Eminem responded to criticism of his new album, Music to Be Murdered By in an Instagram post this week. The rapper came under fire for referencing real-life terrorist attacks, including the suicide bombing in Manchester, England in his lyrics. In his response, Eminem did not seem all that apologetic to those he offended.
Eminem dropped a surprise album with no promotion on Jan. 17, and fans are still parsing its message. Many lyrics had his critics in an uproar, including the song “Unaccommodating,” where he joked about the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. On Thursday, he explained himself in an Instagram post made to look like a letter with blood dripping down it.
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“Gentle Listener: In today’s wonderful world murder has become so commonplace that we are a society obsessed and fascinated by it,” he wrote. “I thought, why not make a sport of it, and murder over beats? So before you jump the gun, please allow me to explain.”
“This album was not made for the squeamish,” he continued. “If you are easily offended or unnerved at the screams of bloody murder, this may not be the collection for you. Certain selections have been designed to shock the conscience, which may cause positive action. Unfortunately, darkness has truly fallen upon us.”
“So you see, murder in this instance isn’t always literal, nor pleasant. These bars are only meant for the sharpest knives in the drawer. For the victims of this album, may you rest peacefully. For the rest of you, please listen more closely next time,” he concluded.
Eminem signed the letter “Goodnight!” and “with deepest sympathy, appending a logo of an “E” with a kitchen knife through it at the bottom. The letter picked up over a million likes on Instagram, with plenty of positive comments from Eminem’s followers. Still, his critics were not appeased by it for the most part. Still, the record remains at near the top of the charts, bringing Eminem that much closer to historic status with the likes of Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Many fans are frustrated by the imbalance in the new album. While some songs feature flippant lyrics about terrorist attacks and their victims, others are more thoughtful, including the record’s first music video, “Darkness.” It is all about the 2017 shooting in Las Vegas, and it ends with a call to action to change the gun laws in the U.S.
“When will this end? When enough people care,” reads plain text on the screen. “Register to vote at vote.gov. Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America.”
Many viewers are wondering how Eminem can make this sincere plea while still joking about other attacks.
