Amidst all the rumors of a new Eminem album and facts of a new Dr. Dre album comes another fire collaboration between these two old friends. Dr. Dre and Eminem worked together for the soundtrack of ‘Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online: The Contract’ and the song is titled “Gospel.” Let’s find out why, below.
“Gospel” was released on December 15, 2021, along with the launch of the newest episode of the GTA Online saga. Other artists who worked on ‘The Contract’ are Nipsey Hussle, Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross over 6 new songs. This is a true reunion of the GOATS of the hip-hop game.
“Gospel” releases in the midst of people questioning Eminem’s relevance today. He is 49-years-old and still outselling all the rappers of the current era. GTA Online is one of the most popular games today and the fact that Eminem got an invite for this project speaks volumes.
Eminem said “you can be a permanent fixture in my lyrical mixture” in his infamous song “Bagpipes from Baghdad” from his infamous 2009 album ‘Relapse.’ Staying true to this, Eminem takes another jab at Machine Gun Kelly in “Gospel.” Their feud was one of the most highlighted scenes in hip-hop in
Listen to “Gospel” by Dr. Dre and Eminem
Dr. Dre “Gospel” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
The track serves as a ‘gospel’ of what each artist stands for and what they have done for the hip-hop game. This gospel has been preached before, but it takes a whole other POV when both the artists are half a century old and still have the fire burning inside them.
Verse 1
The first verse is by Dr. Dre because Eminem goes last.
In his verse, Doc talks about how it feels like to be part of the hip-hop game after being the literal king of it a few decades ago. Has he lost the firepower? Not a bit. He still challenges everyone in the game.
Feelin’ like I’m just gettin’ started
You are now dеalin’ with a monster
Dr. Dre went through a divorce in 2021 after a 25-year-old marriage and also was hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm and he is coming back with a new album. It truly is a rebirth for this legend and he feels brand new.
Dr. Dre doesn’t even want us to put him on a pedestal courtesy of his past achievements. He wants us to focus on the future as he calls himself the future of the hip-hop game.
Unwinding, sh*t’s blinding, still grinding, up rising (Agh)
Doc is as motivated as the young rapper he was 25 years ago. He couldn’t unwind then. But now he can afford to. At this age when someone says he is still grinding, you should know it’s already very serious.
This sh*t here that problem, livin’ at the bottom of a bottle
“Full throttle,” my motto, ehh
For most, having handed a bad hand in life throws them off the grind. But Dre uses it as motivation. He comes from the bottom of a barrel (or bottle) and uses this as fuel to ascend. His life motto is ‘full throttle’ ahead.
How does he have so much fire inside of him still?
Verse 2
Eminem kicks off his verse with one gospel he has been preaching for a few years now. He says it has become almost cult-like to disrespect and discount the legends of the hip-hop game; or the Greatest Of All Times (GOATS). 20 years ago people tried to cancel Eminem because of his sinister rap language. Today people try to cancel Eminem for… well… nothing. It hurts some people, fans, and artists to see a 49-year-old poppa outselling 20-year-old rappers with all the Internet clout!
You’re f*cking with the original, flow’s sick
The phrase ‘the original’ has been associated with ideas such as the founders, the creators, and the forefathers. In cinema, the originals usually refer to the oldest and the strongest of them all or even the most powerful and influential of them all. It is rather justifiable that Eminem sees himself as an original of the rap and hip-hop game.
How did he get to this position? Well, his flow’s sick, and his pen game is sharp. Most of all, he has been consistent with it for the last two decades.
Your career sucked (Meaning what?), it was sheer luck (Like what?)
The line above is aimed at no one in particular but can be attributed to many these days. Today, it only takes one stroke of luck to become the next big thing. It happened to Lil Nas X with “Old Town Road,” to Lil Pump with “Gucci Gang,” Tones and I with “Dance Monkey,” to Billie Eilish with “ocean eyes” and the entire career of Tekashi 6ix9ine. It takes one viral video to become the next superstar.
In contrast, Eminem is fierce with his lyrics. He is a self-proclaimed serial killer. A cereal killer, too? Then he goes on to namedrop three cereal brands; Kellog’s, Chex, and Trix.
…and God is my alias
So if I don’t have faith in me, then it basically makes me an atheist
An alias is another identity assumed by someone. Eminem has called himself the ‘Rap God.’ So he must have faith in himself; 1. to call himself the rap god, 2. to push himself to become the best. If he does not believe in himself, which in turn is like not believing in god, he will become an atheist (a person who does not believe in god).
And me and Dre are like dog hair (Woof)
We’re both in our lab coats like retrievers
A dog’s hair is also known as a coat. The lab is short for both laboratory and Labrador, a breed of dogs. Doctors wear laboratory coats and Labrador’s wear their own hairy coats. Eminem says Dre and himself are always in the laboratory, cooking up new music, experimenting with new beats, and pushing frontiers of music forward.
Know what I’m in is flow, interwoven, I treat ’em like thread (Why?)
That’s how I wound up sewin’ Machine up
While Eminem cooks up some interesting interwoven webs with his lyrics, he also uses them to cook up his opponents. Em says that he treats his opponents like thread and sews them up. He also adds that this same skill is what helped him sew up Machine Gun Kelly during their infamous rap feud in 2018.
Finally, Eminem says that it’s not either “ride or die” but both “ride and die” together. This is in line with the theme of the song.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.