You’re sitting there in the year 2000. You just finished listening to "Kim"—a track so visceral and violent it practically leaves a metallic taste in your mouth. Then, the beat flips. A bouncy, almost circus-like rhythm kicks in, and Eminem starts rapping about popping pills until his pupils swell up like pennies.
Under the influence Eminem lyrics aren't just a random collection of shock-value bars. They’re a defensive maneuver.
Most people think this track is just a "drug song." It’s not. Well, it is, but it's also a middle finger to the entire moral panic of the late nineties. By the time The Marshall Mathers LP dropped, Eminem was the most hated man in America’s living rooms. He knew it. He leaned into it. He invited the whole D12 crew along for the ride to make sure the message was loud and clear: if you take this seriously, you’re the one with the problem.
The Chaotic Energy of the Dirty Dozen
The track features the full D12 lineup—Proof, Bizarre, Kuniva, Swifty McVay, and Kon Artis. Honestly, it’s a miracle they got this recorded at all.
During the MMLP sessions, the studio was essentially a locker room. They were "fucking around," as Eminem often put it. This song was written during a period where the group was gearing up for their own debut, Devil’s Night. You can hear the hunger in their verses, even if the content is purposefully nonsensical.
Swifty McVay comes in with that aggressive, rapid-fire flow about being an "instigator." Bizarre? He does what Bizarre does best—says the most unhinged things possible to see if he can make you flinch. He raps about setting his preacher on fire and getting his pitbull an abortion. It’s gross. It’s meant to be.
What the Lyrics are Actually Saying
The hook is the most straightforward part of the whole project. "So you can suck my dick if you don't like my shit / 'Cause I was high when I wrote this."
✨ Don't miss: Cuba Gooding Jr OJ: Why the Performance Everyone Hated Was Actually Genius
It’s a literal "get out of jail free" card.
Eminem was being grilled by the Senate. Lynne Cheney was calling his music "misogynistic and violent." His response? A song where he claims his brain is out of order because he's constantly intoxicated. It’s a brilliant, if immature, way to devalue the criticism. If the artist claims they weren't even "there" mentally when the art was created, how can you hold them accountable for the message?
The technicality of the rapping is still top-tier, though. Even when he's playing the role of a drug-addled lunatic, the internal rhyme schemes are ridiculous.
"I'm like a mummy at night, fightin' with bright lightnin' / And frightened with five little white Vicodin pills, bitin' him."
The multi-syllabic rhymes here—mummy at night, bright lightnin', frightened with five, bitin' him—show a man at the absolute peak of his craft. He’s showing off. He’s proving that he can out-rap your favorite "conscious" rapper while pretending to be blackout drunk.
The Transition Problem
One thing fans always debate is the placement of the track. It follows "Kim" and precedes "Criminal."
🔗 Read more: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
"Kim" is a horror movie. "Criminal" is a satirical manifesto. "Under the Influence" acts as the bridge. It lightens the mood, but in a very twisted way. It reminds the listener that the persona of Slim Shady is a caricature.
Back then, the media didn't get the joke. Or maybe they did and just hated it anyway.
The Marshall Mathers LP was recorded in a two-month "creative binge." Eminem was a "studio rat" in Detroit and Burbank, often pulling 20-hour sessions. He wasn't just writing songs; he was mapping out a war against his own fame. "Under the Influence" is a skirmish in that war.
The D12 Dynamic You Might Have Missed
Proof’s verse is particularly interesting in hindsight. As the founder of D12 and Eminem’s best friend, he was the glue. While Bizarre went for shock and Kuniva went for grit, Proof brought a certain "Detroit cool" to his bars. He mentions "hash rats" in Amsterdam and blasting gats at a "Stop the Violence" rally.
It’s the ultimate irony.
They weren't just rappers; they were characters. The "Dirty Dozen" name came from the idea that the six members each had an alter ego, making twelve personalities in total. On this track, those personalities are dialed up to eleven.
💡 You might also like: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
Why This Song Still Slaps in 2026
It’s the raw, unpolished nature of it. Nowadays, everything is over-produced and sanitized for TikTok clips. This song feels like a basement in Detroit. It feels like 3:00 AM after too many energy drinks and bad decisions.
The production by Eminem and the Bass Brothers (F.B.T.) is deceptively simple. It’s built on a driving bassline and a repetitive, hypnotic synth melody. It doesn't distract from the lyrics. It just provides a platform for the six guys to yell at the world.
Key Takeaways from the Lyrics
- The "High" Defense: The song is a pre-emptive strike against critics. If you don't like it, blame the substances, not the man.
- The D12 Preview: It served as a massive "coming out" party for the group before their 2001 album Devil's Night.
- Technical Mastery: Despite the "dumb" content, the rhyme schemes are some of the most complex on the album.
- Contextual Shielding: It’s strategically placed after "Kim" to break the tension and remind people it’s a performance.
If you’re trying to understand the under the influence Eminem lyrics, don't look for a deep political message. Look for a guy who was tired of being the world's punching bag and decided to punch back with a smile on his face and a bottle in his hand.
To really get the full picture, you should compare the "Under the Influence" verses with the solo work on The Slim Shady LP. You’ll see the evolution from a guy trying to get noticed to a guy trying to see how much he can get away with.
Go back and listen to the transition from the end of "Kim" to the start of this track. It's one of the most jarring moments in hip-hop history, and it’s entirely intentional. Check the liner notes for the production credits—you'll see that Eminem himself produced this one, which explains why the beat matches his chaotic energy so perfectly.