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Without Me (Eminem song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Without Me
| cover = Eminem_-_Without_Me_CD_cover.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Eminem
| album = The Eminem Show
| B-side =
| released = May 15, 2002
| recorded = 2001
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Comedy hip hop
| length = 4:51
4:23
| label =
| writer =
| producer =
| prev_title = Hellbound
| prev_year = 2002
| next_title = Cleanin' Out My Closet
| next_year = 2002
| misc =
}}
"'Without Me'" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album 'The Eminem Show' (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 15, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album 'Curtain Call: The Hits' (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two in the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.
Content
The song was Eminem's return after the successful 'The Marshall Mathers LP', intended as a sequel to "The Real Slim Shady" and essentially says that he is back to save the world. It also refers to Eminem's role in the music industry and his effect on culture.
The song mocks a number of Eminem's critics, including then-Vice-president Dick Cheney (including his recurring heart problems) and his wife Lynne, the FCC, Chris Kirkpatrick (of NSYNC), Limp Bizkit and Moby, as well as parodying Prince's decision to change his name to a symbol. It also lampoons comparisons of him to Elvis Presley as a white man succeeding commercially in a predominantly black art form. A line also attacks his mother Debbie Mathers for the lawsuit she filed for the lyrics of his debut single "My Name Is".
The opening lyric '"Two trailer park girls go round the outside"' is based on the country rap single "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren. The introduction"Obie Trice, real name, no gimmicks"is sampled from Obie Trice's own track "Rap Name".
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine marked it as one of the best tracks on 'The Eminem Show'. David Browne was positive: "'I've created a monster, 'cuz no one wants to hear Marshall no more,' he (Eminem) whines, partly in jest, in the beat-crazy single 'Without Me'." 'HipHopDX' noted that the blazing single "Without Me" is one of the only light-hearted songs on the album. 'NME' magazine noted that this song is "tackling disco." RapReviews wrote: "His fearlessness continues on the lead single "Without Me" when he lambasts everyone from Dick Cheney's wife to the leading electronic artists of the day." Kris Ex exclaims: ""Without Me"like his "The Real Slim Shady," the leadoff single from 2000's 'The Marshall Mathers LP'is a fun-loving, barb-laden romp on which he flits from one topic to the next like a bumblebee with ADD."
Chart performances and awards
"Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles. The song reached the number one position in the charts in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand for 7 weeks. In the United States, the song reached a peak of number two on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 behind "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, although it reached number one on both the Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts.
"Without Me" was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 2003 (losing to Norah Jones's song "Don't Know Why"), being Eminem's first song to receive a Grammy nomination in a major category. It also received a nomination for Best Male Rap Solo Performance but lost that award as well to the song "Hot in Herre" by rapper Nelly.
In 2009, the song was honored by Pitchfork Media as the 251st-greatest song of the 2000s.
The song was the 69th-best-selling single of the 2000s in the United Kingdom.Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by Nihal on Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Music video
The song's music video features a number of scenarios built around its context, including Eminem and Dr. Dre as parodies of comics in general, specifically Batman, Robin (Rap Boy), and Blade trying to save a child who bought a copy of 'The Eminem Show' that has a Parental Advisory sticker. Eminem and his band of heroes rush to the rescue before the child puts the CD in his CD player and when they arrive Rap Boy snatches it away from him, showing that his CD has explicit lyrics that are not suitable for him to listen to. The kid cries and is upset after Rap Boy and Blade (Dr. Dre) confiscate the album away from him. The video was shot from April 1213 at Barwick Studios.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/g2AyzCE7Ygc Ghostarchive] and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120218143326/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2AyzCE7Ygc&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]: The comic and the scene with Moby feature a rabbit costume, a possible reference to the one featured in two Love Inc. music videos. As of May 2022, the music video has over 1.4 billion views.
This video received MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Rap Video, and Best Direction (for Joseph Kahn), as well as gaining nominations for Best Editing and Viewer's Choice. It also won Best Short Form Music Video at the Grammy Awards of 2003.
Track listing
;European CD single
{{track_listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Without Me
| note1 =
| writer1 =
| extra1 =
| length1 =
| title2 = The Way I Am
| note2 = Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson
| writer2 = Mathers
| extra2 = Eminem
| length2 =
| title3 = Without Me
| note3 = acapella
| writer3 =
| extra3 =
| length3 =
| title4 = Without Me
| note4 = instrumental
| writer4 =
| extra4 =
| length4 =
| total_length =
}}
;UK CD single
{{track_listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Without Me
| note1 =
| writer1 =
| extra1 =
| length1 =
| title2 = The Way I Am
| note2 = Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson
| writer2 = Mathers
| extra2 = Eminem
| length2 =
| title3 = Without Me
| note3 = instrumental
| writer3 =
| extra3 =
| length3 =
| total_length =
}}
;Australian CD single
{{track_listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Without Me
| note1 =
| writer1 =
| extra1 =
| length1 =
| title2 = The Way I Am
| note2 = Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson
| writer2 = Mathers
| extra2 = Eminem
| length2 =
| title3 = Without Me
| note3 = acapella
| writer3 =
| extra3 =
| length3 =
| title4 = Without Me
| note4 = instrumental
| writer4 =
| extra4 =
| length4 =
| title5 = Say What You Say
| note5 = featuring Dr. Dre
| writer5 =
| extra5 = Dr. Dre
| length5 =
| title6 = Without Me
| note6 = video
| writer6 =
| extra6 =
| length6 =
| total_length =
}}
;Notes
* signifies a co-Record producer.
* signifies an additional producer.
Charts
Weekly charts
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Lithuania (AGATA)
|align=center| 38
|-
!scope="row"| Slovakia (Singles Digitl Top 100)
|align=center| 50
|}
Year-end charts
|+Year-end chart performance for "Without Me"
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 67
|-
!scope="row"| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)
|111
|-
! scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
|3
|-
|-
!scope="row"|France (SNEP)
| style="text-align:center;"|15
|-
!scope="row"|Germany (Official German Charts)
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (FIMI)
|12
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
| style="text-align:center;"|18
|-
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
!scope="row"|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)
| style="text-align:center;"|10
|-
!scope="row"|US 'Billboard' Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|21
|-
! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ('Billboard')
| 79
|-
Decade-end charts
Certifications and sales
In popular culture
* In December 2002, Nickelodeon's flagship sketch comedy show 'All That' created a parody video of this song, entitled "Without Meat".
* The song is included in the soundtrack for the 2016 film 'Suicide Squad'.
* The song is also featured in the dance rhythm game, 'Just Dance 2021'.
* The song was also used in the trailer for 'Despicable Me 2'.
* The teaser and trailer for the 2020 mockumentary/comedy 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' produced by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen features a brief Kazakh iteration of the song.
* The song was parodied on 'Saturday Night Live' with a song named "NFTs" with Pete Davidson as Eminem, Chris Redd as Dr. Dre, and a cameo by Jack Harlow.
See also
* List of best-selling singles in Australia
References
Buy Without Me (Eminem song) now from Amazon
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