Listen: Slim Shady's Brilliance
Eminem’s “Without Me” shows the rapper at his most brilliant, bobbing and weaving with a sheer joie de vivre that allows the tune to go far beyond the narrow confines of rap.
The track is so stream-of-consciousness it’s almost hallucinatory – jumping from politics to Elvis to the Batman theme to a Wal-Mart-esque announcer voice – but somehow Eminem pulls it all together.
Topping it off, the chorus has the catchiness of a traditional pop tune, and the beat is lively kick ‘n snare concoction with an enchanting little saxophone accompaniment.
And it’s funny. On the surface the tune is standard rap braggadocio – the world is centered on him, his lyrics claim. But the wacky wordplay seems to mock the self-aggrandizement. And it’s so clever we end up laughing along as he brags.
Here’s a snippet in which he tweaks Dick Cheney: