During his time in Pussy Galore, Hagerty convinced his bandmates to release a cassette-only remake of the entire Rolling Stones album Exile on Main Street. Add to Favorite.Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band from 1987 to 2001, founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals).While still a teenager, Hagerty joined Washington DC garage punk band Pussy Galore, led by Jon Spencer, and subsequently relocated to New York. To craft his very best song, all he needed was one great sample, a clever idea, and a lot of heart.Royal Trux. Interestingly, the rhymes themselves are simple affairs, delivered at low tempos, the opposite of the sort Mathers employed in the direct sequel to the song, “Bad Guy.” That’s the difference between Em the shredder and Em the master. Even in hip-hop, a genre that, at its best and according to its most intellectual proponents, lives and dies by its writing, it is rare to find a song so completely formed. The live Grammy rendition of this song with Sir Elton John is still a moving experience, though Em’s homophobia seems like more of a put-on than a conviction now. In that respect, “Stan” has all the qualities of a classic folk tune. His final days become a Greek tragedy, with Dido as Greek chorus, and Mathers himself as deus ex machina. In “Stan,” he creates a whole new character, the distillation of his most negative qualities, a fan-turned-stalker-and-killer - the unavoidable end-result of his ego. Mathers was a talented writer before this song, but he was also a bit self-obsessed. If “Lose Yourself” is the last trumpet, “Stan” is the first. In that sense, this song is the tipping point, the last drop of liquor before liver poisoning, the very apex of the roller coaster. At the same time, “Lose Yourself” is the last chapter in Mathers’ golden years, and the very qualities that make it such a home run - the rock production, the big chorus, the hooks, the positivity - are the same ones that make his later work unlistenable. Except for maybe Nas’ “I Can,” there is no better hip-hop song about the value of musical catharsis and self-motivation. From the vamping bass-and-guitar of the verses to the massive arena-rock chorus, every piece of “Lose Yourself” is a hook. A generation of kids raised on FM radio (maybe the last such generation) can quote every hyper-memorable verse of this song. What could be a narcissistic piece of fluff is a career highlight. “Lose Yourself,” the lead single from Eminem’s autobiographical film 8 Mile, details the climactic rap battle of the film, itself a metaphor for the moment Mathers went from unsigned artist to, in his mind, legitimate emcee.
A bit immature? Yes, but the immaturity gives the song a point of access for nearly any listener. A bundle of bare nerves, Mathers drops the Shady routine to show his vulnerability underneath, and in the process exposes just how much of a piece of armor his alter ego really is.
He barks, percussively, like a loosely chained pit pull, all snot and scrawny, abuse-hardened masculinity. The beat - crawling, minimalist, with creepy pianos and funeral bells - is a masterpiece by itself, but Em’s delivery here is a standout. In part a defense of Em’s own character, this sarcastic beast actually has heart - it can be construed as a letter of solace to would-be Columbine shooters, as well as artists blamed for said tragedies (Mathers names Marilyn Manson by name, and Manson would later appear in the song’s video, and tour alongside Eminem). The phenomenon of Mathers’ own fame - both the improbability of its existence, and the uncontrollability of its repercussions - may be his favorite subject, and this is the best song on the subject.