Elton John has defended his friend Eminem from critics who believe that his raps are homophobic.
The Candle in the Wind singer was being interviewed by Beats 1’s Zane Lowe to mark his 70th birthday when Elton’s controversial 2001 Grammys performance with Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, came up.
The performance was marred in controversy with critics of the outspoken rapper criticising his lyrics as homophobic and violent.
John however disagrees with them saying he’ll fight for anyone who is misunderstood and misrepresented by the idiots out there.
He said:
For me, Eminem was never homophobic. I listened to the whole of the Marshall Mathers album when I drove to a show in South Hampton and I was floored by it. And I thought how could anyone think this is… he’s just writing about the way things are. Not how he thinks, but the way things are.
I did the Grammys with Marshall and I became very big friends with Marshall. I’ll fight for anyone who is misunderstood and misrepresented by the idiots out there.
In the past Eminem has commented that he neither knew nor cared about Elton’s sexuality before he performed with him.
Speaking to MTV News about the matter he explained that he’d heard nothing about Elton’s personal life but that when he found out he liked that he ‘had his back’ adding that it made a statement that he knew ‘where he was coming from’.
In the past Eminem has defended his homophobic lyrics by saying that his provocative verse are meant in a tongue-in-cheek way.
Speaking to The Rolling Stone in 2013 Marshall said:
I don’t know how to say this without saying it how I’ve said it a million times… But [faggot], those kind of words, when I came up battle-rappin’ or whatever, I never really equated those words [with being gay].
It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or asshole… I poke fun at other people, myself. But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.