The internet is aflame with praise for Eminem, who slammed Trump from every conceivable angle in a freestyle at the BET Hip Hop Awards last night on Oct. 10. The Detroit rapper took the president to task for his cozy relationships with white supremacists, his inaction in the face of tragedies in Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, his constant golf trips, and his petty Twitter beefs with celebrities and athletes. “He’s bored and would rather cause a Twitter storm with the Packers,” Eminem spits as he paces around a dim Detroit parking garage. Like the other 56 percent of Americans who currently disapprove of Trump, it seems that Eminem has finally had enough.
At three minutes and 32 seconds in, Eminem raises his fist high and says “This is for Colin / Ball up a fist / And keep that shit bald / Like Donald the bitch,” shouting out former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protest against racism and police brutality galvanized a wave of political activism from fellow athletes, many of whom have also taken knees during the national anthem to protest the Trump administration. (The Oakland Raiders’ own Marshawn Lynch recently made waves with his “Everybody vs Trump” T-shirt, a design from Dope Era, Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B.’s clothing label.)
2020 presidential candidate Marshawn Lynch wearing an “Everybody vs. Trump” shirt today. pic.twitter.com/bA58tktjTm
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 1, 2017
Since the Eminem freestyle started making the rounds, Kaepernick took to Twitter to praise Eminem, and so did many prominent figures from the sports and entertainment worlds, including LeBron James and veteran sports commentator Keith Olbermann, who apparently is now a newly minted rap fan thanks to Eminem.
I appreciate you @Eminem ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/nwavBwsOkQ
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) October 11, 2017
Racism is the only thing he’s Fantastic 4(fantastic for), cause that’s how he gets his rock off, he’s orange. Sheesh @Eminem!! 🔥🔥✊🏾🔥🔥#United pic.twitter.com/wcL28BCWpy
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 11, 2017
After 27 years of doubts about rap I am now an @Eminem fan.
Best political writing of the year, period. 👏👏👏👏👏#Eminem2020 https://t.co/yS2Y72n8WS
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 11, 2017
Twitter users have not been remiss to point out that Eminem’s freestyle is not the best nor the most original Trump diss — L.A. rappers YG and Nipsey Hussle caught flack last year for their much catchier pre-election slapper “FDT,” which later got a remix featuring Macklemore and Oakland’s G-Eazy as a gesture of racial unity. Whiz Ward, an Oakland native and member of the music collective HNRL, pointed out the irony of Olbermann and others praising Eminem, a white rapper, as the best thing that’s ever happened to a black art form.
A white rapper makes a statement about a white supremacist president then is deemed the ONLY good thing about a historically black art-form? https://t.co/y3roJIRuIt
— WHIZ WARD (@yopotnawhiz) October 11, 2017
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, widespread praise for Eminem’s freestyle at a time when Kaepernick is blacklisted from the NFL shows that there are major racial disparities in how the public receives criticism against Trump.
