YESTERDAY, WITHOUT ANY prior notice, Eminem released a new 11-track album called ‘Kamikaze’.
The 45-year-old rapper dissed numerous other hip hop stars on the album, including DJ Akademiks, Joe Budden, Lil Pump, Lil Xan, Vince Staples, and Odd Future rappers Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt.
Many were unimpressed by Eminem’s usage of homophobic slurs across the album, including the word ‘f****t’, which was directed at Tyler and Earl in the song ‘Fall’.
Some fans pointed out that Eminem had lost the battle with Earl Sweartshirt long ago, when Earl told an interviewer “If you still follow Eminem, you drink way too much Mountain Dew and probably need to like, come home from the army.”
Fans aside, even artists who collaborated with Eminem on the album are unhappy with his gratuitous use of homophobic language.
Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon took to Twitter to make it clear that he was not in the studio when the song ‘Fall’ was recorded, and he had not known that it would contain homophobic language. The singer also said that once he heard the full track, he had asked for it to be changed but Eminem’s producers refused.
Was not in the studio for the Eminem track... came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will. Not a fan of the message, it’s tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn’t do it. Thanks for listening to BRM https://t.co/E0wmt732ty
— blobtower (@blobtower) August 31, 2018
Later, Justin Vernon posted another tweet about the album.
The singer said, “It is certainly not the time for slurs. Wish they would have listened when we asked them to change it.”
Eminem is one of the best rappers of all time , there is no doubt. I have and will respect that. Tho, this is not the time to criticize Youth, it’s the time to listen. To act. It is certainly not the time for slurs. Wish they would have listened when we asked them to change it
— blobtower (@blobtower) August 31, 2018
However, some fans remained critical.
One man pointed out that “Eminem has rapped about beating women and killing people his whole career”, and that Vernon should have known what he was signing up for.
Killing the track now will do nothing. The initial statement was fine and no further action needs to be taken. If people are offended by the homophobic slur used in the song, please do not support the song or the artist however we shouldn’t act surprised by the lyric.
— Jack Harris (@Harrisjac94) August 31, 2018
