Gnat

Album: Music to Be Murdered By: Side B (2020)
Charted: 65 60
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Many of us found ourselves with additional free time during the coronavirus lockdown, during which we devoured box sets and chatted with friends online. Eminem, however, kept writing rhymes. Here, he compares his lyrics to the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus.

    They say these bars are like COVID
    You get 'em right off the bat
    Infected with SARS and Corona
    Like you took a bite off of that


    Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Some investigators believe the outbreak may have come from humans eating bats. During this song, Slim plays on the origins of the disease to show how his viral flow is contagious, current and hard-hitting.
  • Throughout the rest of the track, Em incorporates several other references to the pandemic lexicon: dry cough, quarantine, stay at home orders, etc. "My penmanship at times tends to get ill," he raps, "violence but with skill."
  • The song title comes from Eminem having another poke at his longstanding rival, Machine Gun Kelly.

    They come at me with machine guns
    Like trying to fight off a gnat


    Eminem is comparing Machine Gun Kelly to a small but irritating insect. The Detroit native wordsmith's beef with MGK dates back to 2012, when the Cleveland rapper tweeted that Em's daughter, Hailie, was "hot as f--k." Since then the pair have exchanged lyrical punches with Slim Shady targeting Kelly on such tracks as "Not Alike" and "Killshot."
  • "Gnat" is the first promotional single from the deluxe version of Eminem's Music to Be Murdered By project. Released on December 18, 2020 with no prior announcement, the record contains a bonus disc with 16 new tracks.
  • Chicago native D.A. Got That Dope supplied the beat. The producer, formerly known as DA Doman, contributed to six Music to Be Murdered By tracks in total, including three on the main album: "Godzilla," "Those Kinda Nights" and "No Regrets."
  • Cole Bennett directed the music video, which sees Eminem alternating between playing a hospital patient and a man dressed in a yellow hazmat suit battling bats. Bennett previously shot Em's "Godzilla" clip.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.