“Stepdad” is the 12th track on Eminem’s 2020 album ‘Music to Be Murdered By.’ Eminem’s family members have long been subjects of his praise and wrath throughout his career. In this song, Eminem focuses his attention on his stepdad who gets the same verbal beating as his father who abandoned him and his mother.
Eminem released his much anticipated eleventh studio album titled ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ on January 17, 2020. Although the album was heavily awaited by Stans, the release of the album was a surprise as Eminem nor any official party gave out any confirmation of the release. ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ album consists a staggering 20 tracks and is considered as a double album. The album is seemingly an address to the current status of the Rap God, addressing his friends and foes in the game. This recent surprise project follows Eminem’s 2018 surprise hit ‘Kamikaze‘ album that literally attacked every disdainful aspect in society including mumble rap.
In the song, Eminem speaks about the cruelty that his stepfather inflicted on his mother and having to witness that day in and out. She was getting beaten and mistreated for no faults of her. Eminem says seeing these acts of violence as a child certainly did take a toll on his mental health or sanity. In the song, Eminem fantasizes about killing his stepdad as revenge for everything he had to witness and endure growing up.
Listen to “Stepdad” by Eminem
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Verse 1
Eminem confesses about the domestic violence that he witnessed when he was just 6-years-old. After his biological father split from the family, a stepdad came into the picture. He was a violent man, used to beating Em’s mother in front of him. Eminem says that witnessing this really did take a toll on his sanity. Slim Shady might be a result of these suppressed traumatic experiences from his childhood.
Eminem also recalls a gruesome memory where this stepfather “stomped” on the family dog merely because it peed on the carpet. The poor dog took such a beating that the doctors had to put it down for its own good. This person cannot be a human being.
Verse 2
The story in the second verse does not get any better than the first. Eminem recalls his stepfather spanking him so hard that his body felt numb afterwards. All because he complained that Eminem left the kitchen light on, when in fact, Eminem saw his stepfather switching it on, on purpose. Eminem wished that he could take this man on, give him an equal beating. But Eminem was just a second-grader, thin, and weak-bodied.
Eminem’s mother was also helpless in these domestic abuses. This guy had so many battery (AKA assault) charges against him that he might as well be a lithium battery. So both Eminem and his mom just decided to walk on eggshells around this monster. But Eminem is starting to develop murderous thoughts against his stepdad.
Verse 3
In the third verse, Eminem devices a plan to take out his stepfather. It is Christmas time and love and peace are in the air. But not in the household of the Mathers. Eminem is in the fifth grade now, toughened by life experiences and tall enough. As usual, his stepfather picks up a fight with him and Eminem swears at him and runs to his bedroom. He sneaks in behind the door with a baseball bat in his hand. His stepdad kicks the door in and is greeted with the full swing of a baseball bat. His head goes ‘splat!’ Eminem is enthralled about this, or rather Slim Shady is. He decides to bury the remains of this monster next to the dog he helped kill.
The lyrics nor the stories on ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ do not get colourful or bright with the ‘Slim Shady’ label on it. Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below.
Check out the complete lyrics and further song meaning breakdown on Genius.
Sounds like the step father deserved everything he got from Eminem. Good job, Marshall Mathers. Excellent job.