Guilty Conscience (The Slim Shady LP)

Okay, so we've all seen this concept in movies...the angel on one shoulder, the devil on the other. Eminem just decided to make a rap version of it. And it's a classic Dre/Em back-'n'-forth.

I remember an Eminem radio interview where he said he made this song a single to show the world he's a serious rapper and he can write concept songs...he's not just a novelty act who makes songs like "My Name Is."

Part of what makes this song great is it's more than just an angel-devil song. It's got a point, which is that the bad side always wins in the end. At the end of this song, the bad side Slim Shady manages to convince the good side Dre to do the bad thing, so Grady kills his girl. I recall Eminem saying in the same radio interview (might have been Howard Stern) that that is the reality of most Americans' behavior: sure, people get a guilty conscience but it's always overpowered by the evil thoughts that manifest in their head. Whenever people face a moral dilemma, Shady always seems to win, and Dre caves in.

This is one of the songs Eminem recorded with Dre on the day they met, and the first time he recorded with Dre in the studio. He did this song, My Name Is, and Role Model. Dre produced all of these tracks and Eminem wrote to them. Eminem also wrote Dre's verses in this song.

I love the beat for this song. So catchy. Eminem recorded a chorus that went with the melody of the beat ("these voices...these voices") for the video and I'm disappointed he didn't put that in the studio version...I guess it takes away from the uniqueness of this song having no chorus, just spoken interludes (from Jeff Bass presumably). The beat has that melody that you instantly nod your head to, yet a dark tinge to it. It really accommodates Eminem's nasally, high-pitched Shady voice.

Guilty Conscience is quite an infamous song in Eminem's catalog. Probably the first controversial song he released...a lot of people pointed to this song as advocating violence, not seeing it for the concept/message it had. I recall Timothy White complaining about this song, and Em took a shot back on The Marshall Mathers LP: "Gimme the mic, lemme recite to Timothy White/Pickets outside the Interscope offices every night." It was this song in particular that gave Eminem a bad reputation...a reputation as a criminal/menace...a reputation he used as fuel for his next album.

Like a lot of The Slim Shady LP, this song contains some dark humor.

Humorous lines in the song:

Yo, look at her bush, has it got hair?

If it's got hair, there's your green light. Kind of sickening. If there's grass on the wicket...

While you're at work she's with some dude trying to get off? Fuck slitting her throat, cut this bitch's head off!

A bit of Eminem's personal anger seeping out here. Some of his resentment towards Kim for cheating on him with a dude while he was out working as a cook...oozing out.

"Wait, what if there's an explanation for this shit?" What, she tripped, fell, landed on his dick?

Be smart, don't be a retard...you gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes? "What the fuck did you say?" What's wrong, didn't think I'd remember? "I'll kill you, motherfucker," uh uh, temper temper.

Apparently Dre asked Eminem to write the lyrics and then lay the vocals so he could hear it, and Dre fell out of his chair laughing when he heard this line...Dre actually DID slap Dee Barnes (a reporter or something). He got charged for assault. Hilarious line.

Been there, done that...oh fuck it, what am I saying? Shoot 'em both Grady, where's your gun at?

Rhyming

A staple of SSLP is creative rhyming: George Burns/store clerk, conscience/nonsense/aunt's cribs/blonde wigs, bad for you/attitude, earlobe/years old, be smart/retard/Dee Barnes, violent/I went

And here is an excellent example of Eminem's internal rhyme schemes:

Now listen to me, while you're kissin' her cheek
And smearin' her lip stick, I slipped this in her drink

"Listen to me" rhymes with "kissin' her cheek" which rhymes with "this in her drink." Also, "lip stick" rhymes with "slipped this."