Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon disowns homophobic Eminem track
The 37-year-old folk star says his request to remove a slur against Tyler, the Creator was ignored.
By Will Stroude
Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon has disowned his Eminem collaboration ‘Kamikaze’ over the track’s homophobic lyrics.
The indie folk star, 37, encouraged fans to “kill” the track after revealing that his request to change a line branding rapper Tyler, the Creator a “f****t b*tch” was ignored.
Eminem, who dropped his tenth studio album Kamikaze unexpectedly on Friday (August 31), was slammed after using the record’s title track to direct the slur at 27-year-old Tyler, who has made allusions to experience same-sex attraction in the past.
Taking to Twitter last Friday (August 31), Vernon, whose uncredited vocals feature in ‘Kamikaze’, claimed that he wasn’t in the studio during the track’s recording and that he was “not a fan” of the hateful message it contained.
“Was not in the studio for the Eminem track… came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will” he wrote.
“Not a fan of the message, it’s tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn’t do it.
The ‘Skinny Love’ singer continued: “Eminem is one of the best rappers of all time, there is no doubt. I have and will respect that. Tho, this is not the time to criticize Youth, it’s the time to listen. To act. It is certainly not the time for slurs.
“Wish they would have listened when we asked them to change it”.
He later added: “I was wrong and we are gonna kill this track”.
Eminem is no stranger to including homophobic lyrics in his records, having previously brand rival rappers “faggots” and “queer” on 200’s ‘Marshall Mathers’, and including the line “Hate fags? The answer’s yes’ in ‘Criminal’ the same year.
Discouragingly, Eminem looks a dead-cert to top the Official UK Albums Chart with Kamikaze this Friday (Setepmbr 7), a feat which would see the 45-year-old rapper break the joint record for most consecutive UK Number One albums he currently holds with Led Zeppelin and ABBA.
Words: Will Stroude