For the second time in two days, Eminem has landed on the Genius Top Songs chart with a track he recorded a long, long time ago. Yesterday, it was “Jimmy, Brian and Mike,” a hedonistic party jam originally intended for 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP and repurposed for the brand-new expanded edition of 2002’s The Eminem Show. Today, it’s “Stimulate”, a hazy psych-rap free-speech diatribe initially available on certain editions of the 2002 8 Mile soundtrack and also found on that year’s “Cleaning Out My Closet” single.
Eminem produced the song—now widely available via the expanded edition of The Eminem Show—with Jeff Bass, and the pair gives the song a swirling grunge-rock sound that matches the mood of Em’s defiant rhymes. “Stimulate” opens with the chorus, wherein Em reiterates a point he’s been making throughout his career: He’s not a role model.
I’m only entertainin’ you, my
Goal is to stimulate, makin’ you high
And take you and I
To a place that you can’t see but I believe you can fly
Further, he’s not interested in raising anyone’s children.
I’m not your dad, not your mom, not your guardian
Just the man who’s on the mic
So let me entertain you
As the first verse opens, Em takes up a familiar defensive stance. He feels attacked by those who castigate him for his violent lyrics—and this isn’t paranoia talking. The year before “Stimulate” came out, Congress held a hearing on the recording industry’s methods of labeling explicit content, and one Republican lawmaker opined that the music business “should be embarrassed” that Eminem’s music won major awards.
When lyrics are constantly took outta context
Failure to communicate with Congress has
Been a problem for the longest, I guess
But maybe one day we can make some progress
In the second verse, Eminem stops defining himself by what he’s not. His purpose is to entertain, obviously, but also to inspire and offer escape to young people who might be dealing with some of the same challenges he did.
See, I could sit and argue with you, but it goes beyond
Just being a snot, pointy-nosed bleach-blond
’Cause I came here to uplift, let your woes be gone
Tell ’em to get fucked and just mosey on
In the next lines, Eminem shouts out the First Amendment and British pop star Robbie Williams, who scored a hit in 1998 with the song “Let Me Entertain You.”
Constantly movin’, constantly usin’
The Constitution as a form of restitution
Bless the children, nothin’ less than brilliant
Let me entertain you like Robbie Williams
Of course, Eminem realizes that his music is more than mere entertainment for some impressionable young fans. He admits in the third verse that some kids copy his manner of speaking and dressing—but he insists they’re missing the point.
I try to stimulate, but kids emulate
And mimic every move you make, “Slim, you great!”
But wait, can’t you see I’m only here to entertain?
The reason Eminem ultimately cannot and will not censor himself is that he’s reacting to traumas associated with his upbringing.
But they don’t understand that I’ve been through pain
If you get to know me I could be a friend you gain
But you can’t just stand there and try to judge
The song ends with Em’s backing vocals from the chorus played in reverse—likely a reference to all the secret satanic messages that uptight parents and religious leaders claimed to hear in heavy metal records in the ’80s.
Enif eb lliw gnihtyreve dnA
Uoy niatretne em tel oS
Edir eht rof ereh ylno m’I
Uoy evas ot ereh ton m’I
You can read all the lyrics to “Stimulate” on Genius now.
