During an October 2017 freestyle for the BET Awards, Eminem rapper the following: "And any fan of mine who's a supporter of his / I'm drawing in the sand a line, you're either for or against." It was in reference to United States President Donald Trump, a position he continued to take via endorsements of Kamala Harris in 2024 and many other statements. This is the context that is landing Slim Shady in hot water for his Kid Rock collaboration on the album Halfway 2 Jesus, "Heal My Faith."
Fans expressed massive disappointment in Em for collaborating with an ardent MAGA supporter, even if the two Detroit artists have a lot of history together. It's the same history the Detroit MC raps about on "Heal My Faith," concluding that Rock is his "brother" rather than a "political enemy." Some fans hoped he would be more clear and understanding in another statement on the collaboration. But that didn't turn out to be the case.
Marshall Mathers took to social media platforms like Instagram this weekend to promote "Heal My Faith." His caption in these posts is leading to even more fan backlash. "Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us. #HealMyFaith @kidrock," he wrote.
Kid Rock & Eminem
Kid Rock's response to this Eminem backlash also points to their history together. "If there are two people who understand the noise, who have created a lot of noise in their careers, it’s us," he told the Detroit Free Press. "We understand (that) empty wagons make the most noise, right? Who are these (complainers)? […] You’re upset that two old friends did something together? I mean, you’re essentially confirming the problem to us. And he understands that. We both understand that."
Rock previously said this about the Em collab. "His verse speaks to something we’ve talked about and that really needs to be heard. We differ politically and on other things. But we’ve stayed friends through it all. We hope that sets an example for people who’ve lost friends or stopped talking to family because they think differently."
With Eminem's most recent statement in mind, it seems like his position is a far cry from the one he assumed in 2017 and continued to uphold... Until now.
