Eminem and his music have practically been synonymous with the word “controversy” since the beginning. He’s no stranger to provocative lyrics and speaking his mind, and his many feuds, his brushes with the law, and his personal life have all received attention from the media, fans, and critics for years.
The biggest controversies of Eminem’s career are the ones that never fade or keep showing up over and over again – basically, the ones that get the most attention. Vote up the ones you’ve taken notice of, too.
1. He Faced Multiple Gun Charges In 2001
Eminem’s first run-in with the law occurred before he rose to stardom, involved a paint ball gun, and didn’t lead to any charges.
In 2001, Eminem faced charges for two incidents involving real guns – both of which took place in Michigan in 2000. The first centered on a gun that fell to the ground from Eminem’s waistband during an altercation with Insane Clown Posse employee Dennis Dail. The second involved accusations that Eminem pistol-whipped John Guerra after he saw Guerra kissing his wife, Kim.
Eminem pleaded guilty to weapons charges for the incident involving Guerra and a charge of assault was dropped. He received two years of probation. He was also ordered to pay a fine, participate in counseling and drug testing, and ask for permission to travel overseas.
Eminem pleaded “no contest” to charges related to the incident with Dail and was sentenced to another year of probation, a $2,300 fine, and community service.
2. Leaked Lyrics About Rihanna And Chris Brown Indicated Eminem Supported Brown
In 2019, Eminem was heard weighing in on the domestic violence incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna from 2009, rapping, “I side with Chris Brown, I’d beat a b*tch down too.” Brown was later convicted of assault.
Recorded in 2009, the audio was of an unreleased version of “Things Get Worse,” recorded for Eminem’s Marshall Mathers album. While the track appeared differently on the album, the lost version included the lines:
He just picked up another prostitute in the parking lot of the hospital
And beat her over the head mercilessly and left her for dead
Eminem and Rhianna had worked together since the recording was made and, according to his publicist, “This is a leak of something that’s over 10 years old. After Eminem recorded it, he scrapped it, and rewrote it. Obviously, he and Rihanna have a great relationship.”
Eminem also apologized to Rhianna via his lyrics. His song “Zeus” (from his Music to be Murdered By: Side B album) included the lines:
And wholeheartedly apologies, Rihanna for that song that leaked.
I’m sorry, Rih, it wasn’t meant to cause you grief.
3. He Was Investigated By The Secret Service – Twice
The video “The Storm” was released by Eminem in 2017 in conjunction with the BET Hip Hop Awards. In it, Eminem criticized President Donald Trump and, when his album Kamikaze came out in 2018, it contained a song indicating he’d been visited by the Secret Service that same year.
In “The Ringer,” Eminem rapped:
These verses are makin’ him a wee bit nervous
And he’s too scurred to answer me with words
‘Cause he knows that he will lyrically get murdered
But I know at least he’s heard it
‘Cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service
To meet in person to see if I really think of hurtin’ him
Or ask if I’m linked to terrorists
I said, ‘Only when it comes to ink and lyricists’
Initially, it wasn’t clear if Eminem was being hyperbolic, but documents later revealed that the Secret Service had met with Eminem. It wasn’t the video for BET that got their attention, however. Rather, they inquired about Eminem’s song “Framed” and lyrics about Trump’s daughter Ivanka:
Donald Duck’s on, there’s a Tonka Truck in the yard
But dog, how the f*ck is Ivanka Trump in the trunk of my car?
Gotta get to the bottom of it to try to solve it
Must go above and beyond, ’cause it’s incumbent upon me
Plus I feel somewhat responsible for the dumb little blonde…
Nothing seems to have come out of the visit, but it wasn’t the first time Eminem had crossed paths with the Secret Service. In 2003, the rapper was investigated for statements feared to be against former President George W. Bush. In the song “We As Americans,” Eminem rapped:
F*ck money! I don’t rap for dead presidents.
I’d rather see the President dead.
4. He Has Been Labeled A Misogynist
Eminem’s lyrics about violence toward women, sex acts, and various celebrities’s bodies have been called misogynist since the outset of his career.
Eminem’s relationship with his wife, Kim Scott Mathers, made numerous appearances in his songs, presented in a way that was rife with references to violent acts. In “Kim,” released in 2000, Eminem rapped about how Kim had cheated on him and, as a result, he wanted to end her life. A companion song, “’97 Bonnie and Clyde,” referred to Kim “takin’ a little nap in the trunk” with a “little boo-boo on her throat” before her body was thrown into a lake.
Eminem’s songs told the story of his ups and downs with Kim, but his lyrics about physically hurting women were not limited to his former spouse. He rapped in 2014:
But I may fight for gay rights
specially if they d*ke is more of a knockout than Janay Rice
Play nice? B*tch I’ll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice
Like Ray Rice in broad daylight
In the plain sight of the elevator surveillance
Till her head is banging on the railing
Then celebrate with the Ravens.
The reference to Ray Rice, who was suspended from the NFL after video footage captured him assaulting his fiance Janay Rice, was accompanied by an inexplicable reference to fellow singer Lana Del Rey.
References to Christina Aguilera and fellatio, Kim Kardashian’s body, and Lindsay Lohan’s sexuality have all appeared in Eminem’s songs, while his general comments about women needing to lose weight and about sexual assault have been widely criticized.
5. He Faced The Threat Of Hate-Speech Charges In Canada
In anticipation of a 2000 concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canadian politicians tried to prevent Eminem from entering the province. Michael Bryant, a political official in Canada, remarked at the time:
Nobody wants to curb free speech in the province of Ontario but some of this rapper’s songs go over the line.
The concerns were specifically related to lyrics deemed anti-woman and a complaint filed by activist Valerie Smith. Smith asserted lyrics in songs like “Kill You” and “Kim” violated Canadian laws related to hate propaganda.
While politicians like Ontario Attorney General Jim Flatery agreed with Smith, nothing was done to prevent Eminem from entering Canada. Immigration officials refused to stop Eminem, commenting, “If all people who made bad music were kept out of Canada we could have stopped disco.”
Eminem took the stage at the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) in Toronto on October 26, 2000, as one of several acts on the Anger Management Tour. He performed “Kill You,” crying out, “Bet you didn’t think I was gonna do that one, did you” afterward, and dedicated “The Way I Am” to, as he put it, “That b*tch Valerie Smith.”
6. Recordings Released In 2003 Were Full Of Racial Slurs
Eminem did not release the songs “Foolish Pride” or “So Many Styles” on any of his albums, but recordings of both were released by The Source in 2003. “Foolish Pride” included lines about interracial dating and ultimately framed Black women as unintelligent and greedy:
Blacks and whites sometimes mix
But Black girls only want your money ’cause they’re dumb chicks
So I’ma say like this
Don’t date a Black girl, take it as a diss…
At the time, Eminem addressed the matter, explaining:
The tape they played today was something I made out of anger, stupidity, and frustration when I was a teenager… I’d just broken up with my girlfriend, who was African American, and I reacted like the angry, stupid kid I was. I hope people will take it for the foolishness that it was, not for what somebody is trying to make it into today.
Eminem also included an apology in his song “Yellow Brick Road.”
There were questions about when the songs were recorded, and owners of The Source were feuding with Eminem at the time they were released. In 2022, rapper Bizarre (from the group D12) claimed, “The song was cut off and edited. He was freestyling and was naming all type of races but The Source just edited the ‘Black girl’ part and made it sound like racist.”
7. Rapping About A Bombing At An Ariana Grande Concert Received Backlash
On May 22, 2017, a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, resulted in 22 deaths. More than 1,000 others were injured in what was determined to be a terrorist attack.
After the bombing, Eminem donated an unspecified amount of money to victims of the bombing. He also posted a link to a crowdfunding page on Twitter for others to donate as well.
Eminem first rapped about the bombing in 2018:
Seeing Ariana Grande sing her last song of the evening
And as the audience from the damn concert is leaving
Detonates the device strapped to his abdominal region.
When Eminem released his album Music to Be Murdered By in 2020, however, it included the track “Unaccommodating.” In that song, Eminem rapped the lines:
But I’m contemplating yelling bombs away on the game
Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting.
That reference to the bombing was called “unnecessarily hurtful and deeply disrespectful to the families and all those affected” by Manchester Mayor Andy Burham, while journalists and fans all felt as though Eminem had gone too far.
Eminem offered this explanation in response to the backlash:
In today’s wonderful world, murder has become so commonplace that we are a society obsessed and fascinated by it…
This album was not made for the squeamish. 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. Goodnight!
8. Allegations Of Homophobia Have Followed Eminem For Decades
Eminem’s lyrics have led to allegations that the rapper is homophobic for as long as he’s been in the public eye. When Eminem performed “Stan” alongside Elton John at the Grammys in 2001, both he and John were criticized. Cathy Renna from GLAAD said the organization was “flabbergasted and shocked” by the duet, indicating she couldn’t think of any reason why John would want to do it:
I can certainly imagine Elton wanting to sit down and talk to Eminem, using his position as a celebrity, a highly respected musician, and an icon, to get some face time with Eminem. We tried that route, and it was completely unsuccessful. But the first thing being, ‘I think I’ll do a duet with him at the Grammy Awards’? It’s really shocking for the gay community, which looks at Elton John as someone who has contributed so much to helping people understand us.
John has been steadfast in his defense of Eminem, insisting over and over again that the rapper is not homophobic. He even offered a quirky story to Graham Norton in 2017 about the gift Eminem gave him and his husband, David Furnish, when they entered a civil partnership.
Australia attempted to keep Eminem out due to his lyrics twice, both times with homophobia being of utmost concern. In 2001, Eminem was granted a visa, albeit one with a warning to “avoid vilifying or inciting discord” in the country. In 2014, politician Pete Slipper asked for the artist to be banned due to Eminem’s promotion of “a culture of drugs, violence, and foul language.”
Eminem told Anderson Cooper in 2010 that he isn’t homophobic and that he didn’t have “any problem with nobody,” an assertion he’s made several times over. Lyrics in “Rap God,” released in 2013, again sparked controversy, and lyrics about fellow rapper Tyler, the Creator from the 2018 song “Fall” received widespread attention.
In “Fall,” Eminem rapped:
Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a f****t, bitch
It’s not just ’cause you lack attention
It’s because you worship D12’s b*lls, you’re sack-religious
If you’re gonna critique me
You better at least be as good or better…
Eminem later apologized, admitting he’d gone too far with the line. Tyler went on to say that he wasn’t as upset as his fans:
Did you ever hear me publicly say anything about that?… Because I knew what the intent was. He felt pressured because people got offended for me. Don’t get offended for me.
9. He Took A Knee At Super Bowl LVI
The halftime show during Super Bowl LVI in 2022 was a star-studded event. Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg all took the stage – as did Eminem. The ensemble performed a medley of some of their biggest hits including “California Love” and “Lose Yourself.” During his performance of the latter, Eminem took a knee – an action believed to be in support of football quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
After first taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016, Kaepernick brought issues of racial injustice to the forefront of the NFL and sparked widespread conversation among the media, politicians, and the public. Weeks earlier, Kaepernick explained his choice to sit during the national anthem during a preseason game:
I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.
The same motivation informed his kneeling and ultimately led to a backlash against Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season.
Eminem had previously expressed support with lyrics in “The Storm,” a video released for the 2017 Hip Hop Awards on BET. When Eminem took a knee during the 2022 Super Bowl, it was met with both outrage and excitement. Fans took great pleasure from the idea that Eminem defied the NFL by doing so, while other observers called his actions a “mockery.” Neither his fellow performers nor the NFL expressed dissatisfaction, however.
Dr. Dre commented, “Em taking a knee, that was Em doing that on his own… and there was no problem with that.”
The NFL issued a statement indicating it was “aware that Eminem was going to do that… a player or coach could have taken a knee and there would have been no repercussions so there was no reason to tell an artist she or he could not do so.”
10. ‘Stan’ Was Criticized For, Well, Everything
“Stan” tells the story of a zealous fan (the name, Stan, might be a mash-up of “stalker” and “fan”) repeatedly writing to Eminem. When Stan doesn’t hear back from the musician, he idolizes he takes his own life and that of his pregnant girlfriend. The song is a sample of Dido’s “Thank You,” and she appears in the video for the Grammy-winning hit.
From the outset, the lyrics to “Stan” were provocative, and only censored versions received radio time. The video was especially controversial, with Devon Sawa acting out the song alongside Dido. MTV didn’t shy away, however, from showing the video for “Stan.” Billboard‘s Carla Hay predicted at the time:
MTV has been Eminem’s biggest supporter… None of his videos have been banned from MTV, and I don’t think this one will be.
Eminem maintained “Stan” was not based on a true story. That said, the message and graphic nature of the lyrics and the video prompted groups like GLAAD to protest the rapper.
Alongside Eminem, Elton John was widely criticized for performing a duet of “Stan” at the Grammys in 2001. In a statement from GLAAD, they said the following:
[We are] appalled that John would share the stage with Eminem, whose words and actions promote hate and violence… We were all flabbergasted that [John] would do this…”
For his part, John responded by asserting that he would,
Rather tear down walls between people than build them up. If I thought for one minute that he was hateful, I wouldn’t do it.
About performing the song with John (which was initially supposed to be a surprise), Eminem pointed out what kind of statement it ultimately made:
I came to make an impact, I came to make a statement, and I guess to piss some people off… I didn’t know he was gay. I didn’t know anything about his personal life. I didn’t really care, but being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from….
Numerous critics did praise “Stan,” with descriptions of it as a “haunting track” full of “superb storytelling with a point.” Entertainment Weekly said “Stan” “may be the most moving song about star worship ever recorded.”
“Stanning,” as a phenomenon, caught on, so to speak. The word “stan,” a noun describing “an overzealous or obsessive fan, esp. of a particular celebrity,” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017.
11. He’s Been Accused Of Stealing Other Musicians’ Work
On at least two occasions, Eminem was accused of taking aspects of other songs and using them in his own work. Jazz musician Jacques Loussier sued the rapper in 2002 for $10 million because Eminem’s “Kill You” sounded like Loussier’s own song “Pulsion.” According to Loussier:
It’s more than similar… The harmonies are the same, the pitch is the same – the tune, the melody, everything except for one small note is all the same. And they use those two bars for four minutes and 20 seconds, and that’s the problem.
The suit was reportedly settled out of court, although no details are available.
Another suit against Eminem was filed by Hotstylz, a rap group from Chicago. In 2015, Hotstylz claimed Eminem used the tune of their song “Lookin Boy” in “Rap God,” a song released by Eminem in 2013. Members of Hotstylz said when they first heard “Rap God,” they felt disrespected by Eminem, something they parlayed into their diss track “Rap Fraud” that same year. Their suit for $8 million was settled out of court in 2016.