Eminem Defends Living With Kid Rock in Slim Shady Era Despite Major Political Differences

Eminem recalls living with Kid Rock at the Oakwood Apartments in a new verse addressing their political differences, according to Rock. The collaboration appears on Halfway 2 Jesus, the singer's faith-based album, which has a 17 October release date.

Their musical relationship stretches back to Eminem's appearance on 'F--- Off' from Rock's 1998 album Devil Without a Cause. Describing their latest track, 'Heal My Faith', Rock told Billboard that Eminem includes the line 'He's my brother, not my political enemy'.

Eminem Remembers Kid Rock's Early Support

The verse also recalls Rock attending Eminem's Slim Shady release show when the rapper was still largely unknown. Rock encouraged him to continue, an intervention Eminem remembered as meaningful, according to the singer's account.

Their subsequent collaborations included Rock's appearance in Eminem's 2013 'Berzerk' music video and their work on Trick Trick's 'From the D' remix.

The finished 'Heal My Faith' recording moved Rock to tears. 'I heard the [finished] mix, and grandpa was crying.'

Rock described their friendship as spanning 'like, 40 years' and explained that he had wanted to avoid drawing Eminem into his political world. Politics occasionally enters their conversations, but he described room for agreement and humour.

'There's a lot of stuff we agree on, and we can have a laugh about what [we don't].'

Political Differences Inform Eminem's Latest Collaboration

Halfway 2 Jesus is Rock's 13th studio album and follows Bad Reputation, the politically charged record released in 2022. His debut Christian studio album emphasises faith, forgiveness and second chances, themes he linked to his work with Eminem.

For Rock, the collaboration reflects his wish to reduce political division. 'I'm just putting a positive message out there in the world... showing a little more grace, trying to kill some of the division.'

Rock presented the album as part of his personal religious journey. 'I am not without sin, and I can't say I ever will be.' He described a conscious effort to spread a better message while maintaining that his personality had not fundamentally altered and that he would continue to drink beer and smoke cigars.

Why Eminem Switched Songs Before Release

Rock first approached Eminem about 'Heal My Faith' around a year earlier. The song had previously carried the titles 'Lord Above' and 'Show Me Love'.

After hearing '7 Sins', however, Eminem preferred to contribute to that track. The two then agreed that one joint song would be enough for the album.

'We agreed we didn't need two songs together... people are going to think we're dating,' Rock joked.

After the tracklist was announced, Eminem reconsidered. He contacted Rock and suggested returning to the original song, sending over a new verse for 'Heal My Faith'.

The late adjustments reminded Rock of recording his breakthrough album, Devil Without a Cause. He recalled adding the shout 'My name is Kid!' to 'Bawitaba' only when the song was being mixed.

'It's a lot of stress and a lot of anxiety, but it's so good,' Rock told the publication about the new album. He described the result as the record he wanted and expressed relief at its completion.

With only days to replace Eminem on '7 Sins', Rock considered recording the rap himself. He decided against it after hearing what Eminem had produced, and Lil Wayne ultimately took that spot.