Eminem apologizes for the hurt he has caused as a result of his often graphic and violent lyrics in his track Guts Over Fear.
The 51-year-old rapper, who most recently sung about dragging singer Iggy Azalea by his Humvee and raping her, reflects on his long-standing career and expresses a keen sense of remorse in the hit Guts Over Fear.
‘It just breaks my heart to look at all the pain I caused,’ he raps in the emotive single which is the first to be released off his album Shady XV.
‘It breaks my heart’: Eminem apologizes for hurt cause by his often graphic and violent song lyrics in his new track Guts Over Fear that reflects on his career
‘The pain spawns all the anger on, but it wasn’t until I put the pain in song, learned who to aim it on, that I made a spark,
‘Started to spit hard as s***, learned how to harness it while the reins were off… But the crazy part was soon as I stopped saying I gave a f*** haters started to appreciate my art.’
The accompanying video depicts the personal struggles and self doubt that have riddled Slim Shady’s almost two decades in the industry through an aspiring boxer.
Beginning with the sound of a heartbeat and a lone boxer preparing to enter the ring, it flashes back to suburban Michigan – Eminem’s hometown – and instead of training for his next fight, the character is scrubbing dishes in a local diner.
Heart-felt: The 51-year-old expresses his personal struggles and self doubt in the emotive track
Double edged sword: While he apologizes for causing pain he says his own rage is what inspires his songs and that without it he can’t create anything meaningful
He raps about his fear of becoming irrelevant and losing a hold on the anger that inspires his songs.
‘The media made me the equivalent of a modern-day Genghis Khan. Tried to argue, it was only entertainment, dog,’ he says of his controversial lyrics in earlier days.
‘But what am I gonna do when the rage is gone? And the lights go out in that trailer park,
‘And I’m frozen, cause there’s no more emotion for me to pull from, just a bunch of playful songs, that I make for fun.’
Australian singer-songwriter Sia provides the vocals for the chorus but doesn’t appear in the music video herself.
Instead, the camera-shy star is portrayed by America’s Next Top Model finalist Chantelle Brown-Young who suffers from Vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation in parts of the skin.
Australian singer-songwriter Sia
Doesn’t appear herself: The camera shy star’s part is played by America’s Next Top Model finalist Chantelle Brown-Young in the music video
The track comes less than a week after a preview of his single Vegas, which is produced by Marshall Mathers’ band Bad Meets Evil with Royce da 5’9″, features violent and misogynistic threats levelled at Iggy Azalea.
‘B****, shut the f*** up and get in my car. And suck my f***ing d*** while I take a s***,’ he sings.
‘And I think with my d*** so come blow my mind. And it tastes like humble pie. So swallow my pride, you’re lucky just to follow my ride,’ the 13-time Grammy winner is heard rapping.
‘If I let you run alongside the Humvee. Unless you’re Nicki, grab you by the wrist, let’s ski.
‘So what’s it gon’ be? Put that s*** away Iggy. You don’t wanna blow that rape whistle on me. Scream! I love it. ‘Fore I get lost with the gettin’ off.’
Wigged beauty: The young model wears a blonde wig with a fringe to represent Sia
Rising star: Chantelle suffers from Vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation in parts of the skin
On past albums, Eminem has given Mariah Carey, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Kim Kardashian a similar treatment.
He has also rapped about viciously murdering his ex-wife Kim in two songs – Kim and ’97 Bonnie and Clyde.
The musician was nominated for Favourite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Album at the American Music Awards on Sunday but lost out in both categories to Iggy who had the grace to mention him in her acceptance speech.
Targeted: Iggy Azalea became the latest victim of Slim Shady’s vile lyrics when he threatened to drag her by his Humvee and rape her in his song, Vegas
Winner: The Australian artist won Favourite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Album at the American Music Awards on Sunday and mentioned Eminem in her acceptance speech
‘It just means so much that I can stand here against Eminem and Drake and come out with this, it’s amazing,’ she said.
Earlier in the week, the Fancy hitmaker took to Twitter to respond to the rapper’s vile lyrics.
‘I’m bored of the old men threatening young women as entertainment trend and much more interested in the young women getting $ trend. zzzz,’ she said.
‘It’s especially awkward because my 14-year-old brother is the biggest Eminem fan and now the artist he admired says he wants to rape me. nice!’
Tough slog: The rapper’s story is told through the struggle of an aspiring boxer
