How many movie references does Eminem include in Music to Be Murdered By? The album's cover art was inspired by Jeff Alexander's 1958 album Alfred Hitchcock Presents Music to Be Murdered By, and the album's narrator goes by the name "Alfred." Naturally, Eminem's 11th studio album includes numerous movie shout-outs.
At 47 years of age, Eminem may seem well past his prime, but the artist has received mostly positive reviews for Music to Be Murdered By. Since 1999, Slim Shady has provoked both the general public and celebrities alike with his aggressive lyrical approach, often using pop culture references to complement comedic jabs. With Music to Be Murdered By, Eminem retains his usual vibe but updates his flow to align with modern trends and talking points. Unsurprisingly, Eminem once again pushes boundaries by addressing sensitive issues, evidenced by the track "Darkness" where he adopts the perspective of the suspect from the tragic 2017 Las Vegas shooting, if only to make a point about gun violence in America.
Director Hitchcock is famous for his macabre storylines and ability to imply violence without actually showing it, as seen in the infamous bathroom sequence from Psycho. For Eminem's latest album, he uses a dark premise for yet another cutting societal commentary. Here's every movie reference in Music to Be Murdered By.
“Premonition” (Intro)
- V for Vendetta: "Only way that you're ahead of me's alphabetically / 'Cause if you diss me, I'm coming after you like the letter V"
“Unaccommodating” feat. Young M.A.
- Pinocchio: "Same pack, same fiend, sellin' the same clothes (Wow) / Pinocchio and my pistol, they got the same nose"
- Avengers: Infinity War: "Game over, Thanos on you H-O's / On my petty shit but I don't paint toes (Yeah)"
- 8 Mile: "I'm 'bout to say "Abracadabra" and pull a B Rabbit up out of my hat"
“You Gon’ Learn” Feat. Royce Da 5’9” and White Gold
- Superman: "Oh shit bro, hold up, wait / I just tripped over my cape (Superman)"
“Godzilla” feat. Juice Wrld
- Godzilla: "I can swallow a bottle of alcohol and I'll feel like Godzilla"
“Darkness”
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: "Feels like I'm loathing in Las Vegas / Haven't got the vaguest why I'm so lost"
- The Usual Suspects: "As I slide the clip in from inside the hotel / Leanin' out the window, going Keyser Söze"
- Staying Alive: "Got 'em hopping over walls and climbing fences / Some of them John Travolta, staying alive by inches"
“Yah Yah” feat. Royce da 5’9,” Black Thought, Q-Tip, and Denaun
- Bloodsport (loose ref): "If I told y'all once, I told y'all twice, that motherfuc*er is nice / I'm the king of the bloodsport on mics"
- Bad Lieutenant: "Used to be the bad lieutenant with M-Illitant / Spillin' over fabulous jams my man Dilla sent"
- Reservoir Dogs: "Keep 'em guessin' hard while broads say my bars is like ASMR / All my dogs is out the reservoir"
- The Long Kiss Goodnight: "You a bark bitch, and never bite, long kiss goodnight"
- Harvey Weinstein: "I'ma show you what I mean when they call me the Harvey Weinstein of 2019"
“Stepdad”
- The Wizard of Oz: "Ding-dong," the p*ssy is dead, the bully finally gets his"
“Marsh”
- Black Widow (loose ref): "Traps 'em and attack similar to an actual arachnid / Or a vaginal tarantula or black widow"
- Batman: "Head spinnin' like invisible scratch pickles / Yeah, Shady's back, see the bat signal"
- Superman: "My name is Marsh and, I'm out this world (This world) / S on my chest (Superman) like it's plural (It's lit)"
“Little Engine”
- Actress Sharon Tate: "I'm irritated, you 'bout to meet a scary fate / And come home to find yourself starin' straight into a fuckin' barrel like Sharon Tate"
- Actress Marilyn Monroe: "I'm losin’ control / Heroin and blow, Marilyn Monroe"
- Star Wars: "Dressed like a Jedi at a Best Buy on the Westside"
- Psycho: "(Psycho) Psycho killer, (Michael) Michael, Thriller"
- Batman: "Bruce Wayne and Alfred, look out ho"
- Rocky: "Balboa with a scalpel"
“Lock It Up” feat. Anderson Paak
- The Incredible Hulk: "Just sit there and act pathetic and sulk / 'Cause I'm getting green, Incredible Hulk"
- Cinderella Man: "I put that on everything like ranch, I'll never land / Too fly, I don't plan to ever Cinderella Man"
“Farewell”
- Cinderella: "Everyone's got 'em, thought that you were Cinderella but / Feels like I slept with the wicked stepmother"
“No Regrets” feat. Don Tolliver
- The Incredible Hulk: "I'm screaming at 'em with no regrets and I'm hulking"
- Hellraiser: "Since day one, Hellraiser with twin blades of a sensei / Givin' up, no comprende (Woo)"
- Godzilla: "But sometimes it's like dropping' an anvil on a house of cards / Or Godzilla squashin' a crouton with combat boots on"
“I Will”
- Actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell: "And she about to start taking off layers like orange peels / Sacha Baron Cohen, Ferrell, where am I going with this?"
- A Fish Called Wanda: "I just finished fuc*in' a fish called Wanda"
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: "Your Willy Wonka persona won't help you any longer"
- Transformers: "I'm Optimus, I make prime examples of mini-Tonkas"