told to go back to Africa

&

Fork and a dagger in this racist 94-year-old grandpa
Who keeps ignoring our past historical, deplorable factors
Now if you're a black athlete, you're a spoiled little brat for
Tryna use your platform or your stature
To try to give those a voice who don't have one

&

Fuck that! This is for Colin, ball up a fist!
And keep that shit balled like Donald the bitch!

&

And any fan of mine who's a supporter of his
I'm drawing in the sand a line, you're either for or against
And if you can't decide who you like more and you're split
On who you should stand beside, I'll do it for you with this:
Fuck you!