Eminem drops surprise album, advocates changes to gun laws

The Associated Press

Friday, 17 January 2020

Rapper Eminem once again dropped a surprise album, releasing of “Music to Be Murdered By” on Friday.

The follow-up to 2018's “Kamikaze” - also released without warning - was announced on Twitter just after midnight.

The Detroit rapper also released a new music video for one of the 20 tracks on the album, “Darkness,” which depicts a shooting at a concert.

The lyrics and storyline of the video specifically allude to the 2017 mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

It closes with audio and video footage of news broadcasts from other recent mass shooting around the US and an appeal to register to vote.

“When will this end? When enough people care," reads the text at the end of the video. "Register to vote at vote.gov. Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America.”

A link to the music video on Eminem's website encourages viewers to contact or visit several gun violence prevention organizations, including Everytown for Gun Safety and Sandy Hook Promise.

The cover art features blood spatter and a bearded Eminem holding both a hatchet and a gun to his head, the latter in apparent homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 album of the same name, Pitchfork noted. “Music to Be Murdered By” is Eminem's 11th studio album, according to his website.

Among many collaborators, the album features Ed Sheeran, Skylar Grey, Anderson .Paak and Juice WRLD, the 21-year-old rapper who died in December.

Last Update: Friday, 17 January 2020 KSA 12:52 - GMT 09:52

Eminem angers Ariana Grande fans with lyric about Manchester bombing on new album

Rapper released a surprise album that includes the track ‘Unaccommodating’, on which he references the 2017 attack that killed 23 people and injured hundreds more

Roisin O'Connor @Roisin_OConnor

Ariana Grande fans are expressing their distress on social media over an Eminem lyric that appears to make light of the Manchester bombing attack.

The rapper released a surprise album, titled Music to be Murdered By, on Friday 17 January, causing his name to trend on Twitter as fans reacted to the new material.

However, one of the tracks, “Unaccommodating”, includes the lyric: “I’m contemplating yelling ‘bombs away’ on the game like I’m outside an Ariana Grande concert.” The lyric is followed by the sound of an explosion, and Eminem continues to make references to suicide attacks and terrorism.

Eminem was referencing the attack on 22 May 2017, at which a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 23 people and injuring hundreds more.

“That is so f***ing sick,” one Twitter user wrote. “People literally lost their lives, and you’re going to release music and try to make a profit off them?”

“That Ariana lyric [is] just a pathetic attempt to get attention,” another wrote.

A third said: “Always had respect for Eminem but tf makes a joke about a terrorist attack that killed innocent kids and permanently wounded others? Ariana still hasn’t healed from it either. I hope the 10 minutes of clout was worth it.”

Music to be Murdered By is Eminem’s 11th studio album and his first since 2018’s Kamikaze. It is also the rapper’s third consecutive “surprise” album, and features collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Skylar Grey, Ed Sheeran, and the late rapper Juice Wrld.

Eminem drops a surprise album and music video advocating new 'gun laws in America'

Guess who's back?

Eminem on Friday dropped the surprise album Music to be Murdered By, along with a music video for his song "Darkness" that advocates for gun reform while using imagery inspired by the Las Vegas shooting that left almost 60 people dead in 2017.

The disturbing video, which shows a gunman holed up in a Las Vegas hotel room and firing out the window, includes lyrics like "I'm a licensed owner with no prior convictions, so loss, the sky's the limit, so my supplies infinite."

The video ends with Eminem standing in front of a row of TV screens showing news reports of other mass shootings, pro-gun reform rallies, and President Trump, after which text on screen reads, "When will this end? When enough people care. Register to vote at Vote.gov. Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America." The video also directs viewers to a website that highlights more information, including from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The title of the surprise album, Eminem's first since 2018, is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, and it even features audio of Hitchcock throughout. Of course, it wouldn't be an Eminem release if some of the lyrics hadn't already ignited controversy, and one stirring outrage makes reference to the Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert. "I'm contemplating yelling 'bombs away' on the game like I'm outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting," Eminem raps on "Unaccommodating."

Watch the "Darkness" video from Eminem below. Brendan Morrow

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