Trivia

• “Bad Guy” serves as sequel to “Stan” from The Marshall Mathers LP.
• In August 2025, the song was issued alongside “Stan” on the STANS soundtrack album and the “Stan” 25th anniversary single.

Words from Eminem

“

I know that “Legacy” was the first song I recorded for the album. I think I had about five or six songs done, and Paul had said something to the effect of, “This sounds like the Mathers LP.”

So I thought, “Oh, well that could be crazy,” but I always feel like I need at least one holy shit moment. I just kept racking my brain, like, “What the fuck can I talk about?”

Then I went back and listened to The Marshall Mathers LP, and I thought, “You know, it’d be crazy if Stan is dead but his little brother came back.”

I was trying to make it sound like a relationship song at first — like I’m talking to a chick who screwed me over — just to throw people off. The goal was to get to one line where you’re like, “Oh, wait — what the fuck?”

So the song takes you on this journey, but then you realise, “Oh shit — it’s not him. It’s Matthew talking to him.” That was the holy shit moment.