Eminem has faced backlash after making light of the Manchester Arena bombing on his new album.
The rap icon surprised fans this morning (January 17) by releasing ‘Music To Be Murdered By’, which features collaborations with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Anderson .Paak and the late Juice WRLD.
But on ‘Unaccomodating’, which features Young M.A, he includes a controversial reference to the 2017 attack, which saw 22 people lose their lives when a suicide bomber targeted fans as they left a Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.
“I’m contemplating yelling ‘Bombs away’ on the game/Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting,” Eminem raps on the track.
Within hours of the album’s arrival, the track faced major backlash on social media.
“I am disgusted how did he or his team think this was okay? he’s trash,” one user wrote.
Another said: “The fact that Eminem made a joke about the Manchester attack in his song makes me sick. he can’t get out of this one. He fully said her name and can’t deny it at all. disgusting. how insensitive do u have to be to say something like this.”
i came back to find out eminem rapped about manchester in one of his songs?? the fuck?? is he okay? pic.twitter.com/WFppJFkaNU
— morgan (@giawraindrops) January 17, 2020
eminem really mocked the manchester bombing on his new album? does he not realize that kids and teenagers lost their lives that night? absolutely sick in the damn head
— dominique ❅ (@CMONPUDDN) January 17, 2020
the fact that eminem made a joke about the manchester attack in his song makes me sick. he can’t get out of this one. he fully said her name and can’t deny it at all. disgusting. how insensitive do u have to be to say something like this.
— ?? (@divinegrrandde) January 17, 2020
But others pointed out Eminem’s renowned form for controversial lyrics – having previously referenced 9/11 on 50 Cent’s ‘Patiently Waiting’.
One wrote: “Seeing Eminem all over the trending page for some lyrics. Specifically the Manchester bombing and let me just say……his name is slim shady and he’s been doing that shit for 20 plus years. Quit being a sensitive prick and just listen to the god damn music bruh.”
His fans also pointed out that the rapper supported a 2017 campaign that raised £2 million for victims of the attack.
Eminem also previously referenced the attack on 2018’s ‘Kick Off’.
Elsewhere on the new record, Eminem calls for change on ‘Darkness’, which deals with the rampant gun violence in America. In the song, Eminem raps from the point of view of a shooter targeting concertgoers from a hotel room.
The music video visualises the scene, which is a reference to the 2017 Las Vegas shooter who killed more than 50 people attending Route 91 Harvest music festival.
‘Music To Be Murdered By’ follows Eminem’s 2018 album, ‘Kamikaze’, which was also surprise-released.