Eminem’s legendary track “Stan” remains one of the most talked-about songs in hip-hop history. With its lasting influence on pop culture, fans have often wondered about the creative process behind it. Recently, Eminem’s longtime manager revealed an unexpected detail and disclosed some timeless secrets regarding the song’s background.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What did Eminem’s manager say about the Stan song?
Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg, said “Stan” was just a name that rhymed with “fan,” not a blend of “stalker” and “fan.”
Recently, Eminem’s longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg, finally shed light on one of the most persistent fan theories surrounding “Stan.” He explained that the name Stan was neither a witty acronym nor a pun. Rather, it was simply selected because it rhymed nicely with the song. However, this inadvertently gave rise to a term now firmly established in popular trends.
Since its release in 2000, the term has evolved and made its way into a dictionary-worthy word used to describe intense fandom. It has become synonymous with describing overly enthusiastic or obsessive fans of well-known musicians, actors, and other celebrities. The Oxford English Dictionary officially added “Stan” in 2017 and recognized its use as both a noun and a verb.
During an interview with The Independent UK, Paul and director Steven Leckart discussed the details of their current project, a limited-release documentary about Eminem titled Stans. He mentioned, “[Mathers] says that it was coincidental.” He further elaborated on the “Stan” portmanteau. “It was just the name that rhymed with ‘fan,’ and he just created it based on that. So that was a happy coincidence.”
The documentary is about to be released shortly. Eventually, the creators have also chosen to interview superfans of the iconic singer. For instance, Zolt Shady, a woman who has Eminem’s face tattooed 22 times on her body. Another fan dedicated 10 years to working in the same diner where Mathers once worked, all in hopes of catching a glimpse of him one day. Rosenberg revealed that the “most surprising” aspect for him while creating the documentary was how deeply Mathers’ fans connected with him through his music on so many different levels.
Stans will hit cinemas worldwide for a limited run.
The film will play exclusively at AMC Theatres in the U.S. for one weekend only, starting Thursday, August 7.
