Eminem’s new song, “Houdini,” arrived on Friday (May 31) and is still a trending Twitter (X) topic due to a line about Megan Thee Stallion’s traumatic 2020 shooting incident.
Slim Shady is being criticized for the lyrics in the first verse: “If I was to ask Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me, would I really have a shot at a feat?”
The word “feat” is used as a pun, doubling as a shorthand for “featuring” in musical guest appearances and a homophone for “feet.”
The reference touches a sensitive chord, as the 29-year-old endured a violent episode after a house party in the Hollywood Hills, when fellow rapper Tory Lanez shot her in the foot. Lanez was later convicted and sentenced to a decade in prison.
Fans swiftly took to social media, expressing widespread disappointment and anger at Eminem for what they perceived as trivializing violence against women.
One Twitter user posted, “F**k this guy! Men love to bring up traumatic moments in women’s lives for attention. Leave Megan alone.” Another commented, “Megan gets so many unprovoked jokes about her shooting, it’s disgusting and weird.”
The discontent was palpable across numerous tweets, with another fan questioning, “i raise the question again, what is so funny about a black woman getting shot in her foot,” adding, “why is it the butt of the joke every f**king rap song? i don’t get it.”
The sentiment echoes the collective dissatisfaction with the insensitivity shown toward Megan’s ordeal, summed up by one Twitter user who wrote, “A man, especially a white one, making light of a black woman’s trauma will never hit for me.”
But Eminem fans are firing back, laughing at the notion he used her name for “clout” when they say he’s infinitely more successful than she’ll ever be.
As one person said: “Eminem is the highest-selling rap artist in history and also has two albums that sold a million first week and his last album sold 279,000 first week. And Marcus Thee Stallion is only known for twerking and her fans are saying he is ‘clout chasing.'”
Eminem is the highest-selling rap artist in history and also has two albums that sold a million first week and his last album sold 279,000 first week
— IBashar (@CurtisBashar) June 1, 2024
And Marcus Thee Stallion is only known for twerking and her fans are saying he is “clout chasing” pic.twitter.com/9LSSupVTfD
Eminem has yet to respond to the backlash to the song and video, which has already amassed more than 20 million views on YouTube.