Eminem Highlights Decades‑Long Friendship in New Kid Rock Collaboration

Eminem has defended his guest appearance on Kid Rock’s new faith‑based album, emphasizing that their decades‑long friendship outweighs any political differences.

Kid Rock launched his latest project, the album *Halfway 2 Jesus*, on Friday. The Detroit‑born Eminem, a longtime friend of the rocker, contributes a verse to the track “Heal My Faith.”

The partnership has sparked backlash among some of Eminem’s fans, who were surprised that the rapper—who endorsed Kamala Harris at a Detroit rally in 2024 and has criticized Donald Trump in songs such as “Campaign Speech”—would work with Kid Rock, widely regarded as one of Trump’s most prominent supporters in music.

Eminem addressed the controversy on social media shortly after *Halfway 2 Jesus* dropped, stating, “Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us.”

In a Billboard interview, Kid Rock clarified the collaboration. He explained that although Eminem was initially slated to appear on “7 Sins,” the rapper ultimately contributed to “Heal My Faith,” the track he first wanted him to join. “We agreed we didn’t need two songs together…people are going to think we’re dating,” Rock remarked.

“We’ve been friends for, like, 40 years. I really didn’t want to drag him into my political world… We talk about politics a little bit, not a ton. There’s a lot of stuff we agree on, and we can have a laugh about what we don’t. That’s why I asked him to write a verse for me,” Rock added.

In his verse, Eminem delivers the lyrics, “From shock rap to the rock rap / My homie and me / He is my brother, not my political enemy,” underscoring their enduring camaraderie.

Kid Rock told Billboard that the project aims to “heal some of the division in our country… showing a little more grace, trying to kill some of the division.”

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