Bad Guy

"Bad Guy" is a song by American rapper Eminem, taken from his eighth album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). The song connects the second LP to the first Marshall Mathers LP, which was released in 2000. "Bad Guy" is also a sequel to Eminem's hit single "Stan", which appears on the aforementioned album. Part I of the song was produced by S1 and M-Phazes, Part II by StreetRunner and Vinny Venditto. The song was written by the four, alongside Eminem, S. Hacker, M. Aiell and Sarah Jaffe, the latter of which is featured singing the song's refrain. The song samples "Hocus Pokus", as performed by Walter Murphy; "Soana", written by Gian Piero Reverberi and Laura Giordano; as well as "Ode to Billie Joe", as performed by Lou Donaldson. "Bad Guy" was met with universal acclaim from music critics, with the most praise going towards the song's storytelling. It debuted at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, upon the album's release. Background and theme In "Bad Guy", Eminem plays the role of Matthew Mitchell, the little brother of the Stan character Eminem portrayed in The Marshall Mathers LP single, "Stan". The song "Stan" recounts the story of an obsessed, mentally ill young man, a fan named Stan who kills himself, his girlfriend and their unborn child because Eminem was not responding to his letters, until it was too late. On "Bad Guy", Stan's brother Matthew is older now and wants revenge against Eminem. Eminem sees Matthew "skulking around his driveway with a knife and in a novelistic flourish, he details that Matthew's 'mouth is full of saliva' as he circles the house." Matthew then kidnaps Eminem, throws him in the trunk of his car, and then drives around Detroit listening to The Marshall Mathers LP. Just like in "Stan", Eminem raps the penultimate verse in his perspective. Throughout the song he also makes references back to "Stan" and The Marshall Mathers LP. Into the second part of the song, the production fades out and Eminem battles his alter-ego, Slim Shady, in his head.