Without Me

This article is about the song by Eminem. For other uses, see Without Me (disambiguation).
"Without Me"
Single by Eminem
from the album The Eminem Show
Released May 14, 2002
Format CD
Recorded February 2002
Genre Hip hop
Length 4:50
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Eminem
  • Jeff Bass (co.)
  • DJ Head (add.)
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Eminem singles chronology
"Hellbound"
(2002)		 "Without Me"
(2002)		 "Cleanin' Out My Closet" (2002)
Curtain Call: The Hits track listing
"Sing for the Moment"
(8)		 "Without Me"
(9)		 "Like Toy Soldiers"
(10)
Music sample
"Without Me"

"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released 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. It is one of his most well-known and most recognizable songs. The song is included in the soundtrack for the 2016 film Suicide Squad.[1]

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 saying that he is back to save the world. It also refers to Eminem's role in the music industry and his cultural effects.

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,[2][3] 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 single "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren and mocks underground artist Canibus, while the introduction — "Obie Trice, real name, no gimmicks" — is sampled from Obie Trice's own track "Rap Name".

The background saxophone riff was sampled in Drunkenmunky's 2002 club hit  "E" .

Some of the lyrics are altered on the clean version, such as "This is about to get heavy" replaced "This shit's about to get heavy". Also, "Fuck that, cum on your lips, and some on your tits" is changed to "Jump back, jiggle your hips and wiggle a bit". The censored version also replaces "fag" with "Stan" when referring to Moby, a reference to the popular track from The Marshall Mathers LP (2000).

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine marked it as one of the best tracks on The Eminem Show.[4] 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'."[5] HipHopDX noted that the blazing single Without Me is one of the only light-hearted songs in album.[6] NME magazine noted that this song is "tackling disco."[7] RapReviews wrote: "His (Eminem's) 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."[8] 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."[9]

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.

"Without Me" was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 2003 (losing to Norah Jones' 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.[10]

Music video

The music video of the song features a number of scenarios built around its context, including Eminem and Dr. Dre as parodies of comics in general, specifically Batman, Robin 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 and he snatches it away from him, and showing that his CD has explicit lyrics. The comic panel contains the rabbit from You're a Superstar. Early on, Eminem appears throughout some of the video where he is on a hospital bed being pushed through a ward (a reference to ER, which here is called ƎM drawing from the rapper's stage name). Porn star Jenna Jameson and fitness model Kiana Tom appear in bed with Eminem at the beginning of the video. Eminem also dressed up in various costumes as Osama bin Laden as he is chased by D12 on channel ƎNN, a spoof of the news channel CNN, a TV ad salesman shocking a look alike of then-Vice President Dick Cheney, his mother Debbie Mathers being flipped off, and Moby getting body-slammed by Obie Trice. Nate Mathers, Eminem's brother, D12, and Xzibit also appear in the talk show scene. The video also features a Lamborghini Murcielago. Also the video leaves in words like 'ass', 'bitch', and 'bastard' while on the clean album they were censored.

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.

Clips of the video for "Without Me" can also be seen playing in a number of other music videos, including 50 Cent's "In da Club", Tony Yayo's "I Know You Don't Love Me" and Dr. Dre's "I Need a Doctor".

Track listing

European CD single
No. TitleWriter(s)Sample(s) Length
1. "Without Me"  M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
2. "The Way I Am" (Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson)M. Mathers, A. YoungEminem 4:59
3. "Without Me" (Acapella)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
4. "Without Me" (Instrumental)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
UK CD single
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Without Me"  M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
2. "The Way I Am" (Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson)M. Mathers, A. YoungEminem 4:59
3. "Without Me" (Instrumental)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
Australian CD single
No. TitleWriter(s)Sample(s) Length
1. "Without Me"  M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris 4:53
2. "The Way I Am" (Danny Lohner remix) (featuring Marilyn Manson)M. Mathers, A. YoungEminem 4:59
3. "Without Me" (Acapella)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass 4:53
4. "Without Me" (Instrumental)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris, DJ Head 4:53
5. "Say What You Say" (featuring Dr. Dre)M. Mathers, A. Young, R. Feemster, M. ElizondoDr. Dre 5:09
6. "Without Me" (Video)M. Mathers, K. Bell, J. Bass, M. McLaren, A. Dudley, T. HornEminem, Jeff Bass, Urban Kris 4:53

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 1
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 4
Denmark (Tracklisten)[16] 1
European Hot 100 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 2
France (SNEP)[18] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[19] 1
Greece (IFPI)[20] 6
Hungary (Mahasz)[21] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[22] 1
Italy (FIMI)[23] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[26] 1
Romanian Singles Chart[27] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[30] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[32] 13
US Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[33] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[34] 1
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[35] 5
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[36] 72

Year-end charts

Chart (2002) Position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[37] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[39] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[40] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[41] 11
French Singles Chart[42] 15
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)[43] 7
Netherlands (Mega Top 100)[44] 10
New Zealand Singles Chart[45] 4
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[46] 3
UK Singles Chart[47] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[48] 21

Decade-end charts

(2000–2009) Position
German Singles Chart[49] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia[50] 3x Platinum 210,000
Austria[51] Platinum 30,000
Belgium[52] Platinum 30,000
France[53] Platinum 150,000
Germany[54] Platinum 400,000
Italy[55] Gold 25,000
New Zealand[56] 4x Platinum 60,000
Norway[57] 2x Platinum 20,000
Sweden[58] Platinum 40,000
Switzerland[59] Platinum 30,000
United Kingdom[60] Platinum 610,000[61]
United States[62] Gold 500,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Preceded by
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Ronan Keating		 Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single
22/2002 – 24/2002 		Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
Preceded by
"Here Come The Good Times" by Ireland World Cup Squad		 Irish IRMA number-one single
May 25, 2002 – June 8, 2002 		Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
Preceded by
"Just a Little" by Liberty X		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
May 26, 2002 – June 1, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Light My Fire" by Will Young
Preceded by
"Supernatural" by Supernatural		 Swedish number-one single
May 30, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Vi ska till vm!" by Magnus Uggla
Preceded by
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Ronan Keating		 Danish number-one single
May 31, 2002 – June 14, 2002 		Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
Preceded by
"65 Roses" by Wolverines		 New Zealand RIANZ number-one single
June 2, 2002 – July 14, 2002 		Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
Preceded by
"Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira
"Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL		 ARIA (Australia) number-one single
June 2, 2002 – June 9, 2002
June 23, 2002
July 21, 2002 – July 28, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
Preceded by
"Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL		 Swiss number-one single
June 2, 2002 – August 4, 2002
August 18, 2002 		Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis vs JXL
"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) by Las Ketchup
Preceded by
"Something About Us" by No Angels
"Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira		 Ö3 Austria Top 40 number-one single
June 9, 2002 – July 7, 2002
August 11, 2002 – August 25, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Was is' mit du?" by Professor Kaiser
"Herbert Grönemeyer by Mensch
Preceded by
"Perdono" by Tiziano Ferro		 German number-one single
June 14, 2002 – August 9, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Mensch" by Herbert Grönemeyer
Preceded by
"Dansplaat" by Brainpower		 Dutch Top 40 number-one single
June 15, 2002 – June 22, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira
Preceded by
"L'Agitateur" by Jean-Pascal Lacoste		 Belgian (Wallonia) number-one single
June 15, 2002 – June 29, 2002 		Succeeded by
"Un enfant de toi" by Phil Barney and Marlène Duval

References

  1. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (June 17, 2016). "'Suicide Squad' Soundtrack: Skrillex & Rick Ross, Panic! at the Disco Cover 'Bohemian Rhapsody' & More". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Eminem Explains His Disses Of Moby & Chris Kirkpatrick In 'Without Me'". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Eminem Goes After Moby, Limp Bizkit On 'Without Me'". MTV News. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Eminem Show - Eminem - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Eminem Show - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ Eminem - The Eminem Show (Advanced Copy) | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews | HipHop DX
  7. ↑ "NME Reviews - Eminem : The Eminem Show - NME.COM". NME.COM. September 12, 2005. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "RapReviews.com Feature for May 28, 2002 - Eminem's "The Eminem Show"". Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Eminem The Eminem Show Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by Nihal on Tuesday December 29, 2009
  11. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Eminem – Without Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Eminem – Without Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Without Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Without Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  15. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Eminem. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  16. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Eminem – Without Me". Tracklisten. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  17. ↑ "Eminem: Without Me" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  18. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Eminem – Without Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  19. ↑ "Musicline.de – Eminem Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  20. ↑ Ελληνικό Chart. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége". Mahasz.hu. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 21, 2002". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  23. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Eminem – Without Me". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eminem – Without Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  25. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Eminem – Without Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  26. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eminem – Without Me". VG-lista. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  27. ↑ Romanian Top 100
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Eminem – Without Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Eminem – Without Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  30. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2002-06-01" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  31. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Eminem. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  32. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Eminem. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  33. ↑ Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  34. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Eminem. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  35. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rap Songs for Eminem. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  36. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201638 into search. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  37. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2002" Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  38. ↑ "JAHRESHITPARADE 2002" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  39. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2002" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  40. ↑ "RAPPORTS ANNUELS 2002" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  41. ↑ The first is the list of the best-selling domestic singles of 2002 in Finland, the second is that of the foreign singles:
  42. ↑ "2002 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  43. ↑ "Best of 2002" Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  44. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN - SINGLE 2002" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  45. ↑ "2002 New Zealand Singles Chart". Rianz. Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  46. ↑ "SWISS YEAR-END CHARTS 2002" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  47. ↑ "2002 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  48. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 2002". Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  49. ↑ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download". RTL.de. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  50. ↑ Australian certifications aria.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  51. ↑ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  52. ↑ Belgian certifications Ultratop.be (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  53. ↑ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  54. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Without+Me')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  55. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Eminem – Without Me" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 3, 2016. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Eminem in the field Filtra. Select 2016 in the field Anno. The certification will load automatically
  56. ↑ New Zealand certification"Chart #1327: Without Me 4x Platinum certification". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. rianz.org.nz. September 22, 2002. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  57. ↑ Norwegian certifications Ifpi.no (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  58. ↑ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  59. ↑ Swiss certifications Swisscharts.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  60. ↑ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  61. ↑ Rhian, Jones (May 8, 2012). "Will Young's Evergreen named best selling single of the 21st century". Music Week. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  62. ↑ "American single certifications – Eminem – Without Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 12, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Weapon of Choice		 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
2003 		Succeeded by
Hurt
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