Eminem is facing criticism for slamming bosses at the National Rifle Association (NRA) for their response to the recent school shooting in Florida while performing at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The rapper took to the stage on Sunday (11Mar18) to perform Nowhere Fast with Kehlani, and took aim at organisation bosses who have advocated for arming teachers to help prevent another tragedy, like last month's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida.
"Sometimes I don't know what this world has come to, it's blowing up/This whole country is going nuts," he rapped. "And the NRA is in our way/They're responsible for this whole production/They hold the strings, they control the puppets/And they threaten to take away donor bucks so they know the government won't do nothing/And nobody's punching, gun owners clutching their loaded weapon/They love their guns more than our children."
Overnight, Eminem was slammed for his anti-gun stance, with many social media users recalling his violent lyrics and attacks on his ex-wife Kim Mathers.
"@Eminem going after @NRA but didn't he make his career rapping about raping and murdering his family?!? #SitDown #GrownUpsaretalking #Loser," one user wrote on Twitter.
"Eminem is so non-violent his song... Just the two of us... is about beating the hell out of the mother of your child... killing her and tying a rock on her and dumping her in a lake with your child by yourside (sic)," another user adds. "Really a stand up guy!"
The rapper has yet to respond to the backlash, but he has praised Parkland survivor Alex Moscou, who introduced him to the stage and urged lawmakers to take action to prevent another shooting.
"On February 14th, a gunman armed with a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle murdered 17 people at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida," Moscou said. "We're tired of hearing politicians send their thoughts and prayers to us and doing nothing to make the necessary changes to prevent this tragedy from happening again. School is a place where we should feel safe, and if those elected to represent us won't do what's right and keep us safe, then we're gonna be too loud for them to ignore."
"We are going to be too loud for them to ignore - Alex Moscou," the rapper later responded on Twitter. "It was both an inspiration and an honor, Alex!"
He will be among the students leading the upcoming March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C. later this month.
