Somewhere in the early fall of 2013, Eminem recorded the following lyrics on the song 'The Monster' :
It's payback, Russell Wilson falling way back
In the draft, turn nothing into something, still can make that
Straw into gold chump, I will spin Rumpelstiltskin in a haystack
Russell Wilson's a popular guy. A hip cultural figure about to play on the Sports World's biggest stage for the 2nd year in a row. His meteoric rise to national fame has been so swift over the last 18 months that it's common to think of Eminem's shout out as a reaction to it. The reality however, is that Eminem recorded the line just before the rise of National Wilsonism, and that's amazing.
When Eminem wrote the song the "something" that Russell had spun from 3rd round nothingness was earning the Seahawks' starting job, 11 wins, one playoff win and one playoff loss. Now, the "something" is 30 more wins, two division championships, two dramatic playoff runs, two Super Bowls, and usurping the TV Commercial MVP crown from Peyton Manning. The "something" as it stands now may help Wilson avoid the fate of so many other Eminem lines.
Not all music survives our tumultuous cultural turnover but we can safely bet Eminem's music -especially a hit like 'The Monster'- is going to survive the decades just as his hits from the early 2000s have.
Eminem's songs are filled with references and name drops and that's part of his appeal, certainly he's not the only artist to do so, but it does carry some awkward risks. I doubt Eminem gives any thought on the matter, but while his music will live on through the decades, some of his references will most certainly not.
A noticable feature of Eminem's older hits are some puzzling lines for the younger crowds, Tom Green? Fred Durst? Vanilla Ice? Pam and Tommy? I'm sorry fellow 30-40 year olds, those aren't household names anymore. The 2015 kids streaming those songs on Pandora today have no idea who Eminem was talking about. By contrast, Elvis, the Incredible Hulk and Will Smith carry on today in name recognition just as they did in 2000.
When 'The Monster' comes on at a party in 2030, or shuffles onto your iPhone19 in 2035, the Russell Wilson line may not live on like Elvis, but he's not likely to suffer the same fate that has befallen the Tom Green line in 2015.
Here and now, Wilson is on the precipice of becoming a lasting household name. But was Wilson's rise to national fame obvious when Eminem recorded the song? I contend it was not obvious at all. In fact, when Eminem recorded his Russell Wilson line, it would have been downright irresponsible to suggest that a short QB from an obscure NFL market like Seattle would become a decade-lasting household name (outside of Seattle, of course). Wilson has a chance to become that name this Sunday.
Eminem's Wilson reference came out so perfectly during the Seattle Seahawks' rise to national prominence that I don't think anyone has taken the time to appreciate how improbably great of a call this was.
Well, let's try and pin down the point that Eminem recorded the line. It appears Eminem recorded his verses somewhere in late August or early September of 2013. He then sent the track, verses intact, to Rihanna because she was also "a little nuts" to record the chorus. Rhianna is the first one to officially mention the song. She posted on her twitter on September 11, 2013 that she had recorded a "#monster hook" for one of her "favorite artists". So the Wilson line was in place at least by 9/11/13.
On that day, Russell Wilson & The Seahawks had only just beaten the Carolina Panthers 12-7 in Week 1 of the 2013 season. This was considered a lackluster effort because the Panthers had been so terrible in 2012.
This was before the Sunday Night Week 2 beat-down of the defending NFC Champion 49ers, before the Monday Night Massacre of the Saints, before 'The Tip', before we literally shattered Peyton Manning's soul 43-8, before Russell and Sherman ate turkey on the 49ers logo, before the Miracle Comeback against the Packers last week and before the face-off with Tom Brady this Sunday in another Super Bowl. These are the things that have made Wilson a household name and could cement his household name legacy for a long time. None of them had happened when Eminem laid down his track.
( I should clarify what I mean when I say "household name". I'm talking about a player that any casual fan, your mom for example (boom!), outside of the player's region could name. Major League Baseball doesn't even have a household name anymore now that Derek Jeter has retired. Lebron James, Wayne Gretzy, Michael Jordon, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, those are some household names that your mom would know. )
On 9/11/13, Wilson was undoubtedly the least famous of the hip, new "read-option QBs". Colin Kapernick was coming off the Super Bowl and RG3 was fresh off his rookie-of-the-year award and gif-worthy knee explosion. In terms of NFL patterns, Wilson very easily could have regressed, let his height become a factor and by 2030 kids would hear "The Monster" and say WHO? Just as kids hear Eminem's early 2000s music today and may be inclined to wonder about Moby, Chris Kirkpatrick, or Karl Kani.
For context, 'The Monster' was released on October 29, 2013. By that point, the Seahawks were 7-1 and the favorites in the NFC alongside the New Orleans Saints. Wilson's star was beginning it's true ascent.
Now I can hear you saying - "But Miles, unlike Tom Green or Fred Durst, Wilson's fame comes from the massively popular NFL". One could argue that his NFL stardom made Wilson's cultural staying power much more likely. As a 20 year fan of the NFL, I would call you a damned fool. To be an NFL star is one thing, to be a lasting household name is a whole different level.
The NFL moves so fast and spits out stars to be forgotten so quickly that we don't even realize it. Look no further than the Madden covers, whose entire purpose is to pick the single most marketable and famous football player and put them on the cover to sell video games. Next to household names Ray Lewis, Brett Favre and Drew Brees are the slowly-being-forgotten faces of Peyton Hillis, Eddie George and sadly, fellow Seahawk Shaun Alexander.
What if Eminem had a hit song from 2002 with a Rich Gannon reference? Gannon was a redemption story, had a chip on his shoulder, he was the MVP of the league and led the Raiders to the Super Bowl that year. Does that name ring much of a bell outside of the sports world? Not really. I asked my wife who Rich Gannon was and she had literally no idea. It's tough to be remembered.
Wilson could have easily been the next Gannon, or maybe a Kordell Stewart or Jake Plummer. Even other single Super Bowl winners like Brad Johnson, Phil Simms or Mark Rypien can't stay on the radar. For Wilson to stay relevant inside of Eminem's lasting lyrics, he needed Super Bowls and playoff wins and national attention - and that is happening. I don't know if even Seattle fans could have saw this coming. Apparently, only Eminem knew that Russell's spinning "something" was going to be so big. Sorry Moby, but I don't think Russell is going to share your obscure fate OR listen to techno.
For context, 'The Monster' was released on October 29, 2013. By that point, the Seahawks were 7-1 and the favorites in the NFC alongside the New Orleans Saints. Wilson's star was beginning it's true ascent.
Now I can hear you saying - "But Miles, unlike Tom Green or Fred Durst, Wilson's fame comes from the massively popular NFL". One could argue that his NFL stardom made Wilson's cultural staying power much more likely. As a 20 year fan of the NFL, I would call you a damned fool. To be an NFL star is one thing, to be a lasting household name is a whole different level.
The NFL moves so fast and spits out stars to be forgotten so quickly that we don't even realize it. Look no further than the Madden covers, whose entire purpose is to pick the single most marketable and famous football player and put them on the cover to sell video games. Next to household names Ray Lewis, Brett Favre and Drew Brees are the slowly-being-forgotten faces of Peyton Hillis, Eddie George and sadly, fellow Seahawk Shaun Alexander.
What if Eminem had a hit song from 2002 with a Rich Gannon reference? Gannon was a redemption story, had a chip on his shoulder, he was the MVP of the league and led the Raiders to the Super Bowl that year. Does that name ring much of a bell outside of the sports world? Not really. I asked my wife who Rich Gannon was and she had literally no idea. It's tough to be remembered.
Wilson could have easily been the next Gannon, or maybe a Kordell Stewart or Jake Plummer. Even other single Super Bowl winners like Brad Johnson, Phil Simms or Mark Rypien can't stay on the radar. For Wilson to stay relevant inside of Eminem's lasting lyrics, he needed Super Bowls and playoff wins and national attention - and that is happening. I don't know if even Seattle fans could have saw this coming. Apparently, only Eminem knew that Russell's spinning "something" was going to be so big. Sorry Moby, but I don't think Russell is going to share your obscure fate OR listen to techno.
With a victory on Sunday, Wilson will be the 7th QB in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, John Elway and Tom Brady are the other six. Now, there are some household names that won't be forgotten.
-Miles.
-Miles.
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