S Poddar
Eminem has had a very weird relationship with actor Christopher Reeve, who is most known for playing Superman. Eminem has mentioned the deceased actor in many songs. He often makes disses and jabs at him. For years, the artist behind “Lose Yourself” has used the name of the actor, causing fans to wonder why he has become a recurring figure in Eminem’s songs.
In his 2009 song “Medicine Ball,” Eminem rapped: “Put Christopher Reeve on a unicycle with a kickstand, kick it up and push him and lead him right into quicksand / Here, you need a hand, big man?” This was just one of many instances where Reeve’s name was used in a diss, with the rapper taking shots at the actor, even mimicking his voice in the song before adding: “Always hated you, and I still do.”
The actor, who passed away in 2004, became a character of repeated mention in several of Eminem’s songs. Reeve appears in tracks such as “Purple Pills,” “Who Knew,” and “My 1st Single,” with the total number of references to him reaching 44 in Eminem’s discography. Fans have been left puzzled by this ongoing theme, prompting a variety of theories as to why the rapper continually targets the Superman star.
Some fans on Reddit thought it was that Eminem liked the way Reeve’s name sounded in his rhymes. One person even thought up a more outlandish theory: “The beef went so far Christopher Reeve died on purpose, just so Eminem couldn’t release a diss track against him.” Those were all good-natured speculations, but they leave people to wonder about the real reason behind the references.
In response to these theories, Eminem himself addressed the subject in a 2004 track, “Rain Man,” explaining that he harbored no ill will toward Reeve. In fact, the rapper confessed that he had admired Reeve as a child. “And let’s get this straight also; I ain’t got no beef with him either. He used to be like a hero to me, I even think I had one of them 25-cent stickers on my refrigerator, right next to Darth Vader.”
As it would end, Reeve was quite a personal hero to Eminem, much as he’d become to millions of admirers of Superman. Despite this admiration, Reeve’s name still appeared in the rapper’s lyrics even after the actor was no more. After releasing the track “Medicine Ball,” he spitted a freestyle that went something like: “I need Christopher Reeve to come and lay his verse / I think he can spit it better on Medicine Ball, first / Off, I did not even realize the guy died / So I guess them Christopher Reeve jokes ain’t gonna fly.”
Eminem’s comments highlight a complex relationship with Reeve’s memory, one that blurs childhood admiration with his signature style of using any and all topics, even ones as serious as the death of a beloved actor, for his controversial lyricism. Despite the theories and occasional backlash from fans, it seems that the references to Christopher Reeve were never meant to convey animosity but rather served as a quirky element in Eminem’s songwriting. Whether he was fully aware of the impact of these references or not, they have undoubtedly become a part of his vast and often provocative catalog.
One of many fine examples of how the rapper has made these names and phenomena into fodder for his often outrageous verses is Christopher Reeve as a lyrical subject. While it is somewhat ironic that an actor of Reeve’s caliber has had such a dominant presence in Eminem’s music, it is also testimony to how the rapper’s mind works when he goes about penning his songs: always looking for something to twist, challenge, or even mock, no matter the subject matter. In the end, it is clear that Eminem’s references to Reeve were not based on any actual beef with the actor but rather were the product of creative expression rooted in a childhood memory and fueled by the need to generate bold, memorable lines. In a career where every reference counts, Christopher Reeve became an unlikely but persistent figure in Eminem’s musical narrative.
