Eminem is facing a backlash over a crass lyric referencing the 2017 Manchester bombing on his new album.
On Friday morning, the 47-year-old rapper surprised fans with the sudden release of
music To Be Murdered By, his first new album since 2018’s Kamikaze.
However, shortly after the album’s release, many listeners took issue with a lyric on the track Unaccommodating, which referenced the attack after Ariana Grande’s show at the Manchester Arena in 2017.
“I’’m contemplating yelling “Bombs away” on the game,” he raps on the song. “Like I’m outside of an
Ariana Grande concert waiting.”The lyric in question is then followed by an
explosion sound effect.
As the lyrical content began circulating on social media, many criticised the rapper for including a reference to the attack on his album, pointing out that people were still dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy, which took the lives of 22 people, including young children…eminem literally just made a joke about the manchester bombing at ariana grande’s concert... that is just so fucking sick, y’all better not give this man any attention. people literally lost their lives, and you’re going to release music and try to make a profit off of them? pic.twitter.com/mKJo06RL9p— chris (mariestakis) (@sweeterheavens) January 17, 2020eminem rly used a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 22 innocent fans, including CHILDREN, and gave ariana ptsd as a lyric in his song. and used a fucking
bomb sound effect with it.i’ve always liked eminem but this is really just...gross. stream #circles instead pls— el 🇦🇺 STREAM CIRCLES (@imaginemiso) January 17, 2020okay i’ve always liked eminem but i just lost all respect for him. wtf was he thinking pic.twitter.com/bDjwA2cmje— ★ nisa. ★ (fan acc) (@nisagrande_) January 17, 2020This is so disrespectful, insensitive and disgusting.Using a sad episode like the Manchester bombing, where fans were killed, parents were killed, innocent people were killed, is not ok.I hope Eminem apologizes or puts down this song... I have lost all my respects to him pic.twitter.com/Am1noY6EUa— robert🥀🌙🖤 (@tayrianamila) January 17, 2020always had respect for eminem but who tf makes a joke about a terroist attack that killed innocent kids and permanently wounded others? ariana still hasn’t healed from it either. i hope the 10 minutes of clout was worth it. pic.twitter.com/jFvxeuf4wK— ً (@biebseasons) January 17, 2020eminem stans are really trying to defend his joke about a terrorist attack that killed 22 people and gave ariana PTSD...literally bye— angie - circles out now !! (@fckinggrateful) January 17, 2020Eminem dropped a surprise album on the day of Mac Miller’s post-death album to talk about his temptation to drop bombs and I quote as if he was outside an Ariana grande concert. The cheek levels are sky high. Only a white man could go this far in 2020.— 😎 (@BeyIneKno) January 17, 2020Nah Eminem I was rooting for u but then heard that Ariana line... that’s shit ain’t funny— Elmira (@elmira_tchagop) January 17, 2020This isn’t even funny, he’s using people’s deaths, a night that people went to see their idol and have fun in her concert but ended up passing away, as just a lyric. It’s disgusting.— Selenator4life (@Selenator4lif19) January 17, 2020“I’m contemplating yelling bombs away on the game like I’m outside an Ariana Grande concert.” Eminem literally just used a horrific terrorist attack that killed 22 innocent adults/children for a punchline in a song.i am disgusted. pic.twitter.com/7QBjm4B773— troy (@troyxvi) January 17, 2020bruh...even if eminem been known for being unapologetic, still doesn't excuse making insensitive comments about the bombing in ariana's concert....like.... people died and those who lived thru it will never be the same, mayheps some respect!?pic.twitter.com/ItbhL9qX0D— Kat (@fentyzl) January 17, 2020no offence but can @Eminem take the hint and FUCK OFF. twice he’s done this now and it’s so disrespectful to ariana, the survivors of that night and victims and their family and friends. can’t believe people still feel the need to be this low in life😷 pic.twitter.com/XYIy1XOspJ— Katie✨ (@afterlifegrande) January 17, 2020they be letting eminem get away with everything. like the fact that he can sit here and do this knowing kids as young as 8 years old died and that so many people, including ariana, have ptsd and severe anxiety from this.. https://t.co/3b9lpL3SHl— sophia | urethra franklin (@sophiakingss) January 17, 2020eminem is a washed-up has-been. that ariana lyric of his is just a pathetic attempt to get attention pic.twitter.com/Lxhn8TuNAu— ⓛ (@makeyoufeelCOLD) January 17, 2020lets just fucking ignore the disrespectful shit eminem has done & focus our energy on more important things like supporting ariana. i hope to god she doesnt see any of this shit— kirstyn (@prxtectingari) January 17, 2020ok now that we already comment the shit that eminem did let's put him aside, he doesn't deserve all this attention. anyway, stream thank u, next by ariana grande and circles by mac miller. have a good night— gab (fan account) (@newclassicboy) January 17, 2020I hope Ariana is surrounded by those she loves & is currently in a good state of mind because when she hears what Eminem said about her it’s gonna bring up a lot of shit for her & that trauma is scary:/— 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂🥴 (fan account) (@iskinnylegendz) January 17, 2020What’s more, this isn’t actually the first time Eminem has faced controversy over a reference to the Manchester bombing.
In 2018, on a freestyle track titled Kick Off, he was heard rapping: “Squashed in between a brainwashing machine, like an Islamic regime, a jihadist extreme radical, suicide bomber that’s 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.
“I’m not gonna finish that, for obvious reasons.”
The song was branded “disrespectful” and “vile” by Charlotte Hodgson, whose 15-year-old daughter Olivia Campbell-Hardy was one of the 22 people who died in the tragedy.
Unaccommodating features a guest verse from Young MA, while the album also features guest appearancs from Anderson .Paak, Ed Sheeran and Skylar Grey.READ MORE: Eminem Suggests Homophobic Tyler, The Creator Diss 'Went Too Far' Eminem: 'A F**king Turd Would Have Been Better As A President' Than Donald Trump Even Eminem Seemed Confused About How He Managed To Win Best Hip-Hop Artist At The EMAs