Released May 21, 2002 | Recorded 2001 Length 4:58 | |
Label AftermathShadyInterscope Writer(s) Marshall MathersNathaniel HaleLuis Resto | ||
"Till I Collapse" is a song by American rapper Eminem. It was released from his fourth studio album, The Eminem Show, during 2002. It is the 18th track on the album, and features American rapper Nate Dogg in the chorus.
Contents
Background
The song samples the "stomp-stomp-clap" beat made famous by the rock band Queen on their song "We Will Rock You" (1977).
Although it has never been released as a single, it has charted on a few occasions when other Eminem albums have been released. In 2012 it was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for digital sales of 2,000,000 copies in the United States.
In the second verse, Eminem makes references to several rappers who he believes are the best in the industry. The list, in descending order, is Reggie (Redman), Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., André 3000, Jadakiss, Kurupt, Nas and then himself.
Critical reception
David Browne wrote that this song is about underrating Eminem himself: "In songs like the trudging 'Till I Collapse (...) he tells how persecuted he's been by the government, how his lyrics are constantly misinterpreted, and how [he'll] probably never get the props [he]... [deserves]. DX Magazine called this song "massive hand-clap driven beat." Steve Juon wrote in his favorable review, "Wrapping up the album are "Till I Collapse," another surprisingly militaresque track." Kris Ex described "'Till I Collapse" as an "all paranoid horror-movie instrumentation bottomed with arena-rock grandeur." On October 9, 2013, WatchMojo.com rated 'Till I Collapse number 7 on their 'Top 10 Eminem Songs'.
In popular culture
Although "'Till I Collapse" was not released as a single, when the single "Shake That" (also featuring Nate Dogg) was released in 2006, several Eminem songs re-charted that same week, including this one. It charted in the United Kingdom at number 192 on 15 April 2006. In 2008, it appeared in HBO's Oscar de la Hoya – Manny Pacquiao 24/7. In 2009, it was used in an advert for the then-upcoming game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It raised digital download sales of the song worldwide considerably, but in Britain the song sold so many copies after the advert aired that it re-charted that week (21 November 2009) at number 73, a new peak. During the 2010–11 NBA season, the song was used during the Cleveland Cavaliers' team introductions. Shane Mosley used this song as an entrance theme with his bout with Floyd Mayweather as did Shane Carwin for his bout against Junior dos Santos. Major League Baseball pitcher Jesse Litsch used the song as his entrance music during the 2011 season. The song has also been used in the credits of the Season 8 premiere of Entourage. It was also used in September 2011 in the trailer and soundtrack for the film Real Steel, and in trailers and TV spots for the Oliver Stone-directed film Savages.