The Ringer

"The Ringer" is a multi-faceted tirade that serves as the opening statement for Eminem's 2018 surprise album, Kamikaze. The song is a direct and aggressive response to the overwhelmingly negative reception of his previous album, Revival. Its primary meaning is a declaration of lyrical superiority and a scathing critique of the contemporary hip-hop landscape. Eminem feels that the genre has devolved into simplistic, repetitive "mumble rap," and he uses "The Ringer" to reassert his position as a master lyricist. He directly calls out several new-generation rappers, accusing them of lacking originality and substance.

Beyond attacking other rappers, the song is a broadside against music critics and journalists. Eminem expresses his frustration with what he perceives as biased, click-driven reviews that intentionally misinterpret his work for profit. He feels he's in a no-win situation where any response, including this song, will be twisted and criticized.

The title itself is a clever play on words. On one hand, it references the idiom "put through the wringer," which means to endure a difficult ordeal, reflecting his experience with the backlash to Revival. On the other hand, a "ringer" is an expert or highly skilled person brought in to dominate a competition, which is precisely the role Eminem adopts in the song as he systematically dismantles his opponents. This double meaning encapsulates the song's core themes of suffering and dominance.

The song opens with an immediate sense of raw frustration, as the artist decides to unleash his unfiltered thoughts. He begins by dissecting the art of creating greatness, promising to dismantle the current state of rap. He acknowledges that his words will be provocative, comparing his lyrical prowess to a violent mastery of the alphabet. He unleashes a series of complex bars, dissing rapper Vince Staples and referencing 21 Savage's hit "Bank Account." He also makes a controversial reference to Kala Brown, a woman who was found chained in a storage container, to describe how "off the chain" he is.

He then turns his attention to his critics, questioning their qualifications and talent. He points out the parasitic relationship they have with him: when they mention him, they get millions of views, but when he mentions them, it's a lose-lose situation for him as it only brings them more fame. He accuses them of skimming through his music simply to write negative reviews for clicks and ad revenue. This criticism, he reveals, has only fueled his desire to be more aggressive and lyrical.

The artist then transitions into a critique of the modern hip-hop scene, specifically targeting "mumble rap." He mocks the popular triplet flow and calls out rappers like Lil Pump and Lil Xan for imitating Lil Wayne. He feels that the new generation of rappers lacks substance and lyrical skill, a sentiment he contrasts with the era he came from. He names a select few he respects—Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Big Sean—before declaring he's coming for everyone else.

He uses a fast-food metaphor to compare his album Revival to a high-quality porterhouse steak, suggesting that critics and listeners were expecting a simple slider and were too unsophisticated to appreciate its complexity. He argues that if he had used Auto-Tune, the album would have been a commercial success, but its lyrical depth went over people's heads. He acknowledges his own flaws but stands by his honesty, predicting that he will be appreciated after he's gone.

He revisits his past political statements, particularly his freestyle cypher attacking Donald Trump. He mentions being investigated by the Secret Service as a result of his lyrics, confirming that his words have real-world consequences. He clarifies that his primary beef isn't with politicians but with the media journalists who have been relentlessly criticizing him.

The song's title comes to the forefront in the closing lines. He describes how the media has been putting him "through the wringer," a phrase signifying a difficult and stressful experience. He plays on this word, connecting it to the idea of cleaning house. In a final act of defiance, he declares he isn't going to "iron shit out with the press," but has instead "took this beat to the cleaners," asserting his lyrical dominance and concluding his exhaustive, five-and-a-half-minute tirade without a chorus or hook.

"The Ringer" is the opening track from Eminem's tenth studio album, Kamikaze, which was released as a surprise on August 31, 2018, just eight months after his previous album, Revival. The creation of the album was a direct reaction to the harsh criticism Revival received from both critics and fans. In an interview with Sway Calloway, Eminem explained that the surprise release strategy was deliberate, aimed at preventing listeners from forming preconceived negative opinions before hearing the music.

The song was produced by Ronny J and IllaDaProducer, with additional production by Eminem himself. Dr. Dre served as an executive producer for the album alongside Eminem. The recording sessions took place at Effigy Studios in Ferndale, Michigan. The song's aggressive tone and confrontational lyrics set the stage for the entire Kamikaze project, which was conceived as a retaliatory strike against his detractors. The album's cover art is a direct homage to the Beastie Boys' 1986 album, Licensed to Ill, an artist Eminem has cited as a major inspiration.

"The Ringer" is saturated with intricate wordplay, symbolism, and metaphors that showcase Eminem's lyrical dexterity.

• The Title as a Double Entendre: The title "The Ringer" itself is a central metaphor. It refers to being "put through the wringer," symbolizing the intense criticism and pressure he faced after Revival. Simultaneously, a "ringer" is a highly skilled person brought in to win a contest, symbolizing Eminem reasserting his dominance in the rap game.
• Fast Food Metaphor: Eminem compares his lyrically dense album Revival to a "porterhouse" steak that critics and audiences, accustomed to the musical equivalent of "sliders" (simple, catchy trap songs), couldn't appreciate. This metaphor critiques the perceived lack of sophistication among modern hip-hop consumers and critics.
• Alphabet and Violence: The line "I'm 'bout to rape the alphabet" is a violent, shocking metaphor for his complete and forceful mastery over the English language and his ability to construct complex rhymes.
• Cleaning/Laundry Wordplay: The song concludes with a series of puns related to laundry. He mentions being put through the "wringer," not wanting to "iron shit out with the press," and finally, taking the "beat to the cleaners." This extended metaphor signifies him decisively dealing with his critics and purifying the rap game with his skills.
• Kamikaze Metaphor: While not in the song's lyrics, the album's title, Kamikaze, provides context. The album is a metaphorical suicide mission where he risks his career by crashing into the modern rap industry to destroy what he sees as its flaws. The sound of a plane crashing at the beginning of the track reinforces this theme.

The predominant emotional tone of "The Ringer" is one of intense anger and raw frustration. The song opens with the line, "I feel like I wanna punch the world in the fuckin' face right now," which immediately establishes a confrontational and defiant atmosphere. This anger is not one-dimensional; it's a mix of betrayal, disappointment, and indignation stemming from the poor reception of his album Revival. He feels misunderstood by a new generation of listeners and unfairly judged by critics he deems unqualified.

This frustration is channeled into a highly aggressive and technical lyrical performance. The relentless pace, lack of a chorus, and complex rhyme schemes create a feeling of breathlessness and overwhelming force, mirroring the storm of thoughts he is unleashing. There are also undertones of defiant confidence and triumph. While he is angry at the criticism, he uses it as fuel to prove his lyrical superiority, turning his frustration into a powerful assertion of his skill and legacy. The emotional landscape is therefore a volatile mix of rage, bitterness, and arrogant self-assurance.

As the opening track to the surprise album Kamikaze, "The Ringer" played a significant role in shaping the conversation around Eminem and the state of hip-hop in 2018. The song, along with the album, was seen by many as a return to the aggressive, confrontational Slim Shady persona that defined his early career.

Upon its release, "The Ringer" debuted in the top 10 of the charts in several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, despite not being released as an official single, indicating massive immediate interest. Its primary cultural impact was reigniting debates about lyrical complexity versus modern trap and "mumble rap" trends. The song's direct disses of artists like Lil Pump, Lil Xan, and Machine Gun Kelly (who he also dissed on "Not Alike") generated significant media attention and responses, most notably leading to a highly publicized feud with MGK.

Critically, the reception was mixed but leaned positive, with many praising it as a powerful and technically impressive opener, even if some found the anger tiresome or out of touch. The track solidified Kamikaze's narrative as a direct, unfiltered response to the music industry, and it remains a fan favorite for its raw energy and intricate lyricism.

"The Ringer" is a showcase of rhythmic complexity and advanced rhyme techniques, deliberately eschewing a simple, repetitive structure. The song is essentially a free verse tirade set to a trap-influenced beat. The rhythm is relentless and fast-paced, with Eminem's delivery often running ahead of or syncopating with the beat, creating a sense of urgency and aggression.

The rhyme schemes are incredibly intricate and constantly shifting. Eminem is famous for his use of:

• Multisyllabic Rhymes: He doesn't just rhyme single words but entire phrases with multiple syllables (e.g., "critiquin'" rhymes with "opinion of you" and "millions of views").
• Internal Rhymes: Many lines contain rhymes within the line itself, not just at the end, adding to the lyrical density (e.g., "But sayin' I no longer got it 'cause you missed the line and never caught it").
• Chain Rhyming: He often links multiple lines together with the same rhyme sound, creating long, complex chains that demonstrate his breath control and lyrical stamina.

The song's rhythmic structure is defined by his vocal performance rather than a traditional verse-chorus format. He uses a triplet flow (or Migos flow) at points, but often in a mocking way to criticize its overuse in modern rap. The interplay between his vocal rhythm and the underlying beat is a key element; he stretches and compresses his phrasing, treating the beat less as a rigid framework and more as a canvas for his lyrical assault.

Eminem employs a vast array of stylistic techniques in "The Ringer," both literary and musical, to create its aggressive and technically impressive effect.

• Flow Variation: One of the most notable techniques is his constant and complex variation in flow and cadence. Throughout the 5-minute, 37-second track, he reportedly changes his flow numerous times, keeping the listener engaged and demonstrating his technical versatility.
• Multisyllabic Rhyming: True to his style, the song is a masterclass in multisyllabic rhymes, where he rhymes multiple syllables in a line, often weaving intricate internal and external rhyme schemes.
• Wordplay and Puns: The lyrics are dense with double and triple entendres. For example, the line "Full magazine could take Staples out" is a pun that simultaneously references office supplies (magazine, staples) and serves as a diss towards rapper Vince Staples. Another example is the wordplay on "Audio out my Audi, yo, adios."
• Absence of a Chorus: The track deliberately lacks a traditional chorus or hook, functioning instead as a continuous, uninterrupted lyrical barrage. This structural choice reinforces the song's nature as a raw, stream-of-consciousness rant, prioritizing lyrical content over catchy repetition.
• Vocal Delivery: His vocal performance is aggressive, angry, and precise. The tone shifts from conversational to enraged, enhancing the emotional impact of the lyrics. The intro, where he sounds like he's just decided to start recording his thoughts, gives the song an impromptu and raw feel.
• Allusions and Name-Dropping: Eminem litters the song with references to pop culture, other rappers (Lil Pump, Lil Xan, Lil Wayne, Vince Staples, NF), and political figures (Donald Trump, Mike Pence), grounding his abstract frustrations in specific, real-world targets.

What is the main message of Eminem's song 'The Ringer'?

'The Ringer' is a defiant response to the critics of his 2017 album 'Revival.' Its main message is a reassertion of his lyrical dominance in hip-hop while aggressively criticizing the 'mumble rap' subgenre, unqualified music journalists, and the modern state of the music industry.

Who did Eminem diss in 'The Ringer'?

Eminem dissed several figures, primarily targeting the new generation of 'mumble rappers' like Lil Pump and Lil Xan. He also took shots at rapper Vince Staples, Machine Gun Kelly, and media personalities like Charlamagne tha God. He also continued his lyrical attacks on former President Donald Trump.

What does the title 'The Ringer' mean?

The title is a double entendre. It primarily refers to the idiom 'being put through the wringer,' which means to go through a difficult time, reflecting his experience with critics. It also means a 'ringer' as in a superior competitor brought in to easily win, symbolizing his return to dominate the rap game.

What album is 'The Ringer' on and when was it released?

'The Ringer' is the opening track on Eminem's tenth studio album, 'Kamikaze.' The album was released as a surprise with no prior announcement on August 31, 2018.

Did Eminem diss NF on 'The Ringer'?

It is widely believed that Eminem took a subliminal shot at NF with the line, 'Especially an effing Recovery clone of me.' The phrasing 'an effing' sounds like 'NF-ing,' and NF has often been compared to Eminem's style during his 'Recovery' album era. However, it remains an interpretation as he is not mentioned by name.

What is the significance of the 'Kala Brown' line in 'The Ringer'?

The line 'But bitch, I'm off the chain like Kala Brown' is a controversial reference to a real-life crime victim who was found chained inside a storage container. Eminem uses this shocking simile to describe himself as wild and unrestrained. The reference drew media attention for its provocative nature.

What is the fast food metaphor in 'The Ringer' about?

Eminem compares his album 'Revival' to a 'porterhouse' steak, implying it's a high-quality, substantial work. He suggests listeners and critics, who were expecting a 'slider' (a simple, less substantive song), were too unsophisticated to appreciate its complexity.