Not Afraid

"Not Afraid" is the first single from American rapper Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery. The single was produced by Boi-1da. It debuted on April 29, 2010 on Shade 45. Unlike all his previous first album singles "My Name Is", "The Real Slim Shady", "Without Me", "Just Lose It" and "We Made You", this song is not a comedy hip hop song, instead has much more deep and meaningful lyrics. On April 27, 2010, Eminem released a freestyle titled "Despicable" over "Over" by Drake and "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" by Lloyd Banks as promo for the single. In the song, described as "uplifting" by manager Paul Rosenberg, Eminem tells of how he has tried to overcome the troubles in his life from the past few years, mainly his drug addiction and rehabilitation. He also notes that he will no longer use the accent in the future right after saying how his last album, Relapse, wasn't as good compared to his previous albums. He promises he will never leave again and now only has his daughters and his music to focus on." The song was featured on 24/7, showcasing the preparations of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley fight.

[Chorus] I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid) To take a stand (To take a stand) Everybody (Everybody) Come take my hand (Come take my hand) We'll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just lettin' you know that you're not alone Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road [Intro] Yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to go to that place to get to this one Now some of you might still be in that place If you're tryna get out, just follow me I'll get you there [Verse 1] You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay 'em But you won't take the sting out these words before I say 'em 'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causin' mayhem When I say I'ma do somethin', I do it I don't give a damn what you think, I'm doin' this for me So fuck the world, feed it beans It's gassed up if it thinks it's stoppin' me I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtably And all those who look down on me I'm tearin' down your balcony No ifs, ands or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he From Infinite down to the last Relapse album he's still shittin' Whether he's on salary, paid hourly Until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him Whichever comes first, for better or worse He's married to the game Like a "fuck you" for Christmas, his gift is a curse Forget the Earth, he's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt And fuck the whole universe [Chorus] I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid) To take a stand (To take a stand) Everybody (Everybody) Come take my hand (Come take my hand) We'll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just lettin' you know that you're not alone Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road [Verse 2] Okay, quit playin' with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in a rhythm For you to know it's a rap You said you was king, you lied through your teeth For that, fuck your feelings Instead of gettin' crowned, you're gettin' capped And to the fans, I'll never let you down again, I'm back I promise to never go back on that promise In fact, let's be honest, that last Relapse CD was "ehh" Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now All I'm tryin' to say is get back, click-clack-blaow 'Cause I ain't playin' around There's a game called circle and I don't know how I'm way too up to back down But I think I'm still tryin' to figure this crap out Thought I had it mapped out, but I guess I didn't This fuckin' black cloud still follows me around But it's time to exorcise these demons These muh'fuckers are doin' jumpin' jacks now [Chorus] I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid) To take a stand (To take a stand) Everybody (Everybody) Come take my hand (Come take my hand) We'll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just lettin' you know that you're not alone Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road [Bridge] And I just can't keep livin' this way So startin' today I'm breakin' out of this cage I'm standin' up, I'ma face my demons I'm mannin' up, I'ma hold my ground I've had enough, now I'm so fed up Time to put my life back together right now [Verse 3] It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you So I could come back a brand-new me You helped see me through And don't even realize what you did, believe me you I've been through the wringer But they can do little to the middle finger I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers And drop dead: no more beef lingers No more drama from now on, I promise To focus solely on handlin' my responsibilities as a father So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughters And raise it, you couldn't lift a single shingle on it 'Cause the way I feel, I'm strong enough to go to the club Or the corner pub and lift the whole liquor counter up 'Cause I'm raisin' the bar I'd shoot for the moon, but I'm too busy gazin' at stars I feel amazin', and I'm— [Chorus] I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid) To take a stand (To take a stand) Everybody (Everybody) Come take my hand (Come take my hand) We'll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just lettin' you know that you're not alone Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road