January 2025 brought an unexpected gift for Eminem fans – a leaked demo version of Antichrist from 2005, revealing the surprising origins of the opening verse on Renaissance from The Death of Slim Shady LP.
This unearthed track offers a raw glimpse into Eminem’s creative process during a pivotal period in his career.
Eminem Antichrist Original Version
The original Antichrist demo emerged as part of the unofficial Straight From The Lab Vol. 3 collection.
Opening with a distorted spoken-word intro reminiscent of backmasked vinyl recordings, the track immediately sets a darker tone than its eventual 2024 incarnation.
Luis Resto’s production fingerprints are evident throughout, particularly in the haunting piano arrangements that would later become a signature element of the Shady Records sound.
Antichrist Demo Production & Beat Breakdown
The instrumental foundation draws from classic boom bap traditions while incorporating gothic elements through its chord progression.
The beat’s structure employs a clever bait-and-switch technique – starting with what sounds like standard horror-core production before morphing into something more sinister through subtle key changes and tempo shifts.
What stands out technically is how the track’s BPM allows Eminem to showcase his trademark speed-rap abilities while maintaining clarity – a production choice that would carry over to Renaissance.
The mix leaves his vocals deliberately raw, creating an unsettling intimacy that matches the lyrical content.
Eminem vs Michael Jackson 2005 Timeline
The song’s timing coincides with a complex period in music industry politics.
Michael Jackson had recently acquired the publishing rights to ATV Music Publishing, which included early Eminem compositions.
This business move added another layer to their already strained relationship, following Eminem’s Just Lose It video that parodied Jackson.
The demo version contains direct references to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and various controversies, showcasing how Eminem’s writing process often incorporated current events into his work.
These references were largely removed or reworked for Renaissance, demonstrating the evolution of his artistic approach.
Antichrist Lyrics & Flow Analysis
The demo’s opening verse establishes its controversial nature immediately:
“Shady’s danglin’ a baby tangled in a blanket, stranglin’ / Him, hangin’ him over the railing by the ankles on some gangster shit.”
This reference to Michael Jackson’s infamous 2002 Berlin hotel balcony incident sets up the track’s broader commentary.
The track also interweaves personal elements with its commentary, referencing Eminem’s daughter Hailie.
In one pointed sequence, Em suggests changing his daughter’s name to “Handkerchief,” creating a dark parallel to Jackson’s son’s nickname “Blanket.”
This demonstrates how Em often used his personal life as a lens to critique industry figures, a technique that would become less prominent in his later work.
What makes this track particularly notable is its layered approach to storytelling.
Em builds the narrative through interconnected references, with lines like “If I don’t stay a step ahead of Michael, I go psycho / He’s like an alter ego, so wherever he goes, I go” serving as both wordplay and commentary on the Jackson controversy.
The second verse intensifies the narrative with vivid storytelling: “It’s winter, as I enter the daycare center / In disguise, mustache, some fake hair and a three-piece suit.”
The verse builds tension through detailed imagery before connecting back to broader themes about industry exploitation.
The demo includes a child’s voice performing backup vocals, creating an unsettling atmosphere that amplifies the track’s themes.
This production choice, along with Traci Nelson’s hook contributions, adds layers of complexity absent from the final version.
Structural Evolution & Thematic Elements
The original demo reveals how Renaissance was crafted from carefully selected elements of a much darker whole.
The track’s structure includes an intro skit featuring distorted, backwards-masked vocals reminiscent of subliminal messaging controversies – a clever commentary on moral panic in hip-hop that didn’t make the final cut.
The outro, featuring Bizarre, provides context for how the track might have fit into D12’s catalog, with references to previous shock-value verses and group dynamics.
This segment includes meta-commentary about the boundaries of artistic expression, with Bizarre serving as a foil to emphasise the track’s extreme nature.
His appearance at the end, questioning the track’s content while referencing his own outrageous lyrics, adds a layer of self-awareness that puts the entire piece in perspective.
Legacy & Connection to Recent Leaks
Along with recently surfaced tracks Freak and Smack You, Antichrist provides another fascinating glimpse into Eminem’s creative vault circa 2005.
Each track showcases different facets of Em’s artistry during this pivotal period, from industry commentary to technical experimentation.
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Eminem Antichrist Lyrics
Intro: Eminem
The devil came to Michigan
Verse 1: Eminem
With balls in his durag, he sags, fearin’ no man
He stands, pen in his hand like Edward Scissorhands
Will slice his competition and just goes about his business
Anyone who knows about him knows about his shindig
Shenanigans, and all his wacky antics in the papers
Shady’s danglin’ a baby tangled in a blanket, stranglin’
Him, hangin’ him over the railing by the ankles on some gangster shit
Hailie’s name I’m changin’ it, to Handkerchief
If I don’t stay a step ahead of Michael, I go psycho
He’s like an alter ego, so wherever he goes, I go
Ain’t afraid to take it there, babies layin’ naked there
Runnin’ around everywhere, wearin’ nothing but underwear
Yeah, I’m back more benevolent than I’ve ever been
Little boy’s eleven who never been to the Netherlands
How’d you like to come and spend a day with Marshall Mathers
Share some cotton candy, ice cream and some caramel apples
Inside a carnival atmos-phere, yeah
I’m here, there, I’m everywhere, bleh
Never thought I’d see the day I get so famous I go schizo
But it’s o-fficial, meet my new alias, his name is—
Chorus: Eminem & Traci Nelson
Marshall!
He’s the Antichrist
He will slice and dice
Children
His name is Marshall!
He’s the Antichrist
He will slice and dice
Children
Post-Chorus: Eminem & Traci Nelson
My brother said my mother left my father (Father, father)
My sister said my mother left my dad (Dad, dad)
Now we all have a brand new stepfather (Father, father)
Who touches me at night when I’m in bed (Bed, bed)
Verse 2: Eminem
It’s winter, as I enter the daycare center
In a disguise, mustache, some fake hair and a
Three piece suit, ready set to take care of business
Suddenly, I spot little Jake, bear witness
As I move in for the kill, take a pair of scissors
To his throat, I’ll cut him like steak, hey, Mrs
Waltz, if one false move you make there, this is it
Class, get a last look at Jake, here, kiss his
Ass goodbye, mwah, runnin’ down the hall
Flippin’ the fuckin’ principal off while I pass him by
Take him home, pull his pants to his thigh
[Fuck] him in his ass like Joe Jacks did to the Jackson 5
Die, little bastard, die
Tape his mouth to shut him up, I can’t stand for little brats to cry
Cut him up, he slices and dices, the Antichrist is
The anthem, get your damn hands up
Chorus: Eminem & Traci Nelson
Mich- I mean Marshall!
He’s the Antichrist
He will slice and dice
Children
His name is Marshall!
He’s the Antichrist
He will slice and dice
Children
Post-Chorus: Eminem & Traci Nelson
My brother said my mother left my father
My sister said my mother left my dad
Now we all have a brand new stepfather
Who touches me at night when I’m in bed
Verse 3: Eminem
Why can’t I slice and dice kids like the Antichrist?
I wish I may, or as I might
I tend to rant and go off on a little bit of a tangent
[Fuck] a little kid in the ass until his pants split
‘Til he can’t sit, I know the thought’s a little rancid
But that’s what these little rugrats get for dancin’
And prancin’ around in them Spider-Man pajamas
And that’s what the cameras outside the master bedroom are for
You sleep on the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor
“How come my dad never calls me anymore?”
Because he left, brat, now I’m your new stepdad
You better accept that
So you want the race car bed or the Hello Kitty comforter?
Either one of them, I’m gonna end up snuggled up with you
I’m the motherfuckin’ uh, Antichrist
I’m kidding, it’s a joke, sike!
Outro: Eminem & Bizarre
(Shady, Shady, Shady, Shady)
Get it? Like- (Not… not cool, man)
No, it’s- (Not cool)
No, like the devil? Like- (Nah, nah)
Like Shady? Haha, like- (I don’t get it, I don’t get it)
Come on, it’s funny, right? (Nah)
Oh, but Bizarre can say it (Dawg)
What?
(Dawg, I might fuck a Pitbull in his ass, or rape my grandmother, but Goddamn)
But it’s a joke! (Mm-mm)
It’s a joke (Yeah right)
