Songfacts®:

• Dreamville rapper JID ignites "Fuel" with a scorching opening verse that employs intricate rhymes and wordplay. Internal rhymes, similes, and metaphors fly by as JID pushes Eminem to deliver his best.
  
  Eminem, known for his competitive spirit, responds with his top game. He takes center stage for nearly two minutes, unleashing a lyrical torrent.
• The chorus hinges on the metaphor of "fuel" representing Eminem's creative drive. He boasts that his lyrical threat is so potent that the thought of him running out of inspiration terrifies others.
• During his rhyme spree, Eminem throws shade at rap mogul Diddy (also known as P. Diddy).
  
  I'm like a R-A-P-E-R
  Got so many S-As (S-As), S-As
  Wait, he didn't just spell the word, 'Rapper' and leave out a P, did he?
  
  Diddy is a controversial figure with a bunch of allegations against him. R&B singer Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape, which they settled a day later. Surveillance footage from May 2024 showed Diddy assaulting her, for which he later apologized.
  
  R-A-P-P-E-R, spelled without a P, spells "raper" or "rapist." S-As is short for sexual assaults. Em ends the line with "P, did he" - a homophone of "P. Diddy."
• Em pays respects to the late Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, while continuing to diss Diddy.
  
  R.I.P., rest in peace, Biggie
  And Pac, both of y'all should be living
  But I ain't tryna beef with him
  'Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him
  
  Eminem hints that Diddy might have had a role in Pac and Biggie's deaths. He references Keefe D, a suspect in Tupac's murder who was tight with Diddy and worked security for Bad Boy's West Coast tour during the East Coast vs. West Coast beef. Keefe has claimed Diddy offered him $1 million to kill Pac and Suge Knight.
• One of Eminem's longtime homies, Denaun Porter (Mr. Porter), produced the track. Porter started out in the mid-'90s as an original member of Em's group D12 and was key in making Em's debut album, 1996's Infinite. Throughout his career, Mr. Porter has worked on tracks for such big names as 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Royce Da 5'9."
• An expanded version of "Fuel" featuring fellow American rappers Westside Boogie and Grip, as well as a new verse from Eminem, was released on September 13, 2024, as part of the Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) [Expanded Mourner's Edition] album. The new version omits JID's vocals.