Ren-'Slaughter House' DEEP ANALYSIS

Wow Tim! I've said it before, you never disappoint. I love that you did. a deep dive into this song. I've only watched it three times. but each time, at the end, when the shooter. shoots Ren, my heart stopped. You always teach me something new with each reaction that you do, and that's what I love about you. The beginning of the song I totally relate to. I think it's what everybody goes through when they're dealing with life threatening diseases. I dealt with back-to-back cancer this past year, and in the darkest hour of the night, my mind flew in a million different directions at lightning speed filled with fear and regret, and that's what I see depicted in Ren's opening, I can literally feel the chaos, and my heart was heavy. This video proves to me. once and for all that Ren is a gifted prodigy, I've only heard one reactor mention this in her reaction to "Hi Ren". I've suspected it for a while, but this video proves it for me. You look at all the instruments he's taught himself to play. the abstract writing that just flows. and the imagery that that writing provokes, Ren is a genius, and he tells us that in "Hi Ren." My favorite part of the video was when he's dressed in white, when the shooter shoots Ren, the guys dressed in black surrounding him fall to the ground as well. There's no getting about it. I absolutely love Ren, he gives me a daily dose of Hope with every video I watch, and Hope is not an easy gift to give. Thanks Tim, you're the best!

William Hall

I loved your breakdown and yyyyep, hardcore Renegade here!

🎭Orpheus Wren🐦🏳️‍⚧️♂️Zaunking of Words

Meant to add that how much I love your breakdowns. You always make me listen to things I normally miss. Thank you

Cathy A Wethington

Several people have said that killing ghosts is probably because of the white sheets making them look like ghosts. I think that for Ren , bullets are words, his lyrics, but that's just my take. This song is so complex, beautiful and haunting that I felt a bit stunned after the first view. I'm still trying to work it out in my head

Cathy A Wethington

Your comments are amazing! I’ve mostly only heard surface comments on his possibly killing off his Sick Boi rap side and moving on to a more musical place. Good analysis. Yes, I’m a hard core renegade. I do love the visuals on this, especially the scene where he is shrink wrapped. It’s all very creative! One wonders what REN’s dreams are like.

Kathleen Kristjansson

Okay ya got me, thanks for posting it on Patreon free plan. I'm glad to join! (optimistinmyprime)

Natasha 🇨🇦

All these comments are fantastic!

Ladybassguitarplayer

In Verse #3: Ren is giving us a deep double by using Skelington instead of the word Skeleton as in a reference to Jack Skelington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas". The story goes that Jack, as the "Pumpkin King" and master of ceremonies, is in charge of Halloweeen Town (film)'s Halloween celebration. He is loved, respected, and even idolized by the other residents for his role, but he has grown weary of celebrating the same holiday endlessly and is depressed about it. So this could very well mean that Ren is down or uncomfortable with how his fans idolize and celebrate him all the time JUST for the work from his Sick Boi Album. He's trying to say he's hoping to be known for more than just the music that revolves around the most painful part of his life. This would fit because by the end of this song he essentially kills off the Sick Boi and all his dark and light variations of that character (Hi Ren) and a new Ren emerges. Also, verse #4: Explains what he's created in this new album. "Working in a lab a mad bad lad, Dexter" - referencing (Dexter's Lab) The new album; unlike his Sick Boi album, only has a couple of hip hop tracks and is 90% melodic. "Switch up the style like bi-sex, impress you" He also saying that he's worked hard and coming in hot, heavy & original - "Heavy lift - tricep, bicep, I flex the Thunder and lightning writing, I'm Tesla Connect, direct it, hertz disconnect The last part I believe is just Ren being a little bit braggadocios, letting us know how good he believes it's come out and it'll blow everyone away by how different it is from his last album. He may even silence all the naysayers and hater out there. " Coming for your neck, the head debt collector A million degrees graduate semester A bullet in the knee till you kneel to the emperor",

Robert Marar

I think you are correct, especially with the way it shouts out Money Ties, and "wings were torn by my oppressor" or even Illest of Our Time's "Tattered wings".

Elizabeth Fischer

I agree with this observation. I think making it a rap was a good bridge between the two albums, and the beat/flow switches are a declaration that he has so much more in the pipeline. I'm interested to see more Kit, and all the other collaborations he's doing. I think it's going to be a very fun new chapter.

Elizabeth Fischer

Thanks. I agree having Ren as an example is very helpful in not giving up on creating, even when we can't bring those ideas to life.

Elizabeth Fischer

Robert Marar

Great breakdown Tim! Just joined the patreon but been a follower since you picked up ren. Looking forward to getting more involved with the community here on the patreon

Michael Walsh

Ren posted the live stream from twitch that he did after the premier of this song. (Seriously -everyone needs to watch it!) He does a breakdown of the song himself and also reacts to Knox doing a breakdown. He said for him, the song is the story of being chronically ill. A lot goes on in Ren's life and brain, tho', so there are the references to losing loved ones, making his art, the state of the world. etc throughout. I think the chosen ones are the chronically ill. I would guess that most people who are listening to these extended song analyses are also listening to Ren's Chapters, interviews and live streams. I think you understand his work on a much deeper level when you know Ren the man, and he has been putting himself out to the world in an increasingly candid and articulate way since Hi Ren brought him a steady increase in audience. Btw, this is first song of the new album and the new logo is the rabbit Johnson .

LoutTsu

Wow, great insights! I just love the feel of this song, Ren is definitely a master of sound. I know chronic pain feels like hell on earth. I'm jealous of Ren's resolve to create his art, I was a sculptor before illness, and I keep attempting to create, but it's been so difficult. I love that Ren is out there, telling us we're not alone, but he also tells us not to give in. It makes me feel like I will create, so to keep thinking creatively, and the art will come.

Aimee

Hey Tim little confused on where to comment - are we meant to be commenting here or should we comment on the YouTube platform? Just realized the comments don't seem to be integrated...

Emily

Great in-depth analysis, including the recognition that some elements are still unclear to us/you... also, stepping back just enough to see the wood for the trees within the wider Reniverse, I am convinced that the underlying story to this track and video is "Rest In Peace, Sickboi: Welcome to the Slaughterhouse"

LicklePaulie

12:20 the insertion of the word Gaia at that point (to me) seems like a reference to a return to earth / return to mother earth, almost like a peaceful / nurturing return-to-home version of ashes to ashes and dust to dust

Emily

This was brilliant, thank you Tim. So pleased you took the time for this deep dive. My goodness this was worthy of one. Ren is extraordinary! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Vicky Knight

I first saw your reaction on YouTube and noticed it was only 6+ minutes. I thought, "Tim, you can't possibly do this in 6 minutes!" But then here we are. Such a great analysis and breakdown! Thanks so much. Love it!

Belinda Roberts

P.S. What is your metal channel name? I can't find it :(

Ladybassguitarplayer

Thank you so much for having this available for free Patreons! This is so good. I love your in-depth analysis. I hear "Nephilim roaming the earth with a severed wing" as referring to Ren. (I am probably wrong) Ren is such a gift to us!

Ladybassguitarplayer

Elysium, Tartarus, and Gaia--Heaven, Hell, Earth--perfect health, Ren's experience of Health, Homeostasis, the extremes of hyperpolarization and the medium ground. I think The Chosen is every human being. Those granted the ability to be creative and innovative. Our Time (the doors) are closing on all of us and we all must fall in The Slaughterhouse eventually. The drop is luscious. The gurney scene was where he almost got his eye poked out. He's now dealing with recurring blindness and pain related, presumably to his autoimmunity. Nephilim with a broken wing is a nod to Money Ties. It is a reference to hobbled potential. Ren has always felt he had a destiny, and has felt sabotaged by his illness. Boys that are lost--call back to his song Lost Boy and Peter Pan's crew... a desire for a childlike environment where creativity matters more than adult responsibilities. He's ripped, but remember, it's because he can't eat many foods. He *just* found he can handle rice again, in addition to meat, and about 5-6 vegetables. The Sword of Damocles is his health and unexpected relapses. It is also the complexities of the music industry (Kujobeats). The third verse is Ren fronting confidence--He's a killer MC, but he's also lying to us... he is, in reality, being crushed under his health setbacks. Hertz--Hurts. The Head debt collector collects heads, but he's also the head of collecting debts--Lyme, MAST Syndrome, Dysautonomia. He's trying like Dexter, a scientist to find his cure. He's also like the character Dexter--a killer who deconstructs victims--dissecting himself. He said he filmed this just after his eye was injured, and refused to go to the hospital until they finished the shot. KKK wear sheets--like ghosts. You can kill them with guns. I think the following hype is the recognition of how entitled we feel when we demonize others instead of helping them heal. I'm also fairly sure there are probably Slaughterhouse 5 references since Vonnegut is his favorite author. I need to reread that book...but I digress. Great track, currently living on repeat! Great deep dive!

Elizabeth Fischer