Eminem’s new track “Lucifer,” the 7th song on his 12th studio album ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce),’ is a fearless dive into the world of cancel culture, personal strife, and societal commentary. This song is a testament to Slim Shady’s unyielding defiance against the norms of today’s hyper-sensitive cancel culture, laced with sharp disses, dark humor, and intricate wordplay.
Here’s an in-depth analysis of the song, line by line:
[Intro: Eminem]
“The coup de grâce is the final shot / Right between the eyes / Also known (Haha) as the kill shot (People, yeah)”
Eminem opens with a reference to "coup de grâce," a final, decisive blow, often lethal. This sets the tone for the aggressive nature of the song. "Kill shot" could refer to his previous diss track aimed at Machine Gun Kelly.
“Something to stop the pain (Woo, it feels so good to be back) / Bad / Alright, here we go, alright, I’ma start this, I got it”
He acknowledges the pleasure of returning to music and setting the stage for the lyrical onslaught.
[Verse 1: Eminem]
“Before I get banned, kicked off Twitter / And TikTok ’cause they so damn ticked off, bitter”
Eminem anticipates backlash and potential bans from social media for his controversial lyrics.
“They want me to bounce (Like what?) like a fabric softener / We just got rid of Ye, go kick rocks with him (Ayy)”
Comparing himself to a fabric softener, he plays on the word "bounce." He mentions Kanye West ("Ye"), alluding to the controversies and cancellations surrounding him.
“But Dre on beats with the white-faced blondie on the mic / Is like (What?) havin’ Steady B and Cool C in the ride”
Dr. Dre producing beats for Eminem is likened to the infamous rappers Steady B and Cool C, who were involved in a bank robbery.
“Like we rap and did a little bank robbery on the side / So they want beef, we can make like Bonnie and collide”
Eminem uses a Bonnie and Clyde reference to emphasize his readiness for confrontation.
“Haters can meet the same exact fate as my dad, wait / Least he didn’t miss me graduate (Okay, yeah, great)”
He addresses his absent father, who didn't see him graduate, highlighting his troubled past.
“But, Mom, do I still act eight? / Uh, maybe a little, Debbie (What?) like a snack cake (Slut)”
A play on words with "Little Debbie" snack cakes, referencing his mother's criticism of his maturity.
[Pre-Chorus: Eminem]
“But if this is what he do to his mom / Imagine what he’d do to you, I’m a lunatic armed”
He warns others by reflecting on his strained relationship with his mother, suggesting he's capable of even harsher treatment towards his enemies.
“And if it’s you I use to clip on, for you to respond / Is ludicrous, ma, look at what your uterus spawned, Lucifer”
Eminem likens himself to Lucifer, the devil, born from his mother's womb, emphasizing his dark, rebellious nature.
[Chorus: Sly Pyper & Eminem]
“Must be a cold day in Hell (Yeah), tell me, what have we done? (Woah)”
The chorus suggests a reversal of expectations or norms, where Hell has frozen over.
“Take me out my misery, I bought Heaven when it was up for sale and now I need a refund, bae (Yeah, wait, what the fuck? Where’d I put my—)”
Eminem reflects on seeking peace (buying Heaven) but feeling disillusioned, needing a "refund."
[Verse 2: Eminem]
“I think someone messed with my meds probably (Yo, who took my—)”
He hints at mental instability and medication issues.
“I bet it’s my ex, Molly, that I’ve bludgeoned to death / Already severed the head, I smell the fresh scent of flesh rotting”
Graphic imagery of violence, possibly metaphorical, towards an ex-girlfriend named Molly.
“So it’s breakfast in bed if I wake up next to a dead body (Ah)”
Dark humor about waking up next to a dead body.
“Multiple lacerations, contusions, abrasions, bruises / Hallucinations, delusions, abusive, my language usage”
He lists violent and mental health-related terms, describing his troubled state.
“They lose it when Dre produced it, as soon as he plays the music / It’s lunacy, treat the beat like a choice, Shady chews it”
Praising Dr. Dre's production skills and his own ability to dominate a beat.
“Now all I see is dollar signs, losers / Bitch, I was in them trenches like them Columbine shooters”
References to his rise from poverty and compares himself to the notorious Columbine shooters, emphasizing his dark, intense nature.
“I was down bad, broke, and almost abandoned hope (Now what?) / Now my followers are like a Satanic cult (What?)”
From despair to having a dedicated, almost cult-like following.
“Yeah, they listen to me like when Manson spoke (Shh) / They say I don’t know struggle no more, that’s a joke (Haha)”
Compares his influence to that of Charles Manson and dismisses claims that he doesn't understand struggle.
“Bitch, the fuckin’ elevator in my mansion’s broke (See?) / I have to walk like half a block to get a can of Coke (Damn)”
Sarcastic complaint about his mansion's elevator, highlighting the contrast with his earlier struggles.
“And Candace O, I ain’t mad at her (Ah) / I ain’t gon’ throw the fact bitch forgot she was Black back at her”
References Candace Owens, a controversial political commentator, and critiques her without focusing on her race.
“Laugh at her like them crackers she’s backin’ after her back is turned / In a cute MAGA hat with her brand-new White Lives Matter shirt (Haha, nope)”
Mocks Owens' political affiliations and the people she supports.
“Or say this MAGA dirtbag in a skirt / Just opened the biggest can of worms on the whole planet Earth”
Critiques Owens again, calling her a "MAGA dirtbag."
“Call her ‘Grand Wizard’ (Yeah), ‘Klandace’ (Haha), or ‘Grand Dragon,’ or / Like the national anthem, I won’t stand for the tramp (Why?)”
Uses KKK titles to insult Owens and states he won't respect her.
“But I can’t diss her ’cause my plans are to get in her pants and I’ll blow my chance if I answer back to her”
Despite his criticism, he jokingly mentions his ulterior motive of trying to get with her.
“My shit is like taking Deborah Mathers at her word / Yeah, I’m that absurd, we had a spat, then afterwards”
References his mother, Deborah Mathers, and their tumultuous relationship.
“We squashed the beef like a hamburger patty, or should I say gigantic turd? / ‘Cause I put that shit to bed like Amber Heard at a Mattress Firm (Slut)”
Wordplay on "beef" and "hamburger patty," with a jab at Amber Heard.
[Pre-Chorus: Eminem]
“But if this is what he do to his mom (Pfft) / Imagine what he’d do to you (Ha), I’m a lunatic armed”
Repeats the earlier warning about his aggressive nature.
“And if it’s you I use to clip on, for you to respond / Is ludicrous, ma, look at what your uterus spawned, Lucifer”
Reiterates his comparison to Lucifer, born from his mother's womb.
[Chorus: Sly Pyper & Eminem]
“This must be a cold day in Hell (Yeah), tell me, what have we done? (Woah) / Take me out my misery, I bought Heaven when it was up for sale and now I need a refund, bae (Yeah)”
Repeats the chorus, emphasizing his disillusionment with seeking peace.
[Verse 3: Eminem & Sly Pyper]
“So whether you friend or you are foe (Woah) / Far as bars go, even fuckin’ retards know (Yeah)”
Eminem addresses both friends and enemies, emphasizing his skill with "bars" (lyrics).
“That as far as smoke with me, I don’t think it’d be smart, so (Woah) / Might as well go lookin’ for smoke with Lamar, bro (Yeah, yeah)”
Warns against starting a feud with him, suggesting Kendrick Lamar as a safer target.
“But, Marshall / You’re gettin’ more perverse every time you record a verse and / It’s like you came from 2000, stepped out a portal, cursin'”
Acknowledges his increasing vulgarity and nostalgia for his early career.
“Hurlin’ horrible slurs towards the world and / Why can’t you make fun of people behind their backs like a normal person?”
Critiques himself for being openly offensive instead of discreet.
“But when you reach these heights, freedom of speech dies (What?) / With every line that I recite, them PC police try”
Discusses the challenges of free speech at his level of fame.
“For all of them years (What?), they reduced me to tears (Yeah) / Tried to shrink me to pea-sized, only to see my (What?) / Self-esteem rise, now these are my replies (Mm)”
Eminem reflects on years of criticism trying to diminish him, but instead, it has only boosted his confidence and self-esteem, leading to his bold responses.
“They made me eat shit (Shit), I fed it back to ’em three times (Yeah) / Stepfather’s the only (What?) one I ever been beat by (Ha)”
He discusses how he retaliates against criticism and adversity, noting that his stepfather was the only one who physically overpowered him, highlighting his resilience.
“Squeeze mics like Burmese py— (Yeah) ‘Thons (Yeah), here’s for each time (What?) / You sleep on the flow (What?), ho, you hear these strings climb (Yeah)”
He likens his grip on the microphone to the constriction of a Burmese python and refers to listeners who underestimate his flow and lyrical skill.
“You reap what you sow (So what?), so first I must weave rhymes (Yeah) / So seamlessly, then I’ma leave eyes / In a state of disbelief, my”
Eminem emphasizes the idea of karma and his skill in crafting rhymes that leave listeners amazed.
“Genius is a trait, so the gap’s in our genes, right? (Haha, the gap) / At least that’s what it seems like”
He makes a pun on the word "genes," referring both to genetics and the generational gap in talent, suggesting his genius is inherited or innate.
“And I’m Lucifer and Dre’s the producer for the antichrist”
Concludes with a bold declaration, aligning himself with Lucifer and positioning Dr. Dre as the producer for a powerful, rebellious figure (the antichrist).
From the very beginning, Eminem gets all combative with the line, “The coup de grâce is the final shot,” and he is almost a lyrical executioner about to give them all their last nail in the coffin. Introducing “Lucifer” marks the return of Slim Shady in his edgy and controversial element to now shamelessly don the robes of a provocateur.
Eminem, in the first verse, envisions the backlash that will ensue from social media networks like Twitter and TikTok, confessing he is ultra-sensitive, at best, and probably gets banned by them. He weaves in some cultural references, equating his contentious presence to the fallout of Kanye West, and continues with parallels to infamous figures in hip-hop history, such as Steady B and Cool C. His willingness to spar with the haters is very palpable as he invites them to “make like Bonnie and collide,” referring back to the infamous criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde.
The pre-chorus and the chorus of “Lucifer” reaffirm his case of being a rebel. Eminem puts great thought into his disturbed relationship with his mother and warns people that he is capable of treating them even more bitterly. Now, the chorus depicts the imagery of a “cold day in Hell,” which essentially means it’s opposite day brought on by his unrelenting truth bombs.
The second verse, however, is much darker, with the use of graphic imagery and violent metaphors that allows one to picture Eminem’s troubled mental state as he wrestles with inner demons. He does appear to have picked up that hardwired malevolence projected at critics and cultural icon Candace Owens, which attests to his dexterity in fusing biting humor with scathing social commentary.
In the final verse, Eminem denounces the limitations placed on freedom of speech when one is as famous as he is. He speaks about his struggling and how nonstop judgment affected his self-esteem. Despite all hardship, though, he will come out strong, using life to feed the creative flames. The line “I’m Lucifer and Dre’s the producer for the antichrist” encapsulates his rebellious nature and his partnership with Dr. Dre, suggesting a powerful, boundary-pushing duo.
“Lucifer” is more than just a song; it’s a declaration of Eminem’s unbreakable spirit and his commitment to pushing all the limits of what can be said in music. With its potent mix of personal reflection, societal critique, and raw lyrical talent, “Lucifer” stands as a bold statement in ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce),’ reaffirming Eminem’s place as a fearless voice in the rap industry.