Eminem’s “Rap God”: The Return of Slim Shady

Background information…

• Change of Direction

So recently, Marshall Mathers, more commonly known by his alias “Eminem”, has released another studio album called “The Marshall Mathers LP2″. For a while, particularly during his “Recovery” years, it appeared that Eminem was no longer messing around with the whole “Slim Shady” getup. With songs like “I’m not Afraid”, I began to believe that and have a ray of hope for the popular rap star. But in recent times, it is clear that Mathers is far from done with Slim Shady, addiction, submission to his higher-ups, and his dance with darkness.

He’s made it very clear where he stands now, and through his lyrics, his promotional images, and his musical themes, even Helen Keller could put it together.

• Promotional Image

The most popularized and widely-distributed image for promotion of his new album features Eminem holding up devil horns. The horns extend out over his head, while his fist covers one of his eyes. If you’re a regular reader of Vigilant Citizen’s articles, and/or are well-versed in occult symbolism, you’ll already understand the significance of this image. If not, please take 2 seconds to research satanic hand-gestures, and the meaning of the ‘one-eye’ symbol, also known as the “Eye of Horus”.

(I wonder what team he’s playing for)

• Interview with MTV

Before I break this video down for you, allow me to explain one thing. Eminem is not who he once was a long, long time ago. He, himself, stated in an interview with MTV that it only took him “6 minutes” to write the lyrics for the song “Rap God”, which is less time than the actual duration of the song itself. Then later on, he goes to say it took him “a minute and a half”. The most unnerving thing he mentions is that he cannot remember when or where he wrote the song. He only recalls ambiguous bits and pieces from his memory, which is a pretty strong suggestion that this is a result of monarch programming. Victims/ participants often lose their sense of time, as well as experience blackouts due to the fact that their psyche is fractured, resulting in what’s known as co-consciousness. Beyonce is a similar example, as she’s admitted that she never remembers her own performances- that her alter ego “Sasha Fierce” takes over, and that Sasha’s much different than herself.

(He seems really “out-of-it)

Video for “Rap God”…

• Introduction

“Rap God” starts out with Eminem in a black and white suit and tie, plastered on a geometric background of colors spit up into black-and-colored stripes (a common MK trigger). He flashes back and forth in an array of positions, as well as switching between himself with sunglasses on and off. This is representational of his multiple personalities switching in and out. Also significant is the way in which he’s split up into multicolored versions of himself.

(Switching in and out)

You can also hear him in the background saying “six minutes” repeatedly.

The lyrics in the intro go:

“Look, I was gonna go easy on you and not to hurt your feelings

But I’m only going to get this one chance

Something’s wrong, I can feel it (Six minutes, Slim Shady, you’re on)

Just a feeling I’ve got, like something’s about to happen, but I don’t know what

If that means, what I think it means, we’re in trouble – big trouble – and if he is as bananas as you say, I’m not taking any chances

You were just what the doctor ordered”

The intro sets a strange tone, and with it rapped in a voice that is not his own, it points to one of his many splits taking over him and consequently, the mic. It almost sounds as though it could be one personality talking about Marshall to another, or two handlers having a conversation.

• Programming in Progress

“You were just what the doctor ordered” is eerily suggestive of his successfully programmed state.

Throughout the beginning of the video, he is showed as being under surveillance, due to the multiple CCTV cameras, and his appearance on TV screens, quite similar to Rihanna in the video for “What Now”. His image is displayed with an array of other images, including “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em” toy boxers, symbolizing an inner battle and opposing forces.

(No hiding)

At about 34 seconds in, he is shown in the camera room, strapped to a chair, with his body and head attached to wires. Similar to the imagery in Britney Spears’ video for her single “Hold It Against Me”. Also shown on a shelf in the room are WWII- related videos and games- one of which is aptly named “The Programme”. A CCTV camera pans by, capturing them, and imprinting them into Eminem’s mind via the cables he’s attached to.

(Literal mind-control)

(Being fed violent imagery)

• Inside Out

At 1:36, his face is broken up and displayed on multiple TV screens at once, representing his fractured psyche.

(Split into parts of a whole)

And then at 2:03, Eminem is displayed as a type of 3-dimensional hologram figure, showing his dehumanized and robotic state, which he admits to through the lyrics in this song “They said I rap like a robot, so call me Rapbot”. I realized, after watching the video many times over, that this digitized version of him is the outward projection of himself, while the backgrounds of the multicolored bars and shapes are literally the inside of the projection’s head.

(Inside of head)

(Outside of head)

• Marshall v. Marshall

At 2:13, he is shown rapping and moving about in a dark, black room, wearing solid black clothes. This represents his true self, who is both literally and figuratively “in the dark”. He’s made to look delusional because he’s rapping away from the camera, towards… well, nothing. It’s odd, and it’s no accident.

(Rapping to the air)

After viewing the video a few times, and taking into consideration the other imagery shown in this room, it appears to be another representation of the inside of his mind.

Shortly after, one of the screens shows the game “Pong” over a background consisting of Eminem’s programming room. This is another display of opposing forces, and the opponent is winning. Still, the real Marshall is showed trying to escape, and searching for some way out.

Also shown are clips pointing towards Eminem’s internal struggles and competition between egos.

Included (first, subliminally) is Marshall in a black, leather straight-jacket, looking thoroughly possessed and/or mentally ill. As well, he is only ever shown like this on a red background, inside his mind.

(Winner of the “Most Disturbing Picture of 2013″)

• Neverending

At 2:58, Eminem is shown dropping out of a portal suspended in the same dark room. It’s what this scene is showing that is symbolic, rather than the portals themselves. Some might say they represent different, fractured mind-states created by his handlers, and from a still picture and no other information, that might be believable. But if you’re familiar with the video game “Portal”, and you understand how portals work, then it might be a little easier for you to understand what they symbolize here. In the game, you use the portals to traverse obstacles. In other words, the portals get you from one place to another. In Em’s mind, he’s shown looking through, falling from, and jumping through these portals in an attempt to get somewhere other than where he is now. And every time he tries, because the portals are all in the same vicinity, he just winds up right back where he started.

(No way out)

This shows the endless cycle MK Ultra instills in these people’s minds. Not unlike the video for “Fjogur Piano” by Sigur Ros, an air of inescapability and eternal torment is conveyed. That is why often times, it’s so difficult for victims to break free from the cycle. Not because it’s unbreakable, but because they’re lead to believe it to be. That’s why it may be easy for us to say “You’re stupid, you can break free whenever you want”, but that’s just it. It’s from our perspective that we may say things like that. Yet from theirs, we’re the ones who look “stupid”, because their understanding of the world around them and how it works is much, much different than how we see it. That’s how they’re programmed to be. Programming not only changes the person’s mind, but it removes from them their purity, their essence, and their liveliness. It breaks them, and in the process, destroys their willpower altogether.

• Handlers

Throughout the whole video, there are clips of Eminem rapping and dancing around with his hood over his eyes. He’s surrounded by a group of people all dressed in black, literally pushing him around and keeping him somewhat ‘stable’, as he appears to be either drunk, drugged, or both.

He then raps “I’m the walking dead, but I’m just a talking head, a zombie floating”, which so accurately describes his state as an MK victim, or possibly ‘participant’, as he goes on to rap and brag about the benefits of his career- i.e. money, drugs, and sex. What else is new.

The further on the song goes, the more unstable he becomes. Literally being handled, he begins falling in and out of the arms of his ‘posse’.

• Black & White

   (Good & Evil)

Throughout this whole song and video, there are bits and pieces all pointing to the extreme duality and spiritual themes behind its true meaning.

“That if you’re half as nice at songs you can sacrifice virgins too”

“Even though I walk in the church and burst in a ball of flames”

“So you be Thor and I’ll be Odin

You rodent, I’m omnipotent”

“And I’m a million leagues above you, ill when I speak in tongues”

“I’m drunk so Satan take the fucking wheel, I’m asleep in the front seat”

and

“But in my head there’s something I can feel tugging and struggling

Angels fight with devils”

are just a few lyrical examples, not including all of the religious imagery and words found in multiple subliminal frames.

Subliminal text examples given: “Inferno”, “God was Bold”, “Pagan”, “Satan spake”, “lake of fire”, and “Omnipotent”.

Subliminal visual examples including, but not limited to:

• Ending Scene

Towards the end of the video, Em is shown immediately gripping the seat he’s in in the camera room- almost as though he’s being jolted with electricity. When his programming is complete, he detaches from the wires and proceeds to show a display of inhuman mental and psychic powers.

(Download: 100% Complete)

He begins to levitate, both above the sea of people pushing him around, as well as in the programming room.

Levitation is a common theme found in the process of exorcism and possession because it’s an intimidation factor used to show power over the laws of physics/ properties of this world. In the programming room, as he’s rising, books, videos, records, cassette tapes, and computer parts all begin to fly off the shelves and form a violent maelstrom around him. In my opinion, this represents his mastery over all which is now rendered obsolete due to his perfected, “God-like” state.

His internal mind is shown as successfully fracturing into dozens of pieces, the colored lines now in disarray.

(“Success” = A fractured ego)

After these scenes take place, he is shown walking on water, another blasphemous depiction of his new-found godhood.

As the video comes to an end (exactly at the 6-minute mark Shady was allowed), Eminem collapses into the sea of people- symbolizing Shady’s stepping-back down and return to his dormant state within Em’s mind.

(Lost consciousness… some people find it funny, apparently)

Physical collapse is another common theme found in possession, as the grandiose displays often leave the human body thoroughly and completely exhausted.

In Conclusion…

This video is one of the most disturbing videos I’ve seen in a while, especially when the time’s been taken to watch it frame-for-frame in order to catch all the subliminal imagery. If you look into his eyes, watch his gestures, and pay attention to the way he moves, you can clearly see something so distinctly inhuman about him and his behavior. Similar to the gestures of Elisa Lam when she was attacked, Eminem’s movements appear distorted and strange.

(Elisa Lam-esque)

Through his soulless gaze, you can tell he’s truly given himself over to the pressures of the beast known as the industry. He states how angels and devils are fighting over him, and how he wants nothing to do with the person angels want him to be. He’s clearly cut himself off from any shred of hope or light, and while it makes me sad, it doesn’t surprise me.

In the words of Iggy Azalea, “Once you go great, you never go good. You never go back, even if you could”.

(But is it truly worth-it…?)

works cited:

Mathers, Marshall. Eminem- Rap God (Explicit). Dir. Rich Lee. Prod. Justin Diener and Kathy
Angstadt. YouTube. EminemVEVO, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/ 
watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA>.

Mathers, Marshall. Eminem’s ‘Rap God’ Lyrics Took ’6 Minutes’ To Write. MTV.com. MTV, 5 Nov. 2013.
Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/975626/ 
eminems-rap-god-lyrics-took-6-minutes-to-write.jhtml#id=1716826>.

Promotional photograph of Eminem for album “Marshall Mathers LP 2″. Idolator. BuzzMedia, 26 Aug.
2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/26/ 
eminem-the-marshall-mathers-LP-2-400×470.jpg>.
“Eminem – Rap God lyrics.” Direct Lyrics. Ed. Yvo Schaap. Spin Music, 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.directlyrics.com/eminem-rap-god-lyrics.html&gt;.