Remember Me

When I bought the Marshall Mathers LP, I think that « Remember Me » used to be my least favorite song from the whole album. Probably also because it sounded more metal than hip hop to me.
But when I took time to have a look at the lyrics, I noticed that the song was intelligently written and funny.

The repetion of similar sound and the melody add to the apocalyptic dimension of the song. The whole structure of the song will make you think about a huge nuclear weapon that spreads rapidly and leaves lots of damages behind.
Remember Me features rapper RBX (who has also collaborated with Snoop Dogg) and New York rapper Sticky Fingers.

The chorus starts like a huge threat:

[RBX]
Remember me? (“Step in, execution”)
Remember me? (“I have no remorse”)
Remember me? (“I’m ‘High Powered’”)
Remember me? (“I drop bombs like Hiroshima”)

The whole song si fullfilled with provocative and funny lines. The repetition of similar sound, the rapid rythm of the sentences make the song interesting.
You could hardly ignore Sticky Fingaz part which is fullfilled with wordplays and similar assonances:

Better come better than better to be a competitor
this vet is ahead of,
The shit is all redder, you deader and deader
A medic instead-a the cheddars and credda
Settle vendetta one metal beretta from ghetto to ghetto…

You will probably be amused by Sticky Fingaz line:

I get more pussy than them dyke bitches Total

But the most provocative verse is certainly the last. Eminem targets his critics with lots of humor. The first lines are as sarcastic as hell:

Can you imagine Slim Shady stop cursing? Of course not!
Nobody can escape from Slim Shadys rage, Debbie and Kim in particular. Slim Shady makes some clear allusions to his former track 97 Bonnie and Clydeand goes on mocking Debbie who appears as the main responsible of his crazy thoughts:

My baby’s mom, bitch made me an angry blonde
So I made me a song, killed her and put Hailie on
I may be wrong, I keep thinkin these crazy thoughts
in my cranium, but I’m stuck with a crazy mom…

The most interesting lines are probably Eminems direct allusions to the Columbine shooting where Bill Clintons hypocrisy is targetted in first line:

Came home and somebody must have broke in the back window / Stole two loaded machine guns and both of my trench coats. / 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? / FUCK THAT!”

Remember Me is an explosive song. If you are used to take his statements literally, Slim Shady will piss you off, once again.
“Remember Me?”
(feat. RBX, Sticky Fingaz)

[*spray can being shook up and sprayed several times*]

[RBX]
Remember me? (“Step in, execution”)
Remember me? (“I have no remorse”)
Remember me? (“I’m ‘High Powered’”)
Remember me? (“I drop bombs like Hiroshima”)

For this one it’s the X, you retarded?
Cause I grab the mic and get DOWN, like Syndrome
Hide and roam into the masses, without boundaries
which qualifies me for the term “universal”
Without no rehearsal, I leak words that’s controversial
Like I’m not, the one you wanna contest, see
cause I’ll hit yo’ ass like the train did that bitch
that got “Banned From TV” — heavyweight hitter
Hit you watch your whole head split up
Loco-is-the-motion, we comin through
Hollow tips is the lead, the .45 threw

[Sticky Fingaz]
Remember me? (“Throw ya gunz in the air!”)
Remember me? (“Slam! Slam!”)
Remember me? (“Nigga ‘Bacdafucup’”)
Remember me? (“Chka-chka-Onyx!”)

Niggaz that take no for an answer, get told no
Yeah I been told no but it was more like, “No, no, no!!!”
Life a bitch that’ll fuck you if you let her
Better come better than better to be a competitor
this vet is ahead of,
The shit is all redder, you deader and deader
A medic instead-a the cheddars and credda
Settle vendetta one metal beretta from ghetto to ghetto
Evidence? NOPE! Never leave a shred-of
I got the soul of every rapper in me, love me or hate me
My moms got raped by the industry and made me
I’m the illest nigga ever, I told you
I get more pussy than them dyke bitches Total
Want beef, nigga? PBBT! You better dead that shit
My name should be “Can’t-Believe-That-Nigga-Said-That-Shit”
Probably sayin, “He ain’t a killer”, but I’m killin myself
Smoke death, fuck bitches raw, on the kitchen floor
So think what I’ma do to you, have done to you
Got niggaz in my hood who’d do that shit for a blunt or two
What you wanna do, cocksuckers? We glock busters
‘Til the cops cuff us, we’ll start ruckus and drop blockbusters
‘Round the clock hustlers, you cannot touch us
I’m gettin wires niggaz wantin me dead, wantin my head
You think it could be somethin I said? {*echoes*}

[Eminem]
Remember me? (“I just don’t give a fuck!”)
Remember me? (“Yeah, fuck you too!”)
Remember me? (“I’m low down and I’m shifty!”)
Remember me? (“I’m Shady!”)

When I go out, I’ma go out shootin
I don’t mean when I die, I mean when I go out to the club, stupid
I’m tryin to clear up my fuckin’ image,
so I promised the fuckin critics
I wouldn’t say “fuckin” for six minutes
(*click* Six minutes, Slim Shady, you’re on)
My baby’s mom, bitch made me an angry blonde
So I made me a song, killed her and put Hailie on
I may be wrong, I keep thinkin these crazy thoughts
in my cranium, but I’m stuck with a crazy mom
(“Is she really on as much dope as you say she’s on?”)
Came home, and somebody musta broke in the back window
and stole two loaded machine guns and both of my trenchcoats
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?
FUCK THAT! PBBT! Tou faggots can vanish to volcanic ash
and re-appear in hell with a can of gas, AND a match
Aftermath, Dre, grab the gat, show ’em where it’s at
(What the fuck you starin at, nigga?)

Don’t you remember me?!
Remember me?!!
Remember me??!
REMEMBER ME!!!!