‘Kill You’ is one of the most controversial tracks from the Marshall Mathers LP. It is also one of the most sarcastic of the album. If you got Eminem’s sense of humor, you will have fun while listening to the song. You will appreciate his parody of raping and killing women a slow death.
And to the conservative and closed minded people who seriously believe Eminem actually is what he says in his lyrics, relax a little. Eminem is no danger to society. In fact your closed minded minds endanger society : you are the real threat to freedom of speech. Get a sense of humor and try to understand what Eminem is trying to say. No, Eminem is not a monster, he doesn’t hate women’
The first lines of ‘Kill You’ bring you back to Eminem’s childhood, to his earlier years :
When I just a little baby boy,
my momma used to tell me these crazy things
She used to tell me my daddy was an evil man,
she used to tell me he hated me
But then I got a little bit older
and I realized, she was the crazy one
But there was nothin I could do or say to try to change it
cause that’s just the way she was
First of all, the song ‘ Kill You ‘ is a way for Eminem to work out his problems with his mom. And the rage expressed by Slim Shady against women is much more the expression of his frustrations and rage against Debbie.
Back to Eminem’s earlier years. What do we know about Eminem’s childhood ?
We know that Marshall grew up with Debbie who raised him as a single mom. But most of the people ignore that Debbie didn’t raise Marshall in his very early years. Another woman, who remains in the shadow of the public’s eye, took care of Marshall until he was 5 years old : Edna Swartz. Who is Edna Swartz ? Edna Swartz is Eminem’s great aunt from his paternal side who lives in Missouri.
Marshall grew up believing that his father was an evil man who hated him, because Debbie, his mom, made him believe it as a matter of fact. I’m not trying to defend Eminem’s father, but some facts speak by themselves. Debbie left the appartment she used to share with her husband with no explanation. When Eminem’s father went back home, he found an empty appartment with now furniture. No wife, no kid. No explanation at all.
Marshall’s dad recalls that horrible moment :
“I’d just taken over my dad’s job as a hotel manager and came home after a shift and found the place empty.
There was no note, nothing. I can still remember the day, even though it was nearly 30 years ago.
I’ll never forget that feeling when i opened the door and was greeted with just dead air. There wasn’t a sound.’
According to Marshall Mathers II, Debbie told Edna that he was abusing her and she promised never to reveal anything about Marshall’s whereabouts. If she did, Debbie would cut all her ties with her. So Edna accepted the deal.
Debbie left Marshall at his great aunt Edna’s home and she raised him for more than 3 years before Debbie reappeared in 1977.
One thing is sure : Debbie Mathers is a manipulator. As well as she must have manipulated her ex husband, she has manipulated her son Marshall. She made him believe for years that his Dad was a bad person who hated him, which is something very destructive for a kid. But in the end, she showed her own sick behavior towards her son, constantly abusing him.
Eminem needs to let his rage out. He also needs to share the dramas that happened to him during his childhood with his listeners. Slim Shady, Eminem’s evil alter ego helps him to get rid of his rage against his shady mom. Nothing’s more hurtful than being betrayed by the person who is supposed to love you most on earth : your own mom.
Slim Shady is ready to retaliate against Debbie who know appears as a weak victim who begs for mercy. Slim Shady rapes her and kills her. Symbolically, Debbies gets her punishment.
In the first verse, there is also an anticipation to the press’ reaction after Eminem’s second album release :
They said I can’t rap about bein broke no more
They ain’t say I can’t rap about coke no more
Eminem’s debut album, the Slim Shady LP, was all about drugs and poverty and now that he had money, people were asking themselves :
‘ What is he going to talk about now that he solved his financial problems. He probably has no subject to talk about any more. ‘
But they seemed to forget that Eminem is a master of originality and of controversy.
The parody of violence and rape he offers in his song ‘ Kill You ‘ has raised a lot of controversy. Because he is so much misunderstood, Eminem is often accused of advocating violence and misogyny.
In Ontario, Canada, where Eminem was performing in 2000, some officials tried to stop his concert, because they thought his lyrics were advocating violence against women.
Valerie Smith claimed that Eminem’s lyrics violated hate crime laws in Canada :
“His lyrics seem to be a little bit over the line.
“If you replace the gender insult with racial insults, you get hate propaganda.”
Eminem, who is not deprived of a great sense of humor (Canadian officials could learn it from him), dedicated ‘The Way I Am’ to Valerie Smith. Adressing to the crowd during the concert, he said:
“They said if I was to perform ‘Kill You’ tonight, then they were gonna arrest me. Well, guess what? I already played it. So I don’t know if you are all aware of the shit that’s been going on in the media, but I dedicate this song to that motherfucking bitch, Valerie Smith.”
This is, again, a typical example of misinterpretation of Eminem’s lyrics. Appearently, government officials from many countries seem to lack humor. A good sense of humor might help them to stop wars in this world, though.
Slim Shady, the psychopath ladies rapist and killer with his chainsaw is scary, that’s a matter of fact.
Slim Shady is an actor is playing the role of a bad guy who wants to scare ladies to death before killing them:
Eh-heh, know why I say these things?
Cause lady’s screams keep creepin in Shady’s dreams
But let me remind you that Slim Shady isn’t Marshall Mathers.
It is so obvious that Slim Shady is just a character. If you are honest enough to read Eminem’s lyrics from the beginning to the end and also, if you are ready not to take each word literally, you will fully understand Eminem’s sarcasms. Sarcasms are much more obvious in ‘Kill You’ than in many other songs. Because Eminem concludes:
‘ Hahaha, I’m just playin ladies
You know I love you’ ‘
His final sentence which is (by the way) full of tenderness, cancels the preceding.“Kill You”
[Eminem]
When I just a little baby boy,
my momma used to tell me these crazy things
She used to tell me my daddy was an evil man,
she used to tell me he hated me
But then I got a little bit older
and I realized, she was the crazy one
But there was nothin I could do or say to try to change it
cause that’s just the way she was
They said I can’t rap about bein broke no more
They ain’t say I can’t rap about coke no more
(AHHH!) Slut, you think I won’t choke no whore
til the vocal cords don’t work in her throat no more?!
(AHHH!) These motherfuckers are thinkin I’m playin
Thinkin I’m sayin the shit cause I’m thinkin it just to be sayin it
(AHHH!) Put your hands down bitch, I ain’t gon’ shoot you
I’ma pull +YOU+ to this bullet, and put it through you
(AHHH!) Shut up slut, you’re causin too much chaos
Just bend over and take it like a slut, okay Ma?
“Oh, now he’s raping his own mother, abusing a whore,
snorting coke, and we gave him the Rolling Stone cover?”
You god damn right BITCH, and now it’s too late
I’m triple platinum and tragedies happen in two states
I invented violence, you vile venomous volatile bitches
vain Vicadin, vrinnn Vrinnn, VRINNN! [*chainsaw revs up*]
Texas Chainsaw, left his brains all
danglin from his neck, while his head barely hangs on
Blood, guts, guns, cuts
Knives, lives, wives, nuns, sluts
[Chorus: Eminem]
Bitch I’ma kill you! You don’t wanna fuck with me
Girls neither – you ain’t nuttin but a slut to me
Bitch I’ma kill you! You ain’t got the balls to beef
We ain’t gon’ never stop beefin I don’t squash the beef
You better kill me! I’ma be another rapper dead
for poppin off at the mouth with shit I shouldn’ta said
But when they kill me – I’m bringin the world with me
Bitches too! You ain’t nuttin but a girl to me
.. I said you don’t, wanna fuck with Shady (cause why?)
Cause Shady, will fuckin kill you (ah-haha)
I said you don’t, wanna fuck with Shady (why?)
Cause Shady, will fuckin kill you..
[Eminem]
Bitch I’ma kill you! Like a murder weapon, I’ma conceal you
in a closet with mildew, sheets, pillows and film you
Buck with me, I been through hell, shut the hell up!
I’m tryin to develop these pictures of the Devil to sell ’em
I ain’t “acid rap,” but I rap on acid
Got a new blow-up doll and just had a strap-on added
WHOOPS! Is that a subliminal hint? NO!
Just criminal intent to sodomize women again
Eminem offend? NO! Eminem insult
And if you ever give in to him, you give him an impulse
to do it again, THEN, if he does it again
you’ll probably end up jumpin out of somethin up on the 10th
(Ahhhhhhhh!) Bitch I’ma kill you, I ain’t done this ain’t the chorus
I ain’t even drug you in the woods yet to paint the forest
A bloodstain is orange after you wash it three or four times
in a tub but that’s normal ain’t it Norman?
Serial killer hidin murder material
in a cereal box on top of your stereo
Here we go again, we’re out of our medicine
out of our minds, and we want in yours, let us in
[Chorus (first line starts “Or I’ma kill you!”)]
[Eminem]
Eh-heh, know why I say these things?
Cause lady’s screams keep creepin in Shady’s dreams
And the way things seem, I shouldn’t have to pay these shrinks
this eighty G’s a week to say the same things TWEECE!
TWICE? Whatever, I hate these things
Fuck shots! I hope the weed’ll outweigh these drinks
Motherfuckers want me to come on their radio shows
just to argue with ’em cause their ratings stink?
FUCK THAT! I’ll choke radio announcer to bouncer
from fat bitch to off seventy-thousand pounds of her
from principal to the student body and counselor
from in-school to before school to out of school
I don’t even believe in breathin I’m leavin air in your lungs
just to hear you keep screamin for me to seep it
OKAY, I’M READY TO GO PLAY
I GOT THE MACHETE FROM O.J.
I’M READY TO MAKE EVERYONE’S THROATS ACHE
You faggots keep eggin me on
til I have you at knifepoint, then you beg me to stop?
SHUT UP! Give me your hands and feet
I said SHUT UP when I’m talkin to you
YOU HEAR ME? ANSWER ME!
[Chorus]
[first line starts “Or I’ma kill you!”, ninth line starts “Bitch I’ma kill you!”]
[Eminem]
Hahaha, I’m just playin ladies
You know I love you