These days, it's simply understood that Eminem and Dr. Dre have impeccable chemistry as collaborators. Yet there was once a time when the pair were still new to one another, back in 1999 when Eminem joined Dre's Aftermath label to drop The Slim Shady LP. With the acclaimed album having officially turned twenty-two on this very day, it feels appropriate to revisit one of the project's highlights in "Role Model," a single that found Eminem spitting venomous bars over a hallucinogenic Dr. Dre instrumental.
To this day, the track holds up as a raw display of vintage Eminem, a simple formula that found him unleashing two extended verses lined with shocking punchlines and an emcee's instinctual dexterity. All the while, Dre's simple percussion blends beautifully with a slinking guitar loop, a bassline, and the ominous sound of a drowner's final glug. While not quite as ubiquitous as some of Em's other singles from that era, "Role Model" remains a fan favorite decades down the line. Happy anniversary to The Slim Shady LP!
QUOTABLE LYRICS
I'm bout as normal as Norman Bates with deformative traits
A premature birth that was four minutes late
Mother, are you there? I love you
I never meant to hit you over the head with that shovel
Will someone please explain to my brain
That I just severed the main vein with a chainsaw and I'm in pain?