"Remember the Name" | |
---|---|
Promotional single by Ed Sheeran featuring Eminem and 50 Cent | |
from the album No.6 Collaborations Project | |
Recorded | December 2018 |
Studio | |
Genre | Hip hop |
Length | 3:27 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
"Remember the Name" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran featuring American rappers Eminem and 50 Cent from the former's compilation album No.6 Collaborations Project (2019). It was released as a promotional single through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The song was produced by Sheeran, alongside Max Martin, Shellback, and Fred. They also served as songwriters alongside the rappers and Patrick Brown, Raymon Murra, Rico Wade, André Benjamin and Antwan Patton, with the latter five receiving credit due to the usage of words and music from Outkast's single "So Fresh, So Clean" (2001).
"Remember the Name" received generally mixed to negative reviews from music critics, who often highlighted the "Dr. Dre-inspired production", with numerous reviewers criticising Eminem and 50 Cent's verses. In 2019, Spin listed the song as being among the worst of the year. It charted in various countries, including in the top ten of New Zealand and Slovakia, and peaked at number three on the UK R&B chart. It was also certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry and platinum by Music Canada.
In March 2016, Paul Rosenberg, Eminem's manager, asked Ed Sheeran to send song ideas for inclusion on Eminem's ninth studio album Revival (2017). Sheeran recorded a demo of the chorus of "River", with drums, guitar and piano, at Russell Crowe's studio and sent it to Rosenberg, not hearing back until May 2017. [1] "River" was released as the second single from the album, featuring Sheeran's vocals. He told BBC News he wished to collaborate with the rapper on two tracks, an "introspective, storytelling" one and another "a nod towards the cheekier songs" on earlier Eminem albums. [2]
According to him, "River" accomplished the former goal, so he sought the involvement of American rapper 50 Cent to create the second track. Sheeran encountered 50 Cent during a visit to Eminem's dressing room: "I walked into Eminem's dressing room and 50 Cent was in there, and I was like: this has to be meant to be". Sheeran thought that being allowed on a track with the two rappers proved that his detractors' claims that he cannot rap did not matter. [2] "Remember the Name" was recorded in December 2018; 50 Cent recalled the following day, "I recorded a song last night with Eminem & Ed Sheeran, I had fun doing it we got some heat[ sic ]". [3]
"Remember the Name" was produced by Max Martin, Shellback, FRED and Sheeran himself. It was co-written by the latter four along with Eminem, 50 Cent and Patrick Brown, Raymon Murra, Rico Wade, André Benjamin and Antwan Patton, the latter five received credit due to the usage of words and music from Outkast's single "So Fresh, So Clean" (2001). Martin and Shellback were in charge of programming and keyboards, while Sheeran played the guitars. FRED played drums, keyboards, guitar, bass, and was also responsible for programming the track. The song was engineered by Ky Miller and Michael Ilbert. Eminem's vocals were recorded by Mike Strange, Tony Campana and Joe Strange. "Remember the Name" was recorded at MXM Studios in Stockholm, Promised Land Music Studios in London, and Effigy Studios in Detroit. The track was mixed by Mike Strange at Effigy Studios. [4]
"Remember the Name" is a hip hop song composed in the key of E minor with a tempo of 91 beats per minute. [5] [6] [7] Sheeran "does some light rapping" on the song, while the two rappers deliver lyrics about their rise to stardom. [3] The former raps a reference to the English town of Ipswich, by saying, "I was born a misfit / Grew up 10 miles from the town of Ipswich". He described the lyric as a "personal highlight", noting it was "funny [as] Eminem would never ever know where Ipswich is". [2] Sheeran begins it by sing-speaking about how he was repeatedly doubted during the beginning of his career, and discouraged from rapping, "Stick to singing, stop rappin' like it's Christmas". [8] [9] He also talks about "drugs, fame and stature", and how he idolizes Eminem and 50 Cent. [8] [9] The song's instrumentation makes use of staccato guitars, pounded pianos, plucked strings and piercing synths, played over a 2001-inspired stomp-clap beat. From the hook up to the chorus, Sheeran channels the delivery and vocal stylings of American singer Nate Dogg. [8] Eminem sings about his dislike of skinny jeans over intricate rhyme schemes and drops "finger-on-the-pulse references to his breakout single from 1999, 'My Name Is'". [6] [9] 50 Cent chants about his designer clothes, luxurious lifestyle and stature in the rap industry. [6] Sheeran and 50 Cent "insist that 'it's 'bout time you remember the name.'" [9]
"Remember the Name" was released as the eighth track on Sheeran's fourth studio album, No.6 Collaborations Project , on 12 July 2019. [4] The song was met with generally mixed to negative reviews from music critics. HipHop-N-More's Navjosh called it "catchy" and likened the instrumentals to the work of Dr. Dre, noting that unlike other superstar collaborations, it did not disappoint. [10] Mitch Findlay of HotNewHipHop noted its "vintage-sounding instrumental[s]" and "nostalgic arrangement", adding that Eminem held back during his verse but had a sharp flow, and that 50 Cent showcased his charisma. [11] Elite Daily 's Jamie Leelo praised the song's lyrics and said they "might also withstand the test of time". [12]
In a mixed review, Andrew Unterberger of Billboard thought 50 Cent's verse sounds "a little phoned-in" and Eminem's verse opts for an unnecessary amount of puns, although he praised the Dr. Dre-inspired production and Sheeran's delivery during the hook. [8] He commended Sheeran for making his dream of collaborating with the two rappers come true, saying "It's a situation of such unreal wish-fulfilment you'd probably never even think to fantasize about it in the first place, and you can't help but smile a little bit for Sheeran that he gets to live it out". [8] Writing for Uproxx , Aaron Williams described "Remember the Name" as "an odd patchwork of styles and concepts" and did not foresee lasting success for it despite finding it "kind of cool" in the context of the album. [6] Bernadette Giacomazzo writing for HipHopDX felt that due to Eminem's and 50 Cent's verses, "Sheeran's presence is superfluous". [13]
Writing for NME , Nick Levine said "Sheeran and Eminem collaborated effectively enough on 'River' (2017), but this cheesy throwback jam (which features 50 Cent for added retro vibes) almost feels like a parody". He opined that the Ipswich reference "sound[s] as though he's recruited David Brent to ghost-write his rhymes". [14] Seth Wilson from Slant compared "Eminem's guest verse" to someone "doing a pretty good Eminem impression at a karaoke bar". He concluded, "the song is basically one big strawman boast track". [9] Variety 's Chris Willman and Clash 's Malvika Padin shared a similar opinion, as they both did not enjoy the song despite the artists involved in it. [5] [15]
Alexis Petridis from The Guardian claimed the song did not work and that "there's something jarring about Eminem rapping about sticking nails in his eyeballs next to Sheeran repping Ipswich." [16] The Observer 's Michael Graff dubbed the track "woeful". [17] Rawiya Kameir of Pitchfork affirmed that Sheeran was unable to rap, also claiming that both Eminem and 50 Cent were "way past their prime as rappers". Kameir concluded, "Sheeran is better off sticking within his skillset." [18] The song was listed as one of the year's worst by Spin , and the staff said that it "offers an unusually unfettered look at the piles of generically trendy leftovers that a pop singer can compile between album cycles with an unchecked budget and incoherent vision". [19]
"Remember the Name" charted in various countries, including the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number one on the Official Trending Chart. [20] The song reached number three on the UK R&B Singles chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. [21] [22] It peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [23] [24] In Canada, "Remember the Name" charted at number 20 and earned a platinum certification given by Music Canada. [25] [26] The song reached number 15 in Australia and number 10 in New Zealand. [27] [28] It also peaked at number nine on Slovakia's Singles Digitál Top 100, number 11 on the same chart in the Czech Republic, and number 13 in Finland. [29] [30] [31] "Remember the Name" debuted at number 20 in Sweden and number 22 in Denmark, spending three weeks on each country's chart. [32] [33] The song also peaked at number 24 in Norway and number 29 in Germany. [34] [35]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of No.6 Collaborations Project . [4]
|
|
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [27] | 15 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [25] | 20 |
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [30] | 11 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) [33] | 22 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [31] | 13 |
France (SNEP) [36] | 145 |
Germany (GfK) [35] | 29 |
Italy (FIMI) [37] | 84 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [38] | 22 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [39] | 45 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [28] | 10 |
Norway (VG-lista) [34] | 24 |
Romania (Airplay 100) [40] | 68 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [29] | 9 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [32] | 20 |
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [21] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [23] | 57 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [24] | 22 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [26] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Stan" is a song by American rapper Eminem, with vocals sampled from the opening lines of British singer Dido's song "Thank You". It was released in 2000 as the third single from Eminem's third album, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). "Stan" peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Stan" topped the charts in twelve countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Ireland.
D12 was an American hip hop collective from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of de facto leader Eminem, Proof, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, Kuniva and Swifty McVay.
"Candy Shop" is the second single by rapper 50 Cent from his second commercial album, The Massacre (2005). It features Olivia and was written by 50 Cent and the song's producer, Scott Storch. The single was released through Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.
"How We Do" is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist the Game, featuring rapper 50 Cent from his debut album, The Documentary. Produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo, it was released as the album's second official single in late 2004.
"Sing for the Moment" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth album The Eminem Show (2002). It was released on February 25, 2003, as the fourth single from The Eminem Show and the final single in the United States. The song samples "Dream On" by American rock band Aerosmith.
Hot Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. Streaming data and digital downloads were added to the methodology of determining chart rankings in 2012. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single sold in that given week. The song with the most weeks at number one is "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar, with a total of 25 weeks.
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as influencing many musical artists. His most successful songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 include "The Real Slim Shady", "Without Me", "Lose Yourself", "Not Afraid", "Love the Way You Lie", "The Monster", "Godzilla", and "Houdini".
Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After signing with Eminem, 50 Cent also worked heavily with Dr. Dre acting as the album's executive producers, who worked to combine the gangsta rap and R&B combo prevalent in New York hip-hop. Additional production is provided by Mike Elizondo, Sha Money XL, Mr. Porter, Rockwilder, Dirty Swift, Megahertz, and more.
"Crack a Bottle" is a song by American rappers Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. The song was released as the lead single from the former's sixth studio album Relapse (2009). On February 12, 2009, the song broke the first week digital sales record with 418,000 downloads, topping the previous record held by "Live Your Life" by T.I. featuring Rihanna. This record was broken again the following week by "Right Round" by Flo Rida. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2010.
"No Love" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, from Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery (2010). It was released as the third official single from the album. It impacted radio on October 5, 2010. "No Love" was produced by American hip hop record producer Just Blaze. The song samples "What Is Love" by Haddaway. It features the chorus of the song as the backing vocals. "No Love" reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has sold more than a million digital downloads in the United States. It was ranked the 8th best song of 2010 by Complex.
"My Life" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent featuring fellow American rapper Eminem and American singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5. It was originally released as the second official single of 50 Cent's scrapped studio album Street King Immortal, but was later removed from the project. The single was produced by American music producer Symbolyc One. The song premiered on American radio station Hot 97, and was made available for digital download on iTunes Store on November 26, 2012.
"The Monster" is a song from American rapper Eminem's album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) featuring a guest appearance from Rihanna. The song was written by Bebe Rexha, Eminem, Rihanna, Aalias, Jon Bellion, Maki Athanasiou, and Frequency, with the latter also handling production. Released on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album, "The Monster" marks the fourth collaboration between Eminem and Rihanna, following "Love the Way You Lie" (2010), its sequel "Love the Way You Lie " (2010), and "Numb" (2012), and is a hip-hop and pop song, with lyrics that describe Eminem pondering the negative effects of his fame while Rihanna comes to grips with her inner demons.
"River" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It is the fifth track from his ninth solo studio album Revival (2017). The song was written by the artists alongside producer Emile Haynie. "River" was released to radio on December 15, 2017 in Italy, and in the UK on January 5, 2018, as the album's second single. The music video received a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. "River" details the struggles of a failing relationship that culminates in an abortion.
American rapper Eminem has released 60 singles as a lead artist and 16 promotional singles. He has also featured in 21 singles as a guest artist, while entering the charts with over 100 additional songs.
No.6 Collaborations Project is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 12 July 2019 through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album compiles tracks which include collaborations from Khalid, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, PnB Rock, Stormzy, Yebba, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Eminem, 50 Cent, Young Thug, J Hus, Ella Mai, Paulo Londra, Dave, H.E.R., Meek Mill, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Skrillex, Chris Stapleton, and Bruno Mars. It is a sequel to Sheeran's 2011 compilation extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project.
"Beautiful People" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran featuring American singer Khalid. It was released on 28 June 2019 through Asylum Records as the third single from the former's compilation album, No.6 Collaborations Project (2019).
"Take Me Back to London" is a song by British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran featuring British rapper Stormzy. It was released through Asylum and Atlantic Records as the final single from the former's compilation album No.6 Collaborations Project (2019).
"Those Kinda Nights" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his eleventh studio album Music to Be Murdered By. It was released as the album's fifth track on January 17, 2020, via Shady Records along with the album. Recording sessions took place at Effigy Studios in Detroit with Mike Strange. Co-produced by Em, the production was handled by D.A Got That Dope with additional production by Fred Again. It features English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran performing the hook, marking the third collaboration between the two artists, after 2017 "River" and 2019 "Remember The Name".
"Godzilla" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring fellow American rapper Juice Wrld, released as a single on January 31, 2020, from the former's eleventh studio album Music to Be Murdered By (2020). The song was Juice Wrld's first posthumous release following his death the previous month in December 2019. It topped the charts in Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom and reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
"The Woo" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rappers 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch, from the former of the three's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020) as well as the EP For The Night (2020). The song was released as the second single from the album on July 10, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. It was written by the artists alongside producer 808Melo, co-producers Rxcksta and JW Lucas, and Jess Jackson, who is also credited as an additional producer alongside 1801 Records, Billy J, DJ Drewski, Jer-Z, K. Mack, and Ray Lennon.