From Machine Gun Kelly to Tyler, The Creator & Ariana Grande: Here’s Who Eminem Name-Drops on His New Album
Eminem took everyone by surprise and dropped his Alfred Hitchcock-inspired Music To Be Murdered By album out of the sky on Friday (Jan. 17). Slim Shady had a lot to get off his chest with his Kamikaze follow-up, which is made up of 20 tracks and includes a myriad of guests like his former Slaughterhouse running mates, sans Joe Budden, the late Juice WRLD, Don Toliver, Young M.A., Ed Sheeran, and more.
The Detroit native's latest effort is filled with crisp production and shock value, as Em doesn't hold back when addressing his issues with Tyler, The Creator, and Machine Gun Kelly. He also quickly found himself in hot water online when he made light of the 2017 Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert on "Unaccommodating."
After sifting through the 20 tracks, here is some of the prominent name-drops from Em on Music to Be Murdered By.
2 Chainz
"B—h, shut the f–k up/ I should go say that s–t to Tech N9ne or the Jigga/ Nobody said s–t about 2 Chainz as long as he's been here, s–t/ No wonder you're mad, now I'm/ Looking at them plaques, count 'em (Yeah)/ I'm L. L. Cool J, bigger and deafer, that's how come." – "Premonition (Intro)"
Eminem is tired of hearing that he's the "old" guy in rap. On the project's intro, Em tells fans to keep that same energy with other rap veterans such as Tech N9ne, Jay-Z, and 2 Chainz. With Chainz undergoing a youthful rebrand in 2011, some may not know that he'd been rapping since the '90s under the Tity Boi alias from his old group Playaz Circle.
Ariana Grande
"But I'm contemplating yelling "Bombs away" on the game/ Like I'm outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting." – "Unaccommodating"
Shady brings up the 2017 One Love Manchester concert bombing that left 22 dead and more than 500 people injured. Outraged fans were quick to blast Em for his questionable judgment. Eminem also donated to the British Red Cross and helped raise awareness and funds to help victims back in 2017.
Machine Gun Kelly
"But when they ask me is the war finished with MGK? Of course it is/ I cleansed him of his mortal sins, I'm God and the Lord forgives even the devil worshippers/ I'm moving on but you know your scruples are gone when you're born with Lucifer's horns." – "Unaccommodating"
"Me and this game, we got married already/ Had the prenup ready, f–k daughter, should’ve seen her belly/ She barely was three months pregnant/ B—h had to give me a baby, we named it Machine Gun Kelly," – "Yah Yah"
Machine Gun Kelly and Eminem's bad blood dated back to 2013 when MGK talked about Em's daughter in a tweet. Their feud resurfaced on wax in 2018 when they exchanged a pair of diss tracks in "RAP DEVIL" and "KILLSHOT." Over a year later, and both artists are leaving the feud behind them. MGK doesn't play "RAP DEVIL" at shows anymore and Em states that the "war" is finished.
This wasn't the only time MGK is named on the album, as Slim Shady refers to Kelly as his child on "Yah Yah" and brings up how anyone that crosses him can get the "KILLSHOT" on the Don Toliver-assisted "No Regrets."
Kanye West
"They call me Kanye crazy/ APES–T, Beyonce, Jay-Z." – "Unaccommodating"
Over the years, people have referred to Kanye West as "crazy" because they didn't agree with or understand his behavior and life decisions. This mindset was only amplified when West was hospitalized for sleep deprivation and exhaustion in the midst of his Saint Pablo Tour in November of 2016. Some have tried to marginalize Eminem by slapping the "crazy" label on him to explain some of his late-career decision-making.
Tyler, The Creator & Earl Sweatshirt
"I can make a mistake and erupt and end up takin’ a dump/ Or sayin’ some dumb s–t, thinkin’ I run s–t,
Misplacin’ my anger enough to give Earl and Tyler, The Creator the brunt/ Shoulda never made a response to the disdain for the fake ones." – "No Regrets"
Ironically, Em shows some regret on "No Regrets." Back on Kamikaze's "Fall," the Detroit legend fired away at Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt with homophobic remarks. Em later admitted to Sway in an interview that the lyric still doesn't sit well with him when he goes back to it. His issues with the Odd Future rappers stem back to their criticism of his Revival album.
Dr. Dre
"From B.I.G. and Paris, Three Times Dope, and some we'll never see, and PRT/ N.W.A and Eazy-E and D-R-E was like my GPS/ Without him, I don't know where I'd be." – "Yah Yah"
Eminem shows Dr. Dre love for giving his early career a definitive direction. After getting wind of one of his demos, Dre and Em linked in the studio way back when, where they created the beginnings of "My Name Is" during their first session and the rest is history. Dre would executive produce Em's first three albums and help launch him into rap immortality.
Lord Jamar
"I'm more than you bargained for and I am far more worse/ Than a fourty-some bar Lord Jamar verse/ Nothing means more than respect, so when I curse/ You could say I swore to protect/ My image I have zero time or regard for/ I never was, been claiming rap when it's not yours/ If it was anyone's house G Rap and Rakim would be havin' you mop floors." – "I Will"
Lord Jamar and Eminem have been feuding for years. In the past, Jamar has trolled Em by comparing him to Macklemore. Shady returns the favor on "I Will" by blasting his rapping ability. Em acknowledges Jamar's contributions to hip-hop with Brand Nubian, but believes that his skill doesn't hold a candle to rap legends like Rakim and Run-DMC.