Sir Elton John and Eminem perform 'Stan' at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, on February 2, 2001. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin Winter)
While "Rap God" rapper Eminem is revered by his fans, the critics of the Detroit rapper accuse him of being homophobic because of his rap song lyrics. Among those who defend the rapper is his friend Elton John, an openly gay musician himself.
John turned 70 on March 25, Saturday. Recently, he was a guest on Zane Lowe's show on Beats 1 talked about his birthday and the memorable moments of his career, including his performance of "Stan" with Eminem at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
The "Stan" performance of John and Eminem became controversial because the lyrics of the latter are deemed violent and homophobic by his critics. However, the "Candle in the Wind" singer thinks otherwise.
"For me, Eminem was never homophobic," John said. "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."
Upon listening to Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" album, John wondered how anyone could think the lyrics were homophobic. The Detroit rapper was just writing about the way things are and not how he thinks, according to John.
"The Marshall Mathers LP" is Eminem's third studio album. It was released by Interscope Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Shady Records, the label founded by the Detroit rapper and his manager Paul Rosenberg on May 23, 2000.
There are 19 tracks in "The Marshall Mathers LP." One of these is "Kim," a song about his hatred and anger towards his then-wife Kim Mathers.
Eminem released a sequel to the album more than 13 years later. His eighth studio album titled "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" had 16 tracks including "Headlights" featuring Nate Ruess, "Love Game" featuring Kendrick Lamar, "The Monster" featuring Rihanna, "A-----e" featuring Skylar Grey, "Rap God" and "Berzerk."
Fans of Eminem have been waiting for his next studio album since 2013. Watch the music video of a shorter version of "Stan" here:
