Guilty Conscience
Encyclopedia
"Guilty Conscience" is a song released in 1999 by rap artist Eminem
featuring his mentor, Dr. Dre
. It was the third single from his major label
debut album, The Slim Shady LP
, also released in 1999. It was also released on his greatest hits album Curtain Call: The Hits
.
(i.e., the angel and devil on a person's shoulders competing for possession of the person's soul). Dr. Dre
is the angel; Slim Shady
is the devil. The song contains spoken parts and sound effects describing several conflicting scenarios building tension and curiosity. Eminem is generally credited for writing Dre's verses as well as his own.
The first verse of the song features the story of Eddie, 23, a frustrated young man about to rob a liquor store. Dre warns Eddie not to go through with it, telling him that the witnesses will report the robbery to the police, that it will be mentioned on the news and Eddie will end up on the most wanted list. Slim Shady urges Eddie to go through with his plan; he tells Eddie to go to his aunts' house and disguise himself so witnesses would not recognize him. Shady uses the poverty
of Eddie's family to justify the robbery, and in the unedited version, tries to persuade Eddie to murder
the store clerk (whom Dre says is "older than George Burns
"). Though in the song alone the end is ambiguous, the music video
depicts Eddie ultimately deciding not to go through with the theft and walks away.
In the next verse, the 21-year-old Stan takes an underage girl upstairs during a rave
party. In the Director's Cut music video, the scene takes place at a fraternity
party. Eminem
convinces Stan to date-rape
the girl despite Dre's protests and warnings about jail time for statutory rape
. Dre refers to the 1995 movie Kids
in which the climax scene shows a teenage boy date-raping a girl who is infected with HIV. In the uncensored version of the song, Slim Shady suggests unprotected sex in an earlier refrain. Shady also references Funkdoobiest
front man Son Doobie. In the edited version, the intensity is toned down and Slim suggests leaving the girl passed out on her parents' doorstep. The scene, especially the edited ending version, is reminiscent of a famous scene from the movie Animal House. During the narration of this scene, the song "Hoochie Mama" by 2 Live Crew
is heard playing in the background at the party.
In the third verse, Grady, a 29-year-old construction worker, comes home to find his wife having sex with another man in bed. In the unedited version, Slim Shady demands that Grady brutally kill his wife. When Dre tries to cut in, Slim tells Grady to leave his wife and take their kids with him, bringing up Dre's violent N.W.A.
past accusing him of hypocrisy
, including when he says "You gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes
?" and again when he says, "Mr. Dre, Mr. N.W.A.
, Mr. A.K.
coming Straight Outta Compton
, y'all better make way. How in the fuck are you gonna tell this man not to be violent?" In turn, Dre argues that Grady doesn't need to take the same foolish path Dre himself once took, saying "Been There, Done That
". In the end, Shady's taunting pushes Dre into agreeing that Grady should murder both his wife and her lover. This particular ending caused a lot of controversy
, especially since it was left in the edited version of the song.
This song was referenced multiple times in Eminem's next album, The Marshall Mathers LP
.
. The lyrics in the chorus interpolate those found in the song "I Will Follow Him
" by Little Peggy March ("These voices, I hear them. And, when they talk, I'll follow"). The version that aired on MTV
eliminated the murder at the end of the song and converted it into an escalating argument between Eminem and Dre with no resolution. The Director's Cut leaves the murder in.
The video is produced using the rotoscoping technique, depicting Eminem and Dr. Dre rapping to the song's protagonists on how to deal with their conflicting situations: including a man's temptation to robbing a liquor store, a college student's urge to have sex with an underage girl at a frat party, and the urge of a construction worker to murder his wife after he catches her cheating with another man. Dr. Dre
poses as the "good conscience" and wins the first two arguments (Eddie and Stan). However, during the argument over the actions Grady (the construction worker) should take, Eminem
's taunting coaxes Dr. Dre
into agreeing with him and subsequently suggests that Grady should indeed murder his wife and her lover.
The song contains a sample from the Ronald Stein
song "Go Home Pigs" from the soundtrack to the film Getting Straight
(1970).
Eminem later released "Guilty Conscience" on his greatest hits album, Curtain Call: The Hits
. The nonstop back-beat and chorus from the music video were only used in the edited version of the song, but the narrator was not changed.
The video won the "Hottest Music Video" award at the Online Hip-Hop Awards in 2000. The video was listed on MuchMusic's
50 Most Controversial Videos at No. 38 for its promotion on how people get crossed with their consciences.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
featuring his mentor, Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
. It was the third single from his major label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
debut album, The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on February 23, 1999. It is his major-label debut, and was released under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and Web Records....
, also released in 1999. It was also released on his greatest hits album Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits is a 2005 greatest hits compilation album by American rapper Eminem. It collects Eminem's most popular songs, as well as four new tracks; a live version of "Stan" featuring Elton John from the 43rd Grammy Awards, plus new songs "Fack", "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That"...
.
Song plot
"Guilty Conscience" features a duel between the two rappers playing the roles of good and evil in someone's head in the manner of a medieval morality playMorality play
The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as "interludes", a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral theme. Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of...
(i.e., the angel and devil on a person's shoulders competing for possession of the person's soul). Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
is the angel; Slim Shady
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
is the devil. The song contains spoken parts and sound effects describing several conflicting scenarios building tension and curiosity. Eminem is generally credited for writing Dre's verses as well as his own.
The first verse of the song features the story of Eddie, 23, a frustrated young man about to rob a liquor store. Dre warns Eddie not to go through with it, telling him that the witnesses will report the robbery to the police, that it will be mentioned on the news and Eddie will end up on the most wanted list. Slim Shady urges Eddie to go through with his plan; he tells Eddie to go to his aunts' house and disguise himself so witnesses would not recognize him. Shady uses the poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
of Eddie's family to justify the robbery, and in the unedited version, tries to persuade Eddie to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
the store clerk (whom Dre says is "older than George Burns
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
"). Though in the song alone the end is ambiguous, the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
depicts Eddie ultimately deciding not to go through with the theft and walks away.
In the next verse, the 21-year-old Stan takes an underage girl upstairs during a rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
party. In the Director's Cut music video, the scene takes place at a fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
party. Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
convinces Stan to date-rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
the girl despite Dre's protests and warnings about jail time for statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
. Dre refers to the 1995 movie Kids
Kids (film)
Kids is a 1995 drama film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark.The film features Chloë Sevigny, Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Harold Hunter, and Rosario Dawson, all of them in their debut performances...
in which the climax scene shows a teenage boy date-raping a girl who is infected with HIV. In the uncensored version of the song, Slim Shady suggests unprotected sex in an earlier refrain. Shady also references Funkdoobiest
Funkdoobiest
Funkdoobiest is an American rap group from Los Angeles, California. The original members are Son Doobie , a Puerto Rican rapper, and DJ Ralph M , a Chicano DJ, and Tomahawk Funk of the Lakota nation. The latter left after their second album.Their first two albums were mainly produced by Cypress...
front man Son Doobie. In the edited version, the intensity is toned down and Slim suggests leaving the girl passed out on her parents' doorstep. The scene, especially the edited ending version, is reminiscent of a famous scene from the movie Animal House. During the narration of this scene, the song "Hoochie Mama" by 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
is heard playing in the background at the party.
In the third verse, Grady, a 29-year-old construction worker, comes home to find his wife having sex with another man in bed. In the unedited version, Slim Shady demands that Grady brutally kill his wife. When Dre tries to cut in, Slim tells Grady to leave his wife and take their kids with him, bringing up Dre's violent N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
past accusing him of hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, including when he says "You gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes
Dee Barnes
Denise "Dee" Barnes is an American rapper and former television personality, whose stage name was D Zire, performed in the West Coast hip hop female duo Body & Soul, and hosted an influential radio show on KDAY prior to gaining wider fame as the host of Fox's hip hop show Pump It Up!.Body & Soul's...
?" and again when he says, "Mr. Dre, Mr. N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
, Mr. A.K.
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
coming Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
, y'all better make way. How in the fuck are you gonna tell this man not to be violent?" In turn, Dre argues that Grady doesn't need to take the same foolish path Dre himself once took, saying "Been There, Done That
Been There, Done That
"Been There, Done That" is a 1997 single by West Coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre from his compilation album Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath. The song is produced by Dr. Dre himself and Bud'da. The lyrics were written by former Death Row Records labelmate, J-Flexx...
". In the end, Shady's taunting pushes Dre into agreeing that Grady should murder both his wife and her lover. This particular ending caused a lot of controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
, especially since it was left in the edited version of the song.
This song was referenced multiple times in Eminem's next album, The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
.
Music video
The video for "Guilty Conscience" has a nonstop back-beat with a chorus, unlike the album version, and a different narrator, played by actor Robert CulpRobert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
. The lyrics in the chorus interpolate those found in the song "I Will Follow Him
I Will Follow Him
"I Will Follow Him" is a song recorded by Little Peggy March. The music was written by Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat . It was adapted by Arthur Altman...
" by Little Peggy March ("These voices, I hear them. And, when they talk, I'll follow"). The version that aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
eliminated the murder at the end of the song and converted it into an escalating argument between Eminem and Dre with no resolution. The Director's Cut leaves the murder in.
The video is produced using the rotoscoping technique, depicting Eminem and Dr. Dre rapping to the song's protagonists on how to deal with their conflicting situations: including a man's temptation to robbing a liquor store, a college student's urge to have sex with an underage girl at a frat party, and the urge of a construction worker to murder his wife after he catches her cheating with another man. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
poses as the "good conscience" and wins the first two arguments (Eddie and Stan). However, during the argument over the actions Grady (the construction worker) should take, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's taunting coaxes Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
into agreeing with him and subsequently suggests that Grady should indeed murder his wife and her lover.
The song contains a sample from the Ronald Stein
Ronald Stein
Ronald Stein was an American film composer.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Stein wrote scores for numerous low budget horror and exploitation films during the 1950s and 1960s, many of which were released by American International Pictures...
song "Go Home Pigs" from the soundtrack to the film Getting Straight
Getting Straight
Getting Straight is a 1970 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Richard Rush, released by Columbia Pictures.The story centered upon student politics at a university in the early 1970s, seen through the eyes of non-conformist graduate student Harry Bailey...
(1970).
Eminem later released "Guilty Conscience" on his greatest hits album, Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits is a 2005 greatest hits compilation album by American rapper Eminem. It collects Eminem's most popular songs, as well as four new tracks; a live version of "Stan" featuring Elton John from the 43rd Grammy Awards, plus new songs "Fack", "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That"...
. The nonstop back-beat and chorus from the music video were only used in the edited version of the song, but the narrator was not changed.
The video won the "Hottest Music Video" award at the Online Hip-Hop Awards in 2000. The video was listed on MuchMusic's
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
50 Most Controversial Videos at No. 38 for its promotion on how people get crossed with their consciences.
Track listing
CD singleCharts
| Chart (1999) | Peakposition |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... ) |
97 |
| Germany (Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
40 |
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... ) |
21 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... ) |
25 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 5 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
56 |