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Image via Complex
Since the days of Eminem’s battle rap beginnings, hip-hop has come a long way. Openness in rap music is spreading and homophobia is less commonplace, but Eminem is still causing controversy and pushing people’s buttons. In his new single “Rap God,” he drops lines like:
“I’ll still be able to break a motherfucking table
Over the back of a couple of faggots and crack it in half”
and:
“Off a plank, and tell me what in the fuck are you thinking
Little gay lookin’ boy
So gay I can barely say it with a straight face lookin’ boy
You witnessing a massacre
Like you watching a church gathering take place, lookin’ boy
Oy vey, that boy’s gay, that’s all they say lookin’ boy”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Eminem once again found himself defending the language he chooses to use. So why does Eminem still say “faggot” in 2013? Here’s his explanation:
You’ve made it clear again and again that you don’t actually have a problem with gay people. So why, in 2013, use “faggot” on that song? Why use “gay-looking” as an insult?
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 . . .
To actually mean “homosexual”?
Yeah. It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or asshole. So 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 shit that’s tongue-in-cheek. 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. And I don’t know how else to say this, I still look at myself the same way that I did when I was battling and broke.
