Controversial wordsmith Eminem has exploded out of the woodwork and launched a number of vicious swipes at Donald Trump’s jugular, the most recent being a scathing rhyme in a verse on Big Sean’s new track, No Favors. A stinging indictment of Trump’s manhood, administration and brand, Eminem, who’s real name is Marshall Mathers, seems to have taken enough of an issue with the POTUS to resurface from his man cave of dictionaries, thesauruses and voodoo dolls.
Mathers who is known to go completely underground between albums, seems to never hesitate to swandive back into the fray when the time comes, and it appears that he had finally had enough of the drawn out political farce that was the 2016-2017 election season.
Midway through his frantic verse in the track off Big Sean’s new album I Decided, he suddenly attacks the President, rapping:
“I’m anti, can’t no government handle a commando/ Your man don’t want it, Trump’s a B**** I’ll make his whole brand go under”
Full song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRzlq6tWNWU
President Trump, who considering his Twitter spats appears to have a lot of free time for trolls, is yet to respond. But if his previous thin-skinned retorts are anything to go by, it will only be a matter of time before he launches a “diss” of his own.
But perhaps the administration is aware of the danger that Eminem presents to brands and celebrities at large. If the White House are planning on taking the high road in regards to Mr. Mathers, it wouldn’t be the first time. In terms of repeat offenders, Eminem is at the top of the list and he revels in making fun of the boss.
In fact, this isn’t the first, or worst, time Mathers has attacked Trump so far. In his single Campaign Speech, he gets even more political:
“Consider me a dangerous man but you should be afraid of this dang candidate/You say Trump don’t kiss a** like a puppet/’Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin’/And that’s what you wanted/A f****** loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button/Who doesn’t have to answer to no one.”
Full Song Here:
And yet, the onslaught continues. On a leaked song entitled We As Americans, the Detroit-based rapper announces:
“I don’t rap for dead presidents/ I’d rather see the president dead.”
This particular line was so violent that the Associated Press even raised the issue with the Secret Service, questioning them on whether or not they would investigate the threats. However, Secret Service spokesperson John Gill made it to clear that there was nothing more to uncover.
Obviously Gill believed that Eminem is more bark than bite. And they wouldn’t be wrong. He does have a famously wicked tongue.
He is a man who has verbally eviscerated other people for 20 years and whom other rappers openly admit to fearing. There are many ex-rappers who have made the demoralising switch to reality television and soul-crushing day jobs due to Eminem’s tenacious temper. But as I have a word count to adhere to, I’ll let a more dutiful journalist inform you of all of the celebrities that this naughty, naughty man has disrespected over his illustrious career, just click here!
Despite him poking fun at every celebrity under the sun, it seems to be presidents that really get Em going. Whether it be for fun, controversy, a well thought-out marketing campaign or all of the above, he has certainly been in the news for attacking the world’s most powerful men before.
CLINTON
As with all victims, it is often unclear whether Em is actually incensed or whether he is attacking for fun and outrage. The general consensus amongst rap aficionados’ is that he attacked Bill Clinton purely for his lechery and the delicious irony of such a respected position being caught engaging in such uncouth ways.
Poor Bill’s presidential infidelity and drug usage (he didn’t inhale, it doesn’t count) became the butt of many jokes in the early part of Eminem’s career. An example:
“Bill Clinton, hit this—and you’d better inhale. ‘Cause any MC that chooses to go against me is getting taken advantage of like Monica Lewinsky.”
BUSH
However, the humour seemed to evaporate when George Bush came to office. It
seems that Eminem, a democrat, appeared to abhor George Bush’s foreign policy. Of course there was no discussion, but rather Eminem took to the booth to launch missiles of his own. Eminem’s good mood abandoned him as quickly as he believed Bush had abandoned America’s soldiers.
On an impassioned track titled Mosh, off the 2004 album Encore, Em unleashes a verbal assault that doesn’t drip with any of that usual tongue-in-cheek attitude:
“F*** Bush, until they bring our troops home” – Mosh, Encore (2004)
He also goes on to refer to him as a “monster” and a “coward” and suggests an interesting, if impractical, military tactic:
“Strap him with an AK-47, let him go fight his own war, let him impress daddy that way.”
However, as vocal as he was during the Bush administration, he was comparably quiet during Barack Obama’s 8 years. Obama’s name didn’t find it’s way into even one track, an esteemed accomplishment amongst the careers of world celebrities and leaders. An obvious reason for this is Eminem’s liberal political leanings, or his support of President Obama as a leader. It could also be as simple as picking easy marks.
As talented as Mathers is, he has never been above singling out easy targets for mockery. Say what you will about Obama and his presidency, but he didn’t leave himself open for much ridicule. Perhaps Bill Clinton, George Bush and Donald Trump simply share a big bullseye on their head. At least this mess keeps the despicable land of Twitter happy.
Regardless of all that, for all of his controversy, Eminem is a famously private man. He has spent the majority of his stardom either in rehab, working on his music or being family man. Which is why the world has lost their mind with his newest jabs at a president who is already under siege by almost the entirety of Hollywood at large. As if Donald needed another critic.
As a self-confessed drama queen who thrives on this kind of controversy, my inner mean girl is sitting on the edge of the couch shoving popcorn frantically into her mouth.
However, in an already tumultuous opening period to Trump’s term, it’s becoming more and more difficult to guess how this all will end. The constant and divisive onslaught of media attention, the Hollywood war on Trump and the latter’s unconventional and seemingly unfiltered retorts to his critics seems to be setting up an unprecedented period of time for the United States.
But one thing is for certain, Eminem will not be one of the shrinking violets in this fight.
Now, I may have a vivid imagination, but I can’t help but feel like those Trump and Hillary debates would have been far more entertaining than they already were, if you slid in a third podium for the member of Detroit, Marshall Mathers.
He’d certainly have something to say.
