14 DAY TRIAL // Eminem’s most recent song, “Rap God,” includes at least 2 terms that can and have already been considered homophobic: the F-word used for gays, and the adjective “gay-looking” used as an insult. With all that, the rapper says in a new interview, he’s not homophobic.
Since the start of his career or, better yet, since he went mainstream, Eminem has been accused of being homophobic because, well, obviously, his lyrics don’t really leave that much room for another interpretation.
The same goes for “Rap God.” Eminem doesn’t deny that the words used in it are slurs but, he tells Rolling Stone in a new interview, he’s not really using them as such. Words are just words, after all.
“I don't know how to say this without saying it how I've said it a million times. But that word, those kind of words, when I came up battle-rappin' or whatever, I never really equated those words [with an insult],” he tells the publication.
He equals the use of these slurs with the B-word often used in rap songs in reference to women, and stresses that neither means anything.
“That word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people. And, not saying it's wrong or it's right, but at this point in my career – man, I say so much [stuff] that's tongue-in-cheek,” Eminem explains.
“I poke fun at other people, myself. But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all. I'm glad we live in a time where it's really starting to feel like people can live their lives and express themselves,” he adds.
And if that fails to convince anyone, Eminem knows a better solution: he’s been in the rap game for 14 years and he’s been constantly defending himself from these homophobic allegations. Who knows by now that he has no issue with the gays needs no more convincing; who doesn’t after all these years will never be convinced, so why bother?
Eminem has a new album coming out today, “Marshall Mathers LP2,” conceived as a follow-up to his successful “Marshall Mathers” album from 2000.