October 2013 was a weird time for music. We were all stuck somewhere between the height of the EDM explosion and the rise of the streaming era, but then Marshall Mathers decided to remind everyone why he’s a household name. If you are asking when did the song rap god come out, the answer is pretty straightforward, yet the lead-up was anything but simple.
The track officially hit the internet via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released for digital download the very next day, October 15. It served as the third single from his eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2.
I remember the day it dropped. People weren't just listening to it; they were analyzing it like a crime scene. There was this immediate, frantic energy because it felt like Eminem was finally letting loose after a few years of more "radio-friendly" pop-rap hits.
The Timeline of the Rap God Release
Honestly, the rollout for this song was a masterclass in building hype without overstaying its welcome. It didn't just appear out of thin air. We knew an album was coming because of the "Berzerk" and "Survival" drops, but "Rap God" was the one that felt like a statement of intent.
To give you the full picture:
- Audio Premiere: October 14, 2013. This was the "Wait, did he just say that?" moment for most fans.
- Digital Retail Release: October 15, 2013. The day you could finally buy it on iTunes.
- Music Video Release: November 27, 2013. Directed by Rich Lee, this video gave us the iconic Max Headroom parody that solidified the song's "techno-future" aesthetic.
The song actually existed in some form long before we heard it. Producer Bigram Zayas, better known as DVLP, mentioned that the beat itself was created back in November 2011. Eminem reportedly recorded his vocals in 2012. It sat in the vault for a year, waiting for the perfect moment to be unleashed.
Why 2013 Was the Perfect Year for This Song
You have to look at where Eminem was in his career. He was 41 years old. In the rap world, that’s usually when people start talking about you in the past tense. Critics were wondering if he still had the "fast-twitch" muscle fibers required for elite-level technical rapping.
"Rap God" was his response.
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It wasn't just a song; it was a six-minute-long resume. He crammed 1,560 words into 6 minutes and 4 seconds. That’s an average of about 4.28 words per second. But the part everyone talks about—the "supersonic" verse—clocks in at a dizzying 97 words in 15 seconds. That’s 6.46 words per second.
It was absolute madness.
At the time, the Guinness World Records team actually stepped in. They officially recognized it for having the "most words in a hit single." While he has since broken his own speed records with tracks like "Godzilla" and "Majesty," the cultural impact of "Rap God" hitting the charts in 2013 remains the peak "speed rap" moment of the decade.
The Contradictions and Controversy
We can't talk about when did the song rap god come out without mentioning the immediate backlash it faced. Because it was a throwback to his Marshall Mathers LP persona, it brought back the old-school Slim Shady controversy.
Many critics, including those from the LGBT community, were rightfully frustrated. The song used slurs that felt outdated and offensive even for 2013. It sparked a massive debate about whether an artist of his stature should still be using that kind of language for "battle rap" shock value.
On one hand, you had fans marvelling at the technical precision—the internal rhymes, the references to Pharoahe Monch, Rakim, and even the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. On the other, you had people asking if we had outgrown this version of Marshall.
How the Song Impacted the Charts
Despite the length—over six minutes is an eternity for radio—the song was a commercial monster.
- It debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- It hit number 1 on the Digital Songs chart, selling over 270,000 copies in its first week.
- It eventually went multi-platinum.
Basically, people were hungry for a display of pure skill. In a world where "mumble rap" was starting to take root, Eminem leaned into the exact opposite direction. He went hyper-technical, hyper-lyrical, and hyper-fast.
Looking Back: What Most People Forget
One detail that often gets lost is that "Rap God" wasn't just about speed. It was a history lesson. He name-checked nearly 50 different figures from hip-hop history. He talked about being a product of Rakim, Lakim Shabazz, and 2Pac. He was positioning himself not just as a fast rapper, but as a bridge between the old school and the new generation.
If you go back and listen to it now, the production by DVLP and Filthy still sounds incredibly clean. It has this futuristic, almost industrial feel that fits the "computer god" theme of the music video perfectly.
Summary of Key Facts
If you're just looking for the quick stats to settle a bet, here they are:
- October 14, 2013: Initial YouTube audio premiere.
- October 15, 2013: Official digital release.
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2: The album it calls home.
- 1,560 words: Total word count that landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records.
- November 27, 2013: The date the music video premiered.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't revisited the track in a while, it’s worth watching the music video again on a high-res screen. Pay attention to the references to The Matrix and Max Headroom—they explain a lot about the mindset Eminem was in at the time.
For the aspiring rappers or producers reading this, try breaking down the "supersonic" verse in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Seeing the waveforms of those syllables will give you a whole new appreciation for the breath control required to pull that off in a single take—or even in segments.
If you're interested in how he evolved from here, jump straight from "Rap God" to his 2020 track "Godzilla." You can literally hear the progression of his speed and how he managed to push the 6.46 words-per-second mark even further into the stratosphere.