Eminem has just released a fiery new rap in which he threatens to reignite his feud with Kanye West. The latter has always been a line of the track and as much telling but it’s caused controversy especially with this certain lyric, “Say they wish that I wasn’t so angry – don’t wanna see me go off the deep end like Ye, ayy.” The conversation with FOX Sports Australia must have been punk rock because the comment has sent fans and media wrestling for more information.
Veteran Eminem, the rapping loose cannon notorious for his controversial lyrics that hold nothing back reset a precedent and used music as vessel to expose industry peers or real life issues. “Antichrist” is no exception. The song is said to be a direct effort at Kanye West, who has been in the middle of what appears to be an active breakdown and very public battle with his mental health as of late. But Eminem is no fool, and he packs the line with an implicit reference to his own tempestuous history – suggesting what could be a deep-down fear of spiraling fame reminiscent of Kanye’s very public battles.
Eminem’s fires shots at Kanye West on his new song “Antichrist’”
“Say they wish that I wasn’t so angry, don’t wanna see me go off the deep end like Ye, ayy” PIC.TWITTER.COM/WZVM4MLYKN
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) JULY 12, 2024
In recent years, Kanye West, who used to be credited with revolutionizing the world of music and fashion, has managed to become incredibly controversial. And he has been a headline fixture with his erratic behavior and candid discussions of his bipolar disorder. So when Eminem decided to toss Kanye into “Antichrist,” it complicated his narrative even further, proving that artistry isn’t always about releasing your demons often times, its succumbing them instead.
The critical reaction to “Antichrist” has been positively nuclear. Since the release, social media has been on fire with fans breaking down the lyrics and discussing Em’s wordplay. Eminem really went in on Kanye with this one,” said another fan via Twitter. Prepare yourselves friends, this is going to be very ugly.” And music critic Mark Graham provided his thoughts: “Eminem’s lyrics are a chilling reminder of just where he stands in the industry – an audacious rabble-rouser who doesn’t hold back on speaking the truth.
It is common knowledge that, Eminem has a signature style of adding random artists lines in his songs. He has plenty of put-downs for all his rivals as well, documenting their movements in rhyme during a lyrically sniping career which fans devour. Not so much “striking” as it is par for the controversial commentary especially when directed at Kanye’s more recent antics by name this time on “Antichrist” which fits right into brave commentator Eminem.
Leading industry voices are weighing in on the importance of this recent launch. The popular music blog Glorious Rappers wrote, “But for Eminem to light into Kanye on Kamikaze is more than just a diss track. It is a criticism of the extreme pressure from fame and how one loses their self in this chaotic world. Today Show 24hr (paywalled) also takes a look at Eminem and Kanye through the annals of pop-cultural time, positing that these couplets might make some sense out of what Verge culture editor Laura June called West’s true villainy.
With “Antichrist” becoming a topic of discussion on the rise, it’s more apparent that this is not just another song but rather a potent proclamation. It’s a war of words – as yet with unknown effects on an uncertain future between Eminem and his perhaps-strained relationship to Kanye West, not just the world but in fact, maybe all music. That being said, if nothing else is for certain it’s that Eminem has done his job and re-engaged the masses.
Antichrist is a powerful reminder of how complicated fame and mental health can be. A new project from Eminem that advances the possibilities of lyrical expression by demanding listeners also consider what it is like to be perpetually in the public eye. the reverberations of this song will undoubtedly continue to be the foundation for continuing discussions on celebrity, mental illness and artistry both ways while fans and critics alike tear apart his words.
