"Business" is a song by American rapper
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
from his fourth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, ''
The Eminem Show
''The Eminem Show'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 26, 2002, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope Records. Eminem produced most of the album himself, with additional production by ...
'' (2002). "Business" was released as the final single from the album on July 22, 2003, but it was not released as an official single in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Composition and reception
"Business" is a
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
song of four minutes and eleven seconds in length.
It sees Eminem comparing himself and Dr. Dre, the song's producer, to fictional crime-fighting duo
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
and
Robin, a comparison first explored in the music video for the previous Eminem single "
Without Me".
The lyrics are backed by a "cartoonish" beat:
one of several Dr. Dre productions on ''The Eminem Show'' which, according to CultureDose writer Marty Brown, affords Eminem a "perfect sound-scape" to inspire emotions in the listener, calling the beat "a launchpad equally effective for humor or anger".
Writing for
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
, Ethan P. noted the "cartoonish" production to be similar in style to several of Eminem's early singles, claiming it to be fitting to the Batman and Robin theme on "Business", but noted that "this time he's actually talking about Batman and Robin!!".
DX Magazine editor J-23 called this "classic" with Dre beats. Kris Ex On "Business": "Em names himself the gatekeeper of hip-hop and obliquely claims to be the best rapper alive: 'The flow's too wet/Nobody close to it/Nobody says it, but everybody knows the shit.'"
Track listing
;UK CD1
;UK CD2
*UK Cassette
;German CD single
;Australian CD single
;German 3" CD single
;
The Singles version
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
In popular culture
The song was used in the 2022
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
trailer of the film ''
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
''Shazam! Fury of the Gods'' is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to '' Shazam!'' (201 ...
''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Business (Song)
Eminem songs
2003 singles
Song recordings produced by Dr. Dre
Songs written by Eminem
Shady Records singles
Aftermath Entertainment singles
Interscope Records singles
Comedy hip-hop songs
Songs written by Dr. Dre
Songs written by Theron Feemster
Songs written by Mike Elizondo