Survival

Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
Charted: 22 16
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Songfacts®:

  • This track was premiered in the trailer for the video game, Call of Duty: Ghosts. The clip starts in a snow-covered forest with footage from the violent military game before Liz Rodrigues sings accompanied by rock guitars, "This is survival of the fittest. This is do or die."

    Eminem jumps in accompanied by the sounds of gunshots flying, "Wasn't ready to be a millionaire. .I was ill-prepared. I was prepared to be ill though, the skill was there."

    Em said: "The song's about fighting back and it seems like it fits 'Ghost' perfectly.
  • This was the third time an Eminem song had been used to promote a Call of Duty game. "'Till I Collapse" was used in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer, and "Won't Back Down" in the Call of Duty: Black Ops trailer.
  • This was the first solo track dropped by Eminem since his 2010 Recovery album though he had appeared on singles with labelmates 50 Cent, Slaughterhouse and Skylar Grey since. Em snarls over DJ Khali's gritty, ominous rock and roll beat.

    "I'm fu--ing back again
    With another anthem, why stop when it doesn't have to end?
    It ain't over 'til I say it's over – enough when I say enough."

    Yes Slim Shady's back and he's not given up rapping yet - as he said during his performance with the Shady Records roster at the 2011 BET Awards: "Imma rap till' I'm fossil fuel."
  • Liz Rodrigues is a member of DJ Khalil's group, The New Royales. The Toronto-based singer also appeared on the Recovery tracks, "Almost Famous" and "25 to Life," as well as co-writing and featuring in the video for Pitbull's "Can't Stop Me Now" single.

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