Not Afraid

Producer

Track 12 on

Apr. 29, 20101 viewer2.2M views

Not Afraid Lyrics

An inspirational and brutally honest anthem for Eminem’s fans addressing that of his struggles and triumphs, and encouraging his fans to reach their triumphs as well. When interviewed by Rolling Stone: “Not… Read More

[Intro]
(I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid) Yeah
(To take a stand, to take a stand) It's been a ride
(Everybody, everybody) I guess I had to
(Come take my hand, come take my hand) Go to that place to get to this one
(We'll walk this road together, through the storm) Now some of you
(Whatever weather, cold or warm) Might still be in that place
(Just lettin' you know that you're not alone) If you're tryna get out
(Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road) Just follow me, I'll get you there

[Verse 1]
You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay 'em
But you won't take the sting out these words before I say 'em
'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causin' mayhem
When I say I'ma do somethin', I do it
I don't give a damn what you think, I'm doin' this for me
So fuck the world, feed it beans, it's gassed up if it thinks it's stoppin' me
I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtably
And all those who look down on me, I'm tearin' down your balcony
No ifs, ands or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he
From Infinite down to the last Relapse album
He's still shittin' whether he's on salary, paid hourly
Until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him
Whichever comes first, for better or worse
He's married to the game like a "Fuck you" for Christmas
His gift is a curse, forget the Earth, he's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt
And fuck the whole universe

[Chorus]
I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid
To take a stand, to take a stand
Everybody, everybody
Come take my hand, come take my hand
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road

[Verse 2]
Okay, quit playin' with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap
I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in a rhythm for you to know it's a wrap
You said you was king, you lied through your teeth
For that, fuck your feelings, instead of gettin' crowned, you're gettin' capped
And to the fans, I'll never let you down again, I'm back
I promise to never go back on that promise
In fact, let's be honest, that last Relapse CD was "ehh"
Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground
Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now
All I'm tryna say is get back, click-clack-blaow
'Cause I ain't playin' around
There's a game called circle and I don't know how
I'm way too up to back down
But I think I'm still tryna figure this crap out
Thought I had it mapped out, but I guess I didn't
This fuckin' black cloud still follows me around
But it's time to exorcise these demons
These motherfuckers are doin' jumpin' jacks now

[Chorus]
I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid
To take a stand, to take a stand
Everybody, everybody
Come take my hand, come take my hand
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road (Same road, same road)

[Bridge]
And I just can't keep livin' this way
So startin' today
I'm breakin' out of this cage
I'm standin' up, I'ma face my demons
I'm mannin' up, I'ma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now

[Verse 3]
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand-new me, you helped see me through
And don't even realize what you did, believe me, you
I've been through the wringer
But they can do little to the middle finger
I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of
My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers
And drop dead: no more beef lingers
No more drama from now on
I promise to focus solely on handlin' my responsibilities as a father
So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughters and raise it
You couldn't lift a single shingle on it
'Cause the way I feel, I'm strong enough to go to the club
Or the corner pub and lift the whole liquor counter up
'Cause I'm raisin' the bar, I'd shoot for the moon
But I'm too busy gazin' at stars, I feel amazin', and I’m-

About

An inspirational and brutally honest anthem for Eminem’s fans addressing that of his struggles and triumphs, and encouraging his fans to reach their triumphs as well.

When interviewed by Rolling Stone: “Not Afraid” has a positive message for people trying to overcome obstacles. Are you more comfortable now with the idea of being a role model?

Whatever I can be to people is fine. Some people may look up to me. Some people may consider me a fucking menace. But I’m grateful for every fan letter I get, and for every person who says I helped save them. I don’t know, man. I feel like I took a lot of time off. Not doing shit for those four or five years, how lazy I got – it’s time to get back to doing what I love. I feel like I’ve got a lot of gas in the tank. I just want to make up for letting people down.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Eminem say about "Not Afraid"?

What has the producer, Boi-1da, said about the track?

It started out as kind of a dance beat that Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans had worked on before. I really like the chords on the beat, so I stripped it down and left a few elements in there. The two beats were night and day; it went from a dance beat to a hip-hop beat. It was pretty cool. Shout out to Jordan Evans and Matthew Burnett. They’re very, very talented kids. What they’ve done with Daniel Caesar is nothing short of incredible. And Daniel will be around for a very, very long time. He’s special.

My old manager has a relationship with Marshall and his manager, Paul Rosenberg. This is after producing ‘Forever’ for Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem. It was while this was happening that the connection was made and that’s how [Eminem got the beat]. [I didn’t get in the studio with Eminem but] I ended up meeting Dr. Dre through my friend Stat Quo. It was like a dream come true meeting my favorite producer of all time.

A few days before [‘Not Afraid’] dropped, somebody informed me that it was about to [be Eminem’s single]. It was surreal; I almost didn’t believe it—until it came out and I heard it. That changed my life in a sense, like, I took my career seriously. I really realized that I had a gift. It was really motivating and I just wanted to continue to do my best at all times.

via DJ Booth

What certifications did this track receive?

“Not Afraid” was diamond certified by the RIAA on June 10, 2014.

Who produced “Not Afraid” by Eminem?

When did Eminem release “Not Afraid”?

Who wrote “Not Afraid” by Eminem?