Like Toy Soldiers

Album: Encore (2004)
Charted: 3 34
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This samples the 1989 hit Toy Soldiers by Martika.
  • This is about feuds in the rap community. It is common practice for rappers to sling insults at each other in their songs, and this often leads to violence. Eminem compares the rappers to toy soldiers, who are being controlled by someone else, which in many cases is a record company that sells albums and profits from the controversy.
  • To make the point about the danger of rap feuds, Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G, Big L and former D12 member Bugz are shown at the end of the music video as examples of rappers who were killed by violence. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR, for all above
  • When Eminem says, "I heard him say Hailie's name in a song I just lost it," he's talking about how Ja Rule and Benzino talk about his daughter in their songs. One Ja Rule song says, "You say your mom's a crackhead, Kim is a known slut, so what's Hailie going to be when she grows up?" Benzino says, "Hailie's in a coma I can smell the aroma." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Madee - Culver, CA

Comments: 26

  • RoseI agree with Locus Morgan. I mean they should have been expecting Eminem to snap at them for using her name>
  • Locus MorganMy god, I can’t stand when people bring family members into an argument that they don’t belong in he should’ve never mention Hailie in his song so screw ya Ja and Benzino
  • Brigid from Pocono Mountain, PaAlso first diss to EM's middle and only biological daughter was by everlast in 1999:
    “Cock my hammer, spit a comet like Halley.”
    Also the lines
    "remind Eminem of D’Angelo Bailey
    Haley’s in a coma, Haley’s in a coma
    I smell the aroma, of a dead body"
    ... that was ESHAM
    Ja Rule had a need with 50 and got pissed when he was signed to Shady Records... he wrote:
    "Em you claim your mother’s a crackhead and Kim is a known slut
    So what’s Hailie gonna be when she grows up?"
    As for benzino... well he is real well decide when u read what he wrote:
    Tell Haley it ain’t safe no more (nah)
    Daddy better watch yo’ back at the candystore
    We F--ked up, resort to plan B
    F--k around she and up like Jon Benet Ramsey (that’s right)
    Matter of fact you better check the DNA (what)
    She probably ain’t yours, and where’s your wife Kim anyway
    She’s on her knees somewhere suckin’ 50 Cent

    Also... OBVIOUSLY this song was not about PROOF getting killed.. over a pool game.... as he was alive when this song came out and in the flippin video...

    @katelyn song is not about Proof.. read above... he was IN the video
    .. and yes @logan this part is about dre.... the sound states
    "Plus Dre told me stay out, just wasn't my beef, So I did
    I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth while he's all over TV
    Now I'm talking a man who literally saved my life, like f--k it
    I understand, this is business and this s--t just isn't none of my business
    But still knowing this s--t could pop off at any minute cause"
    When Dre signed Em he has just placed 2nd in rap Olympics and literally could hardly afford to feed his family... he had attempted suicide shortly b4 that... when he met Dre he had been in the same outfit (that he had been given) for a week....
    It is also a common understanding that Bugz is the one who is depicted by other former D12 member proof. IMBD also seems to agree... so I dont think anyone should be being nasty about someone citing a VERY commonly accepted theory.
  • Brigid from Pocono Mountain, Pa@MoH and @ Michael dont know how old you are Michael but I remember when Suge signed Dre to Death row records after he left ruthless... it is a matter of public record that they were in business together. Aldo Jimmy Iovene from interscope was also included in that deal (Dre met him through Suge and he later helped Dre start Aftermath and secured the 3 billion dollar deal with apple for beats) there are also MANY pictures and statements made by MANY people including Suge, Dre and Iovene that corroborate this. Suge has also alluded to having Big killed on numerous occasions including the many times he has told the story of being in the car when 2pac was killed... as others have mentioned it is a matter of doing a bit of research. Suge also tied to have Em killed TWICE (many people have given testimony to this although he never was able to have it happen...THANK GOD)Suge is now a 3 strike felon as a result of killing a gang member with his car at the photo shoot for "Straight out of Compton". They had hired local gang members for security on the shoot and when Suge showed up to "confront" (i.e. kill) Dre and Cube... the man was killed my Suge... this is not alleged.... Suge turned himself over to the cops... thank you and goodnight... there is a great HBo documentary called "The Defiant Ones" this will give you ALOT of background on the facts.... there are also 2 great books: Dr Dre: A Biography and Angry Blonde (eminem)
  • Michael from Las Cruces, NmAlso, MoH you're wrong, Suge didn't do s--t.
  • Michael from Las Cruces, Nm@MoH at the bottom of the comments: Bro, you do realize that Tupac is rumored to be hidden in Colombia right? He's laying low so people don't know he's still out there, but he's out there. Also, it's only a rumor Dre worked for Suge, I don't think its been proven...
  • Jessica from Charlottesville, Vakatelyn, the "Like Toy Soldiers" video was released in 2004 or 2005 and the person in the emergency room of the hospital IS Proof, so this video is not about Proof's death. That didn't occur until 2006.
  • Stephanie from Wilkes-barre, PaI think Eminem is just a regular guy who has been delt a s--tty hand. But he makes the best of it and tries to teach his daughter right from wrong. We all deal with our problems differently, some by using drugs, some by cutting, and some write to deal with what's going on. But the most important thing is that he has finally got his head on straight and making the right choices. His daughter is his life I can tell just by the way he sound when he talks about her. And that he defends her in every way possible when her name is mentioned in a bad way. But that's how parents are, they live to protect their own and their family. So in my opinion he is doing a fantastic job!!
  • Katelyn from North Branch, Miand Logan, the part you're talking about is about Proof. He was also a D12 member
  • Katelyn from North Branch, Miactually, this song is about proof, not bugz. Proof was Eminems best friend and he was shot in detroit reciently before this song came out. He was shot by a bouncer in detroit michigan at a night club.
  • Ryan from Lake Worth, Flto the song fact by madee up there that said Benzino says, "Hailie's in a coma I can smell the aroma. that is a song by ESHAM called chemical imbalance not benzino just to make that clear
  • Ivy from Springfield, Nei heard this martika song on the radio once, and since i memeorized the eminem song, after the chorus-y part, i sang this entire song. my mom turned off the radio and my dad stopped the car, they both turned around along with my sister and 2 brothers and just stared at me. i felt so proud.
  • Logan from Lawrenceburg, KyI gots a ? Wen Eminem says "While he's on t.v. down talkin a man who literally saved my life" is he talking bout DR. Dre???
  • Ivy from Springfield, Nelol @ marissa down there. i like u! =)not in a creepy way
  • Kelsey from Rustburg, VaThis is actually the song that i used to get my parents to let me listen 2 eminem. They didnt lik rap cuz of the fueds that arose from their lyrics and they were glad to hear someone in the industry gave a damn about it.
  • Martina from Omaha, NeI love this song. One of the best Eminem songs hands down!
  • Gsdfgsdfgsdfg from Nmbnm, Neeminem tried to touch dr dres nuttzzzz on my face with the counter and dr mustard with the candlestick in the ballroom.
  • Atsve from Cairns, AustraliaOnce again, great lyrics from Eminem. This is about the whole rap business and the dangers it involves.
  • Layne from New York, NyWhat the hell are u guys talking? First, Suge Knight didn't kill Pac. ok Secondly, why would Em shoot a video about a member of D12 who died something like 5 years prior?
  • Thomas Pacini from Toronto, Canadajustin, its just proof acting as bugz re-enacting his murder.
  • Marissa from Is This Optional?, OhI probably shouldn't talk because I've never heard this song, but why would they talk about his life and family and daughter like that? I mean, I know rappers aren't known for being the kindest dudes ever, but geez! That's low! (Okay, you can probably tell I'm a sheltered white classic-rock loving girl by now, right?)
  • Justin from Williamstown, VtMoH has no idea what they're talking about. Suge Knight did not have Tupac killed, get real.

    And Dan, Bugz was killed just prior to the release of Devil's Night, years before this video was shot or came out.
  • Dan from Washington, DcAcctually the guy who got shot in the Toy Soldiers video was Bugz who was killed in real life just prior to the shoting of the video. Proof was just the person representing Bugz in the video because obviously Bugz was dead. I dont think Proofs dead is correalated at all to the Toy Soldiers video.
  • Ty from New Canaan, CtSomething else:

    In the video, Em's D12 member and close friend Proof is "shot" and the video consists of Em waiting outside Proof's OR and at the end, his funeral. Last month Proof was shot and killed in real life.

    Sad, yes. Also darkly ironic.
  • Chris from Edmonton, Canadathis is my favorite eminem song. this reminds me of finding peace on earth and ending war and poverty.
  • Moh from Fairfax, VaIn the Line "It wasnt my intentions, my intentions were good, i went through my whole carreer without ever mentionin' _____" he is refering to Suge (shoog) same person who killed 2pac. Dre used to also work for suge.. There are plenty more things behind the story, but just find them out urself ;-)
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