There were calls for the rapper to be 'cancelled' because of his old lyrics
From the first single he ever released as Eminem, Marshall Mathers has always courted controversy.
That hasn't changed over the past twenty years, with lyrics and lines from his back catalogue continuing to cause a stir as they're rediscovered and reappraised by the next generation - which is precisely what has happened in recent weeks.
The Detroit rapper came under fire on the likes of Tik Tok by various younger members of the public - specifically those who could be deemed as belonging to Generation Z - who have called for his cancellation.
They've taken particular offence to a line from his collaboration with Rihanna on 'Love the Way You Lie', which sees him rap: "If she ever tries to fucking leave again/ I’mma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire.” Which, if you're familiar with Eminem's oeuvre, is pretty tame compared to some of the misogynistic, homophobic and downright violent lyrics he's uttered in his time.
Fans rallied to the 48-year-old's defence on social media, but now the rapper has not-so-subtly responded to the latest outbreak of outrage in his new video.
The animated promo for 'Tone Deaf', the latest track to be lifted from his most recent album 'Music to be Murdered By', sees him confront several versions of himself from his past with the lyrics ringing particularly true: “It’s okay not to like my shit / Everything’s fine, drink your wine, bitch/ And get offline, quit whinin’, this is just a rhyme, bitch."
He posted the video on Twitter with a clear-as-day response to the Gen Z-ers who wanted him cancelled, quoting a lyric that says: "I won't stop even when my hair turns grey (I'm tone-deaf) / 'Cause they won't stop until they cancel me".
Watch it below: