Eminem is sorry for the tone he used in a viral freestyle verse attacking Donald Trump and inviting the president’s supporters to stop listening to his music.
In a surprise album released this week, the Detroit rapper touched on the infamous cypher he put together for the BET Awards, one in which he savaged Trump. But in the freestyle, Eminem also took aim at Trump’s supporters, something that he says on the new album he regrets doing.
As Page Six noted, Eminem had made it clear that he didn’t want anyone who supports Trump’s racism to listen to his music, rapping, “Any fan of mine who’s a supporter of his / I’m drawing in the sand a line, you’re either for or against.” Eminem accused Trump’s supporters of enabling his racism.
The rapper now wishes he hadn’t picked such a harsh tone. In a verse on the song “The Ringer” from the new album Kamikaze, Eminem said he wishes it were more clear that he emphasizes with the president’s supporters who were duped by him.
“But if I could go back, I’d at least reword it / And say I empathize with the people this evil serpent / Sold the dream to that he’s deserted,” he rapped.
There is likely a significant overlap between Trump supporters and Eminem fans, especially as Trump pulled off a surprise victory in Eminem’s native Michigan as he appealed to the same disenchanted white voters who also gravitate toward the rapper’s music.
Eminem hasn’t backed off his stance on Donald Trump, attacking the president again on the new album. Even the name appears to be a reflection of that, as he referred to Trump in the BET cypher as a “kamikaze” who would bring a nuclear holocaust.
The attack on Donald Trump had more consequences for Eminem, Esquire noted. In the album, the rapper claimed that after he slammed Trump, he got a surprise visit from the secret service.
“But I know at least he’s heard it / ‘Cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service / To meet in person to see / if I really think of hurtin’ him / Or ask if I’m linked to terrorists.”
In one track of his surprise album, Eminem calls President Donald Trump “Agent orange” and claims he sent Secret Service agents to interrogate him. https://t.co/GPD4ZDwlFP
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) August 31, 2018
Eminem is no stranger to attacking presidents, having taken aim at George W. Bush and Bill Clinton on previous albums. But his stance toward Trump appears to be more personal, with Eminem frequently calling Trump a racist and saying that he stands with members of the black community who Trump has attacked, including former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
