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Eminem receives backlash for homophobic lyrics on surprise album

The rapper calls Tyler, The Creator an anti-gay slur

Published

8 years ago

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Eminem in ‘Fall’ (Screenshot via YouTube)

Eminem dropped his surprise album “Kamikaze” on Thursday which features plenty of diss tracks of other celebrities but his diss against fellow rapper Tyler, The Creator is receiving controversy for its anti-gay lyrics.

On the track “Fall,” Eminem raps “Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a f—-t, bitch.”

Tyler, The Creator had criticized Eminem back in 2014 for his work on the album, “ShadyXV.”

“I love you Marshall, you are my favorite rapper but dude ShadyXV is fucking ASS hahaha why wont someone who loves him tell him NO,” Tyler, The Creator said at the time.

Eminem’s lyrical track record has included plenty of homophobic lyrics in the past but the rapper was called out by some of his celebrity peers for still using anti-gay language in 2018.

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon is featured on the song but says he wasn’t in the studio for Eminem’s verses. In a tweet, he says he’s “not a fan of the message” and asked for the song to be changed but was denied.

Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds, who has recently become a strong advocate for the LGBT community, denounced the use of the term on Twitter.

“it’s never ok to say a word that is filled with hate. I don’t care what year you were born in or what meaning it has to you,” Reynolds tweeted. “if it contributes to hate and bigotry then it is hateful. period. there is never an ok time to say the word fa**ot. I don’t care who you are.”

He continued: “it’s disgusting to be told this is being “overly sensitive” or “millennial”. LGBTQ kids are TAKING THEIR LIVES after being bullied with homophobic slurs. it’s not “sensitive” to take a stand against a word that has been used to spread hate for years.”

“The Breakfast Club” co-host Charlamagne Tha God, who Eminem also disses on his album, told Esquire that he doesn’t think Eminem cares about offending the LGBT community.

“Well, here’s the thing about freedom of speech, you have the freedom to say what you want, but people are free to be offended—and I’m sure they will be about this line — but he’s actually quoting something Tyler said about himself. It personally didn’t offend me, but I’m a Oldhead who grew up in the era where that word was freely thrown around in records and interviews,” he says. “I’m not a member of the LGBT community. I would love to hear how a hip-hop fan who’s a member of the LGBT community reacts to this line, because I can’t tell them not to be offended. Eminem has to understand when he calls Tyler that he’s not just throwing a shot at Tyler, he’s throwing a shot at millions of gay people around the globe. But I don’t think he cares.”

 

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Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

21 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

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Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.

The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.

Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.

Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.

The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.  We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”  

“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”

“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”

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Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip. 

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026 

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

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