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Featured Image Credit: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo/TikTok/@laurenoakley88
Topics: Eminem, Music, Social Media, TikTok
Daisy Phillipson
Topics: Eminem, Music, Social Media, TikTok
A number of Gen Zers have been trying to cancel Eminem of late, and Millennials are having none of it.
It's not the first time the two generations have waged war – far from it.
Those who fall into the Gen Z category – people born between the years 1997 to 2012 – think the older group are lazy, too obsessed with Harry Potter and need to stop being so 'Cheugy'.
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On the other side of the coin, Millennials, born between the years 1981 to 1996, think the younger lot are self-obsessed, addicted to technology and have an inexplicable devotion to sports wear.
While ultimately the back-and-forth is skin deep, and for the most part they see eye-to-eye, there's one thing Millennials refuse to budge on: Eminem.
The rapper has come under fire from the TikTok generation, with some describing his lyrics as controversial and problematic.
A couple of years back, he started trending on the social media platform for a number of his songs, including Love The Way You Lie with Rihanna.
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The offending line, which some Gen Zers have said glorifies domestic abuse, reads: "I know I’m a liar, if she ever tries to f***ing leave again I’ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire."
One TikToker shared a clip of herself listening to the track alongside text that said: "Yesssss let’s cancel him."
While there have been similar attempts to call out 'The Real Slim Shady' rapper over the years, he's still going strong.
Amid the thousands of Eminem stans who grew up listening to his music, one woman named Lauren Oakley took this to the next level by creating a diss track to the tune of his 2000 hit in a bit to hit back at cancel culture.
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In the verse, which she captioned 'Dear Gen Z', Oakley described the generation as 'sensitive'.
The lyrics went on: "At first I ignored it but now you've crossed the line by going after a very dear friend of mine.
"You wanna cancel Eminem 'cause he's too aggressive and mean? Your feelings are hurt? You wish his lyrics were more clean?"
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Oakley criticised Gen Z for 'thinking they control what's not theirs' after some called for Eminem's music to be pulled from air.
"Trying to cancel what you weren't around for in the first place, how about instead you just learn to embrace?" she continued.
Eminem was described as a 'lyricist' who 'paved the way', a line that mirrors the numerous comments over the years from other Millennials who jumped in to defend Marshall Mathers.
In her lines, she poked fun at today's rappers, saying they all just 'mumble'.
A couple of years back, Em himself appeared to address the drama with the release of an animated video for his 2020 track 'Tone Deaf'.
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Sharing a clip of the video on Twitter, he posted the lyrics: "I can’t understand a word you say, I’m tone deaf. I think this way I prefer stay, I’m tone deaf.
"I won’t stop even when my hair turns grey, I’m tone deaf. 'Cause they won’t stop until they cancel me."
Either way, it doesn’t seem like Eminem has lost any sleep over it – his die-hard fanbase are still riding for him.