Image via Getty / Heidi Gutman
Eminem became a trending topic again recently, after Gen Z TikTok users highlighted some of his most offensive lyrics in a round-trip debate. The rapper has had his fair share of controversies over the course of his career, perhaps most notably in lyrics that many considered misogynistic or homophobic, but Charlamagne tha God thinks that any attempt to “cancel” Slim Shady will not last, regardless of how people feel.
In a recent episode of your podcast Bright idiots, Charlamagne discussed the recent debate over Em’s legacy. “TikTok trying to cancel Eminem,” he mentioned. “I think it’s fucking funny when kids go back to the ages when they shouldn’t be playing. They’re just playing old Eminem lyrics and doing what the outrageous culture does. I am trying to build a case against Eminem, but I will tell you why it will never work; This is Eminem’s story. “
The debate was fueled by a particularly embarrassing freestyle, in which a TikTok user rapped about how Eminem cannot be “canceled”. Lil Nas X also made a parody of the situation with a deliberately bad freestyle, all with a big smile on his face. “Eminem was the reason why we thought we could get away with this kind of shit. In the age we grew up, there is a bar, “continued Charlamagne.” If your bars are Howard Sterns and The Stars and The Eminems, Wendy Williams, all those people you hear talking about shit, what should you do? “
While it is debatable whether people really want to “cancel” Eminem, especially when there are people who deserve to be held accountable more than Em, he made references to this topic in his “Tone Deaf” track. He replied: “I will not stop even when my hair goes gray (I am deaf) / Because they will not stop until they cancel me”.
Ultimately, Eminem fans will not budge, even though it is clear that his most provocative lyrics do not appeal to many listeners. Calm down, no one is planning to take the LP Marshall Mathers away from you. His previous material, in particular, was highlighted as offensive, although he was at the center of the controversy until 2018. The rapper faced many negative reactions when he addressed a homophobic slander against Tyler the Creator, although he later expressed regret for the lyrics.
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