Eminem’s recent verse on JID’s “Animals (Pt. 1)” is a masterclass in multi-layered lyricism — dense with references, layered shots, and razor-sharp metaphors that leave listeners both awed and debating. Let’s break down the most explosive lines:
🎙️ Conflict Is His Comfort Zone
“I jump into beef so comfortably…”
Em kicks off the verse declaring war. He doesn’t avoid conflict — he welcomes it. The line sets the tone: this is not casual ribbing; it’s full-scale verbal combat.
🐂 Bull-Fighting Imagery
“Gimme them horns, gimme that rose bush, gimme them thorns…”
He twists classic bullfight imagery, not just confronting enemies but seeking the pain that comes with the fight—a metaphor for embracing struggle.
🧵 Homophonic Punchline
“Y’all make me yawn, like a strand of wool”
A smooth wordplay move — “yawn” (boredom) and “yarn” (wool), tossing shade at rappers he sees as bland, sheep-like, and unoriginal .
🎖️ Bringing Back ‘Soldier’ Emphasis
“…I’m your father, told you I’m a soldier…”
Em resurfaces his militant persona from The Eminem Show, arriving with a raw, bare-knuckled attitude—no fluff, no filter .
🐷 Fifty Flex
“…I signed 50 Cent and put him in my piggy bank”
A layered brag: literal coin line, nod to his discovery of Aftermath star 50 Cent and a wink to Fif’s track “Piggy Bank”.
🔫 NSYNC with N.W.A
“…I’m sprayin’ the Rossi like I’m N.W.A…”
Name-dropping N.W.A and their members (Yella, Ren, Dre), while referencing a Rossi shotgun — tools passed down from his rap predecessors .
🤔 Ye & the Cousin Line Controversy
“With these magazines, I act out like Ye and his cousin”
Easily the most controversial line, weaving in Kanye’s “magazine confession” with his own twisted homage to unpredictability. But Royce 5’9” quickly shot down the idea it was a diss. “Bro ain’t dissin’ Ye. You’d know if he was”.
🤬 Indecent Double Entendre
“…I feel like I just walked in and seen you naked, ’cause you’re not even decent”
Sharp insult aimed at unnamed rappers — “indecent” as both unskilled and maybe nodding to Bianca Censori’s controversial public looks.
🤝 Ja Rule Diss
“I done put Ja Rule through it like a law school”
Another clever punch: twisting the name “Rule” into a pun on “law school” — revisiting Slim’s classic beef .
💀 Puff/Diddy Conspiracy
“…tell my hitter to hit him up… middle fingers to a Tupac song”
Eminem circles back to a conspiracy he’s floated before — that Diddy played a part in Tupac’s death. The bar cleverly references “Hit ’Em Up” (Pac’s diss track) and packs it all into a menacing punch.
❤️ Pause for Vulnerability
“…Dave Chappelle of the rap game… lost Proof…”
He shifts tone, comparing himself to Chappelle’s integrity, recalling the emotional blow of losing Proof, and connecting to the UFC veteran Sean O’Malley — empathy injected amid aggression .
🏙️ Roots & Run-DMC Homage
“…Seven Mile and Runyon… Joe, Jam Master Jay…”
He drops Detroit street refs and nods to Run-DMC’s “Raised in Hell”—a lineage rap shout-out that anchors his authenticity .
💊 Xanadu as Xanax
“…like a Xanadu for every Xan’ I do…”
A surreal pun: Xanadu (paradise) / Xanax (tranquilizer), illustrating the haze of escape through drugs .
⚰️ Final Showdown: Savage Visuals
“…body baggin’ ’em… cannibals… we fuckin’ animals…”
He closes by doubling down — vivid, raw, unfiltered — with bestiality shock to drive home the savage truth: he’s the undisputed G.O.A.T .
🧩 The Verdict
“Animals” isn’t just bars — it’s an immersive trip through Eminem’s psyche: glorifying conflict, skewering rivals, reflecting on pain, and reasserting dominance. His verse resurrects past beefs, conjures urgent street energy, and proves once again that when he spits, even two days ago, the internet stops to listen — and dissect.