Eminem Apologizes to Kids, Mentions Alec Baldwin and ‘Rust’ Shooting

Eminem, the 51-year-old rapper, is facing significant backlash on social media for a controversial reference in his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). Released on Friday, the album includes a track titled “Fuel,” which contains highly insensitive lyrics about the tragic shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust. Eminem’s lyrics, “F**k around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins,” have sparked outrage, given the sensitive nature of the incident.

The timing of the album could not be more contentious. On the same day, Alec Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection to Hutchins’ death was dismissed with prejudice. The shooting, which occurred in October 2021 during the filming of Rust, not only claimed the life of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins but also injured director Joel Souza.

Eminem’s lyrics continue with references to Baldwin, “Like I’m Alec Baldwin, what I mean is buckin’ you down, coup de grâce then / Right between the f**kin’ / I shoot ’em all in if you think you’re f**kin’ with me.” The track further intensifies with lines about “repercussions” and “replenishing fuel,” maintaining the aggressive and unapologetic tone Eminem is known for.

Apart from “Fuel,” the album features numerous other songs with references to various celebrities, including Megan Thee Stallion, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Candace Owens, Kanye West, and Jeffrey Epstein. The album also showcases collaborations with artists like Jelly Roll, White Gold, Sly Pyper, JID, Dem Jointz, Ez Mil, Skylar Grey, Big Sean, and BabyTron.

One of the more emotional tracks on the album is Eminem’s collaboration with Jelly Roll, “Somebody Save Me.” In this song, Eminem opens up about his regrets as a father. The rapper, who shares three children—Hailie Jade Scott, 28, Alaina Scott, 31, and Stevie Laine Scott, 22—with his ex-wife Kim Scott, expresses his remorse for not being present for his kids due to his struggles with addiction. The track samples Jelly Roll’s 2023 hit “Save Me” and includes a recording of a younger Alaina’s voice, adding an additional layer of poignancy.

Eminem addresses each of his kids in the song, apologizing for his absences. “I don’t even deserve the father title / Hailie, I’m so sorry / I know I wasn’t there for your first guitar recital,” he raps. “Alaina, sorry that you had to hear me fall in the bathroom … Stevie, I’m sorry, I missed you grow up and I didn’t get to be the dad I wanted to be to you.”

The song’s emotional chorus, sung by Jelly Roll, intersperses between Eminem’s verses. “They say my lifestyle is bad for my health,” sings Jelly Roll. “It’s the only thing that seems to help.”

The connection between Eminem and Jelly Roll goes beyond their collaboration on the album. Last month, they gave a surprise performance together at the Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central. The two artists performed several verses of Eminem’s hit song “Lose Yourself,” an event that Jelly Roll later described as one of the “coolest” moments of his life during an interview at the CMA Fest in June.

“When I think about the coolest moments of my career, right now at the top, there has to be this thing that I got to go sing with Eminem in Detroit,” Jelly Roll said. “I got to sing ‘Sing for the Moment’ with him, which is a record where he sampled Steven Tyler. I mean, just what an incredible night and I got to do it in Detroit. It was unreal.”

Jason Bradley DeFord, known professionally as Jelly Roll, recounted how Eminem’s team reached out to him for the surprise performance. “Em reached out, his team reached out and said, ‘Would you be interested in doing this since he was already there doing the secret tribute?’ I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke until I met Eminem himself.”

Jelly Roll described meeting Eminem as an unforgettable experience. “I thought I was being joked! I even know Eminem’s manager. He’s a friend of mine. He’s really good to me. His name is Paul, and I was like, ‘Paul, don’t play.’ He was like, ‘I swear.’ And as soon as I met Eminem, it was like the coolest moment ever, man.”

He also expressed his enthusiasm about the performance. “I was giddy, like a child,” Jelly Roll said. “You could see it all over my performance. Just the kid in me. I thought the camera was off of me. So as soon as I finished singing, I’m like, whoa, I just let this steamroller out. It’s really cool.”

Source: ET, Getty Images