The rapper has been criticised by the mother of one of the victims
Eminem has referenced the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings in new album Music to be Murdered by, appearing to compare himself to bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi.
The controversial rapper released his 11th full length album on Friday morning to the surprise of many fans, with track two Unaccomodating featuring a lyric about the attack which occured during the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert.
The Detroit performer raps: “But I’m contemplating yelling ‘bombs away’ on the game / Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting.”
Figen Murray the mother of victim Martyn Hett has criticised the rapper, tweeting: Feels like he is piggybacking on the fame of Ariana grande and Justin bieber and says distasteful things about other celebrities.
“Not clever. Totally pointless. And before all Eminem fans pounce on me, I am not interested and will not engage.”
Previous Manchester Arena rap
It’s not the first time Eminem has made light of the attack – in 2018 during a freestyle rap, the divisive performer appeared to joke about the attack.
He rapped: “Squashed in between a brainwashing machine / Like an Islamic regime, a jihadist extreme radical / Suicide bomber that’s seeing / Ariana Grande sing her last song of the evening / And as the audience from the damn concert is leaving / Detonates the device strapped to his abdominal region / I’m not gonna finish that, for obvious reasons.”
Preempting controversy the 47-year-old said that “nothing’s off limits” in freestyle battles.
Mother of victim Charlotte Hodgson described the 2018 performance as “disgusting” and “disrespectful” to Manchester Evening News.
She said: “I didn’t think anybody could do this and be so disrespectful to us all. It’s vile and he is a vile human for doing it.
“Why would anyone compare themselves to a Jihadist or a bomber? I think he needs help if he sees himself like that.
“Why would anyone want to listen to it for entertainment? Ariana did a very respectful song in memory of everyone there and that was lovely, a fantastic gesture, as she was involved too, but why would people want to make money out of such an horrific event?”
Other controversies in new album
In Unaccomodating the Slim Shady performer also makes reference to the 9/11 terror attacks, rapping: “And you backpedal that as a cowardly act / Like a Saudi attack when the towers collapse.”
The album opens with track Premonition (intro), which appears to contain the sound of a woman being stabbed to death.
The performer also compares himself to Charles Manson and serial killers the Boston Strangler and The Night Stalker in Music to be Murdered by.
