Eminem, also known as Slim Shady, is widely considered one of the most successful rappers of all time. Having sold approximately 220 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards and an Oscar for his song ‘Lose Yourself.’ Despite his immense popularity, there are those who wish to cancel him due to his reputation for crude and controversial lyrics.
This is particularly true of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, who take issue with the rapper’s lyrics. However, millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are pushing back against this sentiment and defending Eminem. They’re praising his lyrics and criticizing modern rappers.
The song that has drawn particular ire from Gen Z is his 2010 hit ‘Love The Way You Lie,’ featuring Rihanna, which depicts a troubled relationship and includes lyrics that some argue glorify domestic violence.
Read: Bizarre Theory Goes Viral Claiming The Real Slim Shady Died 16 Years Ago And Was Replaced
A TikToker tried to spur the cancellation of Eminem and things went pear-shaped
One TikTok user who made this argument in a now-deleted post received over 120,000 likes, sparking a wave of backlash from Eminem fans. Some fans have even joked that if Gen Z tries to cancel him, Eminem will cancel them right back. Others have referenced his song ‘Stan,’ which tells the story of a fan with an unhealthy obsession with the rapper. This user wrote: “The kids who ‘Stan’ everything don’t even know where ‘Stan’ came from.”
“They have been trying to cancel him since 1999. Every attempt made him more and more famous. Good luck,” expressed a third. A fourth added: “You can’t cancel someone for being offensive whose entire point was to be offensive.” Someone else added: “Eminem and South Park are forever cancel-proof. You can try, but you’ll fail. Especially if they decide to fire back.”
They tried to cancel Eminem, but that’s never going to happen
After an attempt was made to cancel him, the ‘My Name Is‘ musician responded by releasing a song titled ‘Tone Death‘. In the song, Eminem declares that he will not be silenced, even as he ages and his hair turns grey, stating “I’m tone-deaf”. “Cause they won’t stop until they cancel me.”
“I won’t stop even when my hair turns grey (I’m tone-deaf) / ‘Cause they won’t stop until they cancel me” #ToneDeaf lyric video up on my channel- https://t.co/kd4Iw5j9TI pic.twitter.com/nw1Q2eUyzN
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) March 5, 2021
Although Gen Z has been successful in getting some celebrities canceled, it appears that Eminem was too big of a target for them to take down. Luckily, some people still have a sense of humor and commented all over Twitter, opposing the cancel Eminem movement.