Eminem released a new song Friday following a social media campaign from Generation Z TikTok users who sought to cancel the Grammy and Oscar-winning rapper over some of his controversial lyrics.
The music artist shared part of the track's lyrics, which appear to address the backlash, on Twitter.
“I won't stop even when my hair turns grey (I'm tone-deaf) / 'Cause they won't stop until they cancel me,” Eminem wrote alongside a preview of the new lyric video for "Tone Deaf."
The controversy kicked off in February, when a Gen Z TikTok user argued the rapper's 2010 hit "Love The Way You Lie" glorifies toxic relationships and domestic violence.
The hip-hop ballad, which features chart-topping artist Rihanna, describes the dangerous cycle of being trapped within an abusive relationship and the tug of war between love and hate that comes with it. The song came out after both artists were involved in highly public abusive relationships, Rihanna with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and Eminem with ex-wife Kim Scott.
Fans of Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, defended the rapper on social media and pushed back against members of Gen Z, those born roughly from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s.
In a tweet this week, "The View" co-host Meghan McCain wrote: "Eminem will not be cancelled. Come at me Z's."
Throughout his career, Eminem has overcome countless controversies, including celebrity feuds, allegations of homophobia in some of his lyrics and pleading guilty to possession of a concealed weapon and assault in 2001.
The Secret Service interviewed him on at least two separate occasions as they looked into “threatening lyrics” toward former Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.
The Detroit rapper seems to address his ability to rise above controversies in "Tone Deaf," jokingly blaming his alter ego, Slim Shady, for his riotous bars and promising to never change his artistic choices due to public pressure.
Despite the latest social media backlash, one of Eminem's most popular songs, "Lose Yourself," recently surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. The 2002 track was the lead single from the soundtrack to his semi-autobiographical film "8 Mile." The song earned him an Academy Award for best original song.
