According to a producer, the darkest song on Relapse has a surprisingly short backstory.
Scary single
“3 AM” was released digitally in April 2009 as the third single from Relapse. Essentially, the song offers another skin-crawling trip into the mind of a serial killer. Even the music video directed by James Larese, who worked under the name Syndrome back then, leans heavily into blood-soaked imagery, bringing on screen a literal blood bath.
However, beyond the narrative’s detailed brutality, the technical side of the writing is just as striking. In “3 AM”, Eminem uses complex multisyllabic rhyme schemes, also extensively employing internal rhymes. Apparently, he wrote it incredibly quickly.
Production notes
Five-time Grammy-winning producer and classically trained pianist Mark Batson was in the studio, working on Relapse. He occasionally shares studio stories on social media, and this time he shared another gem. Commenting on our footage of Eminem performing “3 AM” at the 2018 Coachella, Mark revealed just how quickly Marshall wrote the track.
“We made the beat with Dr. Dre and then handed it to Marshall, who returned a few hours later with one of the best and most creative flows I’d ever heard”, the producer recalled.
Sometimes instinct works better than overthinking. Clearly, Eminem trusted his instincts that day, and the track remains one of the standout tracks in Em’s catalogue.