A seismic shift hit the hip-hop landscape on 15 January 2025, when Smack You, an unreleased Eminem track featuring Hailie Jade, emerged from the vault.
The track, recorded during hip-hop’s most volatile period around 2003, reveals why many consider this Eminem’s creative zenith – a perfect storm of technical brilliance and raw emotion that nearly sparked an industry war.
Prime Eminem Targets Death Row’s Legacy
Opening with an interpolation of Tupac’s Bomb First (My Second Reply), the track immediately establishes its connection to hip-hop’s darkest chapter.
A repeated vocal pattern echoing “Suge shot me” sets the stage for what KXNG Crooked calls “a career-changing moment.”
I just listened to that Smack You leak and I think had it dropped back then it would’ve changed my career path to Shady bc I was the main guy on Tha Row during that time and ain’t no way I could’ve sat it out after that one
— Crook (@CrookedIntriago) January 14, 2025
Crooked, who was signed to Death Row during this period, recently shared:
“Had it dropped back then, it would’ve changed my career path to Shady, because I was the main guy on Tha Row during that time, and there’s no way I could’ve sat it out after that one.”
Eminem ft Hailie Jade Creates Family Warfare
The track’s emotional core centres on Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade, whose presence elevates this beyond typical battle rap territory.
Their father-daughter exchanges frame the confrontational elements, calling back to previous conflicts where Ja Rule had crossed family boundaries.
This framework transforms personal attacks into something more potent – a father defending his family while exposing industry corruption.
Suge Knight Diss Unveils Dark Accusations
“I’m holding Suge responsible for the deaths of the two greatest rappers to ever grace the face of this planet,” Eminem declares, before suggesting that Biggie Smalls himself could confirm these allegations.
These explosive claims arrive amid warnings to Ja Rule about his attempts to align with Death Row Records, painting a sinister picture of industry politics and deadly consequences.
Technical Perfection Meets Raw Emotion
The production showcases Eminem’s Green Lantern era flow patterns, where “he holds the end of his rhymes to flow into the next line” – a technique that defined his early 2000s style.
His delivery shifts effortlessly between aggressive staccato patterns and melodic sections, demonstrating the battle-rap influenced approach that many consider his technical peak.
Why Smack You Stayed Underground
The track’s delayed release adds crucial context to Eminem’s line from Like Toy Soldiers where he mentions never naming Suge out of respect for Dr Dre’s wishes.
This previously unknown component helps explain one of hip-hop’s most notable silent feuds.
Fans have noted, “Prime Eminem had the greatest diss track ever created sitting in a vault because he would have been killed if he released it.”
Inside Smack You: A Lyrical Breakdown
The track’s narrative weaves multiple layers of meaning through its verses.
Eminem opens with a calculated reference to Tupac’s Against All Odds, immediately connecting to the Death Row legacy.
His initial bars targeting Irv Gotti – “the Cookie Monster of Rap” – call back to previous conflicts while setting up the track’s broader themes about industry exploitation.
The Oscar references throughout the first verse connect to Doe Rae Me (Hailie’s Revenge), where Eminem originally threatened to “shove it up Ja Rule’s arse.”
This continuity shows careful construction, with each bar building upon established narrative threads.
When Hailie joins in, their exchanges mirror similar moments from previous tracks, but with heightened stakes given the dangerous territory Em enters.
Eminem’s warning to Ja Rule about publishing rights carries particular weight:
“You’re too dumb to see that your publishing’s all he wants / Thinkin’ you friends ’til he gets it and you’re the next rapper / Sittin’ on the passenger side of that Benz that gets hit again.”
These lines reference both Tupac’s death – he was in the passenger seat when shot – and rumours about Death Row’s business practices.
The second verse is “prime Eminem’s flow,” where he seamlessly connects multisyllabic rhyme patterns while building intensity.
His critique of Ja Rule’s attempts to emulate Tupac becomes more pointed: “You got Outlaw on your forearm, let’s see the new tat,” mocking everything from Ja’s tattoos to his melodic delivery style.
The comparison to R&B group Jodeci serves double duty – both mocking Ja’s singing and referencing Murder Inc’s pop-oriented approach.
Perhaps most striking are the direct accusations about Suge Knight’s involvement in hip-hop’s most notorious deaths.
As one Reddit user noted, “Straight up accusing Suge of getting Pac and Biggie killed. I don’t remember another diss from this time that did that.”
The track’s ending, with Hailie returning to deliver the final blow, creates a circular narrative that reinforces its themes of family, loyalty, and betrayal.
Industry Impact and Modern Implications
Smack You forms part of a larger leak including collaborations with 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, Slaughterhouse, Anderson .Paak, and Westside Boogie.
FYI to the criminal who’s leaking the Eminem music. We will find you. Street law will be applied. Ask “Koolo” what happened to him last time he leaked. We know where he lives and Yes this is a threat
— FredWreck (@Fredwreck) January 14, 2025
Longtime Aftermath producer Fredwreck responded forcefully to these leaks, warning:
“FYI to the criminal who’s leaking the Eminem music. We will find you. Street law will be applied.”
The track arrives during a period of renewed interest in hip-hop’s golden era conflicts.
Its emergence twenty years later provides fresh insight into one of rap’s most complex periods while demonstrating why Eminem’s early 2000s output remains unmatched in terms of technical execution and raw emotional power.
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Eminem Smack You Lyrics Featuring Hailie Jade
Intro
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me, Suge shot me
Refrain: Eminem
Hopin’ my thug motherfuckers know
This be the realest shit I ever wrote
Against all odds, up in the studio gettin’ blowed
To the truest shit I ever spoke
Against all odds, hopin’ my true motherfuckers know
This be the realest shit I ever wrote
Against all odd, up in the studio gettin’ blowed
To the truest shit I ever spoke (Come on!) (21-gun salute!)
Verse 1: Eminem & Hailie Jade
I’m holding Irv responsible, the Cookie Monster of Rap
Won’t give Hailie back her Oscar,they lost it up Ja Rule’s ass
We forgot an Oscar’s a statue of a naked man
We told her if she goes to take it back that he’ll break her hand (Grr)
But that’s okay, baby, let’s leave this faggot alone
Let him have it, next your daddy’ll bring you home two more
And remember that pretty little dress that you wore
To his show to match his when we saw him perform? (Yeah?)
Well, we gon’ send that to his son
(You mean his son is a girl?) No, but he likes to dress like one (Haha)
And I think he’s got a daughter too
But we ain’t gotta talk about his dirty-ass little kids like he did to you
‘Cause we don’t need to stoop to Ja Rule’s level
‘Cause if we do (Yo), then that would mean we’d only be one foot two
Then we’d be as tall as the statue that we shoved up his ass
And then who knows? He might have room to fit us up there too
Aight, big ears, it’s time for you to go upstairs, boo
Give Daddy kisses
Kim, you fuckin’ slut, where are you?
Come put Hailie to bed, I’ll be finished up with this shit in a minute
Just in time for you to make the last call at fuckin’ Skinnies
Hailie’s gone, what’s up now, punk? Since you brought her up
Let’s talk about her, chump, you already called her a slut
Bitch, don’t you ever question how we bring our daughter up
You don’t even raise your kids, your a waddling Donald Duck
Fat-ass bitch of a wife who lives at McDonald’s does
You stay in LA, tryna parlay with all the plugs
Beggin’ Suge to get him to follow you to all the clubs
But you’re too dumb to see that your publishing’s all he wants
Thinkin’ you friends ’til he gets it and you’re the next rapper
Sittin’ on the passenger side of that Benz that gets hit again
And LAPD’ll be sayin’, “Who did this shit again?”
Knowing who did it, but still nobody admits it
But if I get killed for this shit, I know who did it
Y’all ain’t gotta go to limits to solve it, just expect a visit
From forty to fifty vatos on your steps
Ready, set to let the shots go, Pac, tell ’em, who shot you? (Suge shot me, Suge shot me)
Bridge: Eminem
I’m holding Suge responsible for the deaths of the two greatest rappers to ever grace the face of this planet (Suge shot me, Suge shot me)
If only the late great mister Christopher Wallace could talk, He could tell you himself(Suge shot me, Suge shot me)
I’m holding Suge responsible for the death of Ja Rule or anyone else down with the Row(Suge shot me, Suge shot me)
In the immortal words of Pac, speaking for me and any other rapper next to get shot(Suge shot me, Suge shot me)
Chorus: Eminem
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me (And it probably will)
Verse 2: Eminem
I don’t know why the fuck you even gotta get me started
I swear to God, you gotta be retarded, you’re regarded
The hardest workin’ artist since Pac? Stop, no, you’re not
Oh my God, knock it off, Ja, get off his jock
You spoke on the Doctor, that’s vodka
That ain’t Ja talkin’, Dre, give me the word, I’ll sock him
Fuck is the problem? Let’s get to the root
Irv’s brother ain’t the only one shootin’ himself in the foot
To say that they jumped out of a window and hit the pavement
Off the Empire State Building would be an understatement
It’d be understatement to say that they made a fatal fuckin’ mistake
For fuck’s sake, what did you just take?
Let me get some of whatever you’re on to be where you at
‘Cause you gotta be a fuckin’ moron to even do that
Roll it up, smoke it and throw on a freakin’ durag
Ja, you got Outlaw on your forearm, let’s see the new tat
You gotta be seein’ somethin’ we don’t see
Let us know if you know something we don’t, please
‘Cause I just don’t see the vision, you ain’t even our division
You might even fuckin’ die and it ain’t even our decision
You made a deal with the devil whose giving you his permission
To imitate a legend we all love so much, we miss him
And now this shit’s just getting disgustin’ ’cause it’s sickenin’
‘Cause we see it, but no one says a fuckin’ thing, we just
Pretend that it doesn’t exist, but it does, and it’s been itchin’
And just eatin’ at me so fuckin’ much, and it’s just gettin’
To the point you might as well go to Suge, assume position
Drop to your fuckin’ knees and just suck his fuckin’ dick and
Get it over with, your reign is over with and you know this shit
You just don’t want no one to notice it,that Jodeci shit
Ain’t even entertaining, you’re crying, your voice is straining
Like you’re dyin’, but look in the sky, it ain’t even rainin’
Come outta the rain
Refrain: Eminem
Hopin’ my thug motherfuckers know
This be the realest shit I ever wrote
Against all odds, up in the studio gettin’ blowed
To the truest shit I ever spoke
Against all odds, hopin’ my thug motherfuckers know
This be the realest shit I ever wrote
Against all odds, up in the studio gettin’ blowed
To the truest shit I ever spoke
Against all odds
Chorus: Eminem
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me
This game is gonna be the death of me
But I’m gonna expose the truth even if it kills me (And it probably will)
Outro: Hailie Jade
Stupid, I’m gonna make you shut up once I get out there too
Smack you across the face
