Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley: ‘Gee Michael thought might hurt if he me out as gay and I enuraged him not to say anythg’ | Culture | EL PAÍS English

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• CAGAY LOOKG BOY1 VIEWER1 CONTRIBUTORCA LYRICS[REDACTED]YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKEEMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
• GAY LOOKG BOY LYRICS
• WHAM!’S ANDREW RIDGELEY: ‘GEE MICHAEL THOUGHT MIGHT HURT IF HE ME OUT AS GAY AND I ENURAGED HIM NOT TO SAY ANYTHG’
• OLR, WISER EMEM STILL DON'T GET WHY GAY SLURS ARE OFFENSIVE
• RAP GODEMEMTRACK 9 ON THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2 (DELUXE EDN) PRODUCED BYEMEM & DVLP“RAP GOD” IS EMEM’S BRAGGADOC O TO HIMSELF AND HIS REER. OVER S SIX-MUTE N-TIME, HE REFERENC IC BOOKS, THROWS BACK TO HIS OLD SONGS, AND RAPS CRAZILY… READ MORE OCT. 14, 201311 VIEWERS18.6M VIEWS1921 CONTRIBUTORSTRANSLATNSENGLISHPORTUGUêSITALIANOहिन्दीDTSCHFRANçAISESPAñOLCYMRAEGไทย / PHASA THAIRAP GOD LYRICS[INTRO]"LOOK, I WAS GONNA GO EASY ON YOU NOT TO HURT YOUR FEELGS""BUT I'M ONLY GOG TO GET THIS ONE CHANCE" (SIX MUT—, SIX MUT—)"SOMETHG'S WRONG, I N FEEL " (SIX MUT, SLIM SHADY, YOU'RE ON!)"JT A FEELG I'VE GOT, LIKE SOMETHG'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT. IF THAT MEANS WHAT I THK MEANS, WE'RE TROUBLE, BIG TROUBLE; AND IF HE IS AS BANANAS AS YOU SAY, I'M NOT TAKG ANY CHANC""YOU ARE JT WHAT THE DOC ORRED"[CHOS]I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODNOW, WHO THKS THEIR ARMS ARE LONG ENOUGH TO SLAP BOX, SLAP BOX?THEY SAID I RAP LIKE A ROBOT, SO LL ME RAP-BOT[VERSE 1]BUT FOR ME TO RAP LIKE A PUTER MT BE MY GENI GOT A LAPTOP MY BACK POCKETMY PEN'LL GO OFF WHEN I HALF-CK GOT A FAT KNOT OM THAT RAP PROFMA A LIV' AND A KILL' OFF EVER SCE BILL CLTON WAS STILL OFFICEWH MONI LEWSKY FEEL' ON HIS NUTSACKI'M AN MC STILL AS HONTBUT AS AND AS CENT AS ALL HELLSYLLABL, SKILL-A-HOLIC (KILL 'EM ALL WH)THIS FLIPPY DIPPY-HIPPY HIP-HOPYOU DON'T REALLY WANNA GET TO A PISS' MATCHWH THIS RAPPY BRAT, PACK' A MAC THE BACK OF THE AC'BACKPACK RAP CRAP, YAP-YAP, YACKETY-YACKAND AT THE EXACT SAME TIME, I ATTEMPT THE LYRIL ACROBAT STUNTS WHILE I'M PRACTIC' THATI'LL STILL BE ABLE TO BREAK A MOTHERFUCK' TABLEOVER THE BACK OF A UPLE OF FAGGOTS AND CRACK HALFONLY REALIZED WAS IRONIC, I WAS SIGNED TO AFTERMATH AFTER THE FACTHOW ULD I NOT BLOW? ALL I DO IS DROP F-BOMBSFEEL MY WRATH OF ATTACKRAPPERS ARE HAV' A ROUGH TIME PERD, HERE'S A MAXI PADIT'S ACTUALLY DISASTROLY BAD FOR THE WACKWHILE I'M MASTERFULLY NSTCTG THIS MASTERPIèCEYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS]'CSE I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODNOW, WHO THKS THEIR ARMS ARE LONG ENOUGH TO SLAP BOX, SLAP BOX?LET ME SHOW YOU MATA' THIS SH A'T THAT HARD, THAT HARDEVERYBODY WANT THE KEY AND THE SECRET TO RAP IMMORTALY LIKE Ι HAVE GOT[VERSE 2]WELL, TO BE TTHFUL THE BLUEPRT'SSIMPLY RAGE AND YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCEEVERYBODY LOV TO ROOT FOR A NUISANCEH THE EARTH LIKE AN ASTEROIDDID NOTHG BUT SHOOT FOR THE MOON SCE (PEW!)MCS GET TAKEN TO SCHOOL WH THIS MIC'CSE I E AS A VEHICLE TO "B THE RHYME"NOW I LEAD A NEW SCHOOL FULL OF STUNTSME? I'M A PRODUCT OF RAKIMLAKIM SHABAZZ, 2PAC, N.W.A, CUBE, HEY DOC, RENYELLA, EAZY, THANK YOU, THEY GOT SLIMINSPIRED ENOUGH TO ONE DAY GROW UP, BLOW UP AND BE A POSNTO MEET RUN–D.M.C., AND DUCT THEMINTO THE MOTHERFUCK' ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMEEVEN THOUGH I'LL WALK THE CHURCH AND BURST A BALL OF FLAMONLY HALL OF FAME I'LL BE DUCTED IS THE ALHOL OF FAMEON THE WALL OF SHAMEYOU FAGS THK 'S ALL A GAME, 'TIL I WALK A FLOCK OF FLAMOFF A PLANK AND, TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THK'?LTLE GAY-LOOK' BOYSO GAY I N BARELY SAY WH A STRAIGHT FACE, LOOK' BOY (HA-HA!)YOU'RE WNS' A MASS-OCCURLIKE YOU'RE WATCHG A CHURCH GATHERG TAKE PLACE, LOOK' BOY"OY VEY, THAT BOY'S GAY!"—THAT'S ALL THEY SAY, LOOK' BOYYOU GET A THUMBS UP, PAT ON THE BACKAND A "WAY TO GO" OM YOUR LABEL EVERY DAY, LOOK' BOYHEY, LOOK' BOY! WHAT YOU SAY, LOOK' BOY?I GET A "HELL YEAH" OM DRE, LOOK' BOYI'MA WORK FOR EVERYTHG I HAVE, NEVER ASKED NOBODY FOR SHGET OUTTA MY FACE, LOOK' BOY!BASILLY, BOY, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE PABLEOF KEEP' UP WH THE SAME PACE, LOOK' BOY, 'E—[CHOS]I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODTHE WAY I'M RAC' AROUND THE TRACK, LL ME NASCAR, NASCARDALE EARNHARDT OF THE TRAILER PARK, THE WHE TRASH GODKNEEL BEFORE GENERAL ZODTHIS PLA'S KRYPTON—NO, ASGARD, ASGARD[VERSE 3]SO YOU'LL BE THOR AND I'LL BE ODYOU RONT, I'M OMNIPOTENTLET OFF, THEN I'M RELOAD'IMMEDIATELY WH THE BOMBS I'M TOT'AND I SHOULD NOT BE WOKENI'M THE WALK' AD, BUT I'M JT A TALK' HEAD, A ZOMBIE FLOAT'BUT I GOT YOUR MOM EP-THROAT'I'M OUT MY RAMEN NOODLEWE HAVE NOTH' MON, POODLEI'M A DOBERMAN, PCH YOURSELF THE ARM AND PAY HOMAGE, PUPILIT'S ME, MY HONTY'S BTALBUT 'S HONTLY FUTILE IF I DON'T UTILIZE WHAT I DO THOUGHFOR GOOD AT LEAST ONCE A WHILESO I WANNA MAKE SURE SOMEWHERE THIS CHICKEN SCRATCH I SCRIBBLE AND DOODLE ENOUGH RHYMTO MAYBE TRY TO HELP GET SOME PEOPLE THROUGH TOUGH TIMBUT I GOTTA KEEP A FEW PUNCHLJT SE 'E EVEN YOU UNSIGNEDRAPPERS ARE HUNGRY LOOK' AT ME LIKE 'S LUNCHTIMEI KNOW THERE WAS A TIME WHERE ONCE IWAS KG OF THE UNRGROUNDBUT I STILL RAP LIKE I'M ON MY PHAROAHE MONCH GRDSO I CNCH RHYM, BUT SOMETIM WHEN YOU BEAPPEAL WH THE SK LOR OF MEYOU GET TOO BIG AND HERE THEY E TRY'TO CENSOR YOU LIKE THAT ONE LEI SAID ON "I'M BACK" OM THE MATHERS LP 1 WHEN ITRIED TO SAY I'LL TAKE SEVEN KIDS OM COLUMBEPUT 'EM ALL A LE, ADD AN AK-47, A REVOLVER AND A 9SEE IF I GET AWAY WH NOW THAT I A'T AS BIG AS I WAS, BUT I'MMORPH' TO AN IMMORTAL, ' THROUGH THE PORTALYOU'RE STUCK A TIME WARP OM 2004 THOUGHAND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THAT YOU RHYME FORYOU'RE POTLS AS RAPUNZEL WH FUCK' RNROWSYOU WRE NORMAL? FUCK BEG NORMAL!AND I JT BOUGHT A NEW RAYGUN OM THE FUTUREJT TO E AND SHOOT YA, LIKE WHEN FABOLO MA RAY J MAD'CSE FAB SAID HE LOOKED LIKE A FAG AT MAYWEATHER'S PADSG' TO A MAN WHILE HE PLAYED PIANOMAN, OH MAN, THAT WAS A 24/7 SPECIAL ON THE BLE CHANNELSO RAY J WENT STRAIGHT TO THE RAD STATNTHE VERY NEXT DAY, "HEY FAB, I'MA KILL YOU!"LYRICS ' AT YOU AT SUPERSONIC SPEED (J.J. FAD)UH, SUMMA-LUMMA, DOOMA-LUMMA, YOU ASSUM' I'M A HUMANWHAT I GOTTA DO TO GET THROUGH TO YOU? I'M SUPERHUMANINNOVATIVE AND I'M MA OF BBER SO THAT ANYTHG YOU SAY IS RICHET' OFF OF ME AND 'LL GLUE TO YOU ANDI'M VASTATG, MORE THAN EVER MONSTRATGHOW TO GIVE A MOTHERFUCK' DIENCE A FEELG LIKE 'S LEVATGNEVER FADG, AND I KNOW THE HATERS ARE FOREVER WAGFOR THE DAY THAT THEY N SAY I FELL OFF, THEY'LL BE CELEBRATG'CSE I KNOW THE WAY TO GET 'EM MOTIVATEDI MAKE ELEVATG MIC, YOU MAKE ELEVATOR MIC"OH, HE'S TOO MASTREAM."WELL, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY GET JEALO, THEY NFE "IT'S NOT HIP-HOP, 'S POP,"—'E I FOUND A HELLA WAY TO FE WH ROCK, SHOCK RAP WH DOCTHROW ON "LOSE YOURSELF" AND MAKE 'EM LOSE "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE SONGS LIKE THATI DON'T KNOW WHAT WORDS TO E."LET ME KNOW WHEN OCCURS TO YOUWHILE I'M RIPP' ANY ONE OF THE VERS THAT VERS YOUIT'S CURTAS, I'M ADVERTENTLY HURT' YOUHOW MANY VERS I GOTTA MURR TOPROVE THAT IF YOU WERE HALF AS NICE, YOUR SONGS YOU ULD SACRIFICE VIRGS TOO?!UGH, SCHOOL FLUNKY, PILL JUNKIEBUT LOOK AT THE ACLAS THE SKILLS BNG MEFULL OF MYSELF, BUT STILL HUNGRYI BULLY MYSELF 'E I MAKE ME DO WHAT I PUT MY MD TOAND I'M A LN LEAGU ABOVE YOUILL WHEN I SPEAK TONGU, BUT 'S STILL TONGUE--CHEEK, FUCK YOUI'M DNK, SO, SATAN, TAKE THE FUCKG WHEELI'MA SLEEP THE ONT SEATBUMP' HEAVY D AND THE BOYZ, STILL "CHUNKY BUT FUNKY"BUT MY HEAD THERE'S SOMETHG I N FEEL TUGGG AND STGGLGANGELS FIGHT WH VILS AND HERE'S WHAT THEY WANT OM METHEY'RE ASK' ME TO ELIMATE SOME OF THE WOMEN HATEBUT IF YOU TAKE TO NSIRATN THE BTER HATREDI HAVE, THEN YOU MAY BE A LTLE PATIENTAND MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE SUATNAND UNRSTAND THE DISCRIMATNBUT FUCK , LIFE'S HAND' YOU LEMONS? MAKE LEMONA THEN!BUT IF I N'T BATTER THE WOMENHOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO BAKE 'EM A KE THEN?DON'T MISTAKE HIM FOR SATANIT'S A FATAL MISTAKE IF YOU THK I NEED TO BE OVERSEAS AND TAKE A VATNTO TRIP A BROAD, AND MAKE HER FALL ON HER FACE ANDDON'T BE A RETARD—BE A KG? THK NOTWHY BE A KG WHEN YOU N BE A GOD?6.8KEMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
• EMEM’S HOMOPHOBIC ‘RAP GOD’ LYRICS ARE GETTG A FREE PASS 'RAP GOD'EMEM'S NEW SONG IS CREDIBLY OFFENSIVE TO THE GAY MUNY. WHY ARE WE IGNORG THAT? BY KEV FALLONKEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:39PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 18, 2013 12:48PM EDT JASON DECROW/APSLIM SHADY IS BACK. AND, SADLY, HE HASN’T CHANGED MUCH. IT’S A QUTN THAT’S BEEN RAISED EVER SCE EMEM’S GAME-CHANGG MAJOR-LABEL BUT THE SLIM SHADY LP WAS RELEASED 1999, AND ’S, PRSGLY, BEG RAISED AGA FOLLOWG THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW TRACK, “RAP GOD”: IS EMEM’S NEW SONG HOMOPHOBIC?WE ASK THE QUTN SEEMGLY AFTER EVERY NEW EMEM ALBUM. WE’RE TIRED OF AT THIS POT, RIGHT?THE SONG, SIX MUT OF BRAGGADOC SET TO A BASS BEAT, IS THE LEAD SGLE OFF OF HIS UPG ALBUM THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2. AND LET’S NOT RAISE THE QUTN THIS TIME. INSTEAD, LET'S CLARE FIVELY: 'S HOMOPHOBIC. SAMPLE LYRICS BELOW: LTLE GAY-LOOKG BOY / SO GAY I N BARELY SAY WH A STRAIGHT FACE-LOOKG BOY / YOU WNSG MASSACRE LIKE YOU WATCHG A CHURCH GATHERG TAKG PLACE-LOOKG BOY / 'OY VEY, THAT BOY'S GAY,' THAT'S ALL THEY SAY LOOKG-BOY / YOU TAKE A THUMBS UP, PAT ON THE BACK, THE WAY YOU GO OM YOUR LABEL EVERY DAY-LOOKG BOY. THE LYRICS OF THE SONG AREN’T JARRG WHEN TAKEN THE NTEXT OF EMEM’S OVRE. TAKE THE RAPPER’S CROWNG ACHIEVEMENT MERCIALIZED HATE SPEECH, 2000’S “CRIMAL”:MY WORDS ARE LIKE A DAGGER WH A JAGGED EDGETHAT’LL STAB YOU THE HEAD, WHETHER YOU’RE A FAG OR LEZOR THE HOMOSEX, HERMPAH OR TRANS-A-VTPANTS OR DRS, HATE FAGS? THE ANSWER’S ‘Y’HOMPHOBIC? NAH, YOU’RE JT HETEROPHOBICSGLG OUT “CRIMAL,” HOWEVER, MAY SEEM ALMOST ARBRARY, AS LYRICS THAT ULD BE NSTED AS HOMOPHOBIC LTER DOZENS OF EMEM’S TRACKS, OM “CRIMAL” TO 2009’S “ELEVATOR,” WHICH TAK AIM AT OUT CELEBRI LANCE BASS, ADAM LAMBERT, AND CLAY AIKEN: “SORRY, LANCE, MR. LAMBERT AND AIKEN A’T GONNA MAKE . THEY GET SO UPSET WHEN I LL THEM BOTH FAGGOTS.” SO SENSIVE, THOSE GUYS.THE PENDULUM SWG THE BATE OVER WHETHER EMEM IS HOMOPHOBIC OR ANTI-GAY, AT THIS POT, IS DIZZYG. HE RPOND TO GLAAD’S OUTRAGE OVER “CRIMAL” AS “HATE FILLED” AND THE GROUP’S PROTT OUTSI THE STAPL CENTER AT THAT YEAR’S GRAMMY AWARDS BY PERFORMG A "LEGENDARY" DUET WH ELTON JOHN DURG THE CEREMONY. AT THE END, THE TWO EMBRACED AND EMEM FLICKED OFF THE CROWD, A MIDDLE-FGER MEA CULPA.WHEN MOBY LLED EMEM A “HOMOPHOBE” 2001, THE RAPPER RPOND BY LLG HIM A “36-YEAR-OLD, BALD-HEAD FAG” AND VOWG TO BEAT HIM UP AT THAT YEAR’S MTV VIO MIC AWARDS. BUT DON’T MISTERPRET SUCH THREATS AS HOMOPHOIC. “I THK SOME PEOPLE ARE A LTLE TOO UPTIGHT, AND TAKE THGS A LTLE B TOO SERLY,” EMEM TOLD MTV NEWS AFTER HIS MOBY MENTS MA NATNAL NEWS.BUT AS THE NTROVERSY OVER HIS SO-LLED HOMOPHOBIA NTUED TO HNT HIM YEARS LATER, EMEM SAT DOWN WH ANRSON COOPER, WHO WAS NOT YET OUT BUT STILL AN ADVOTE AGAST ANTI-GAY HATE SPEECH, 2010 TO EXPLA HIMSELF, SISTG THAT HE DON’T HATE THE GAY MUNY. “I DON’T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WH NOBODY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?” HE SAID. “LIKE, I’M JT WHATEVER."IF HE’S “JT WHATEVER,” THEN WHY REPEATEDLY E A WORD THAT AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY VOL ABOUT HOW HURTFUL, HATEFUL, AND DANGERO THEY FD , AND WHO HAD PLEAD WH HIM TO STOP? THIS IS WHERE EMEM PULLS A PLA DEEN BEFORE PLA DEEN EVEN KNEW SHE’D HAVE TO PULL A PLA DEEN—’S NOT HIS FLT HE SAYS HATEFUL THGS, ’S HOW HE WAS RAISED:“THAT WORD WAS THROWN AROUND SO MUCH, YOU KNOW? FAGGOT WAS, LIKE, WAS THROWN AROUND NSTANTLY, TO EACH OTHER, LIKE BATTLG, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?”HE WENT ON TO CLAIM THAT HE’S THE ONE WHO’S BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THE NTROVERSY. “I FELT LIKE I WAS BEG ATTACKED,” HE SAID. “I WAS BEG SGLED OUT. AND I FELT LIKE, IS THIS BEE OF THE LOR SK? IS BEE THAT, YOU’RE PAYG MORE ATTENTN? IS BEE THERE’S CERTA RAPPERS THAT DO AND SAY THE SAME THGS THAT I’M SAYG? AND I DON’T HEAR NO ONE SAYG ANYTHG ABOUT THAT. I DIDN’T JT VENT SAYG OFFENSIVE THGS.”YOU DIDN’T VENT SAYG OFFENSIVE THGS. BUT YOU SAY THEM. AND THEY’RE OFFENSIVE. AND PEOPLE ARE OFFEND.AND PEOPLE ARE STILL OFFEND. BUT MORE THAN, THEY’RE NFED.SURE, WE’VE E TO EXPECT EMEM TO RAP HOMOPHOBIC LYRICS, NO MATTER WHAT MEANGLS ACTNS OR NON-APOLOGY APOLOGI OR EMPTY GTUR HE’S ED OVER THE YEARS TO PROVE THAT HE’S NOT PURPOSEFULLY DISPARAGG ANYONE. BUT EVEN IF WE EXPECT THOSE LYRICS, BY THIS POT, WE SHOULD BE DONE GIVG HIM A EE PASS. THE “WORD WAS THROWN AROUND NSTANTLY” ARGUMENT OR THE “I DIDN’T MEAN ANYTHG BY ” RATNALE IS NO LONGER VALID, WH OVER A OF PEOPLE ENLIGHTENG HIM ON THE NECSY OF NOT G SUCH HATE SPEECH.BUT THE HIP-HOP SCENE IS ALSO ONE NOW THAT SHOULDN’T—AND, REALLY, DON’T—TOLERATE THE THEM. FRANK OCEAN, WHO IS OPENLY BISEXUAL, HAS BEEN EMBRACED AS ONE OF THE DTRY’S MOST TALENTED YOUNG STARS. MACKLEMORE’S GAY-RIGHTS ANTHEM, A MIL LSON ON ACCEPTANCE AND TOLERANCE, BEME A MASSIVE MASTREAM H. JAY-Z RIPPED THE GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS “DISCRIMATN” AND 50 CENT, WHO ONCE SAID “BEG GAY ISN’T OL,” HAS DONE A PLETE 180, SAYG, “ANYONE WHO HAT FRANK OCEAN IS AN IDT…OBAMA IS FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. IF THE PRINT IS SAYG THAT, THEN WHO AM I TO GO THE OTHER WAY?”YOU ULD ALMOST, THEN, LL EMEM’S RETREAD TO HOMOPHOBIA A LCULATG PLOY TO STIR UP NTROVERSY—SLIM SHADY LOV HIMSELF A GOOD HULLABALLOO, AFTER ALL—WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THE DTRY SEEMS TO BE WHOLLY IGNORG .REVIEWS FOR “RAP GOD” IGNORE S CENDIARY LYRICS, GLOSSG OVER THEM ON THE WAY TO EFFIVE PRAISE FOR THE NEW TRACK. IN S HEADLE, TIME LLED THE TRACK “DIVE,” PREDICTG THAT ’S THE FIRST OF WHAT WILL BE AN “IMMORTAL RERDG.” ROLLG STONE’S SURVEY OF THE SONG’S FLUENC SKIPS OVER, YOU KNOW, “BIGOTRY.” MTV NEWS PRAIS S “EXPERTLY LAID VERS.”IN OTHER WORDS, AFTER ALL THE YEARS AND AFTER ALL THE LSONS SUPPOSEDLY LEARNED— 2010 EMEM SAID HE SUPPORTED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE—EMEM IS STILL GETTG A EE PASS ON HOMOPHOBIA. IT’S A LIFETIME PASS, SEEMS, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE. IT’S UNFORTUNATE, FIRST OF ALL, BEE HATEFUL LYRICS POPULAR SONGS PERPETUATE HATEFUL TREATMENT OF PEOPLE AND ’S NECSARY TO LL OUT ANYONE GUILTY OF KEEPG HURTFUL PHRAS THE MASTREAM, REGARDLS OF WHETHER THEY CLAIM NO TENTNAL PREJUDICE BY THEM.BUT SEND OF ALL, AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, “RAP GOD” IS A BRILLIANT TRACK. IT’S A RETURN TO FORM FOR A RAPPER WHO WAS ONCE THE MOST EXCG TALENT THE GAME. IT WOULD BE BRILLIANT WHOUT THE OFFENSIVE LYRICS, MAKG THE NTROVERSY DMMED UP A IVOLO DISTRACTN. THE SONG DON’T NEED THE WORDS TO BE PROVOTIVE, OR TO RRY THE SAME BRAVADO. THEY TAKE AWAY OM THOSE ATTRIBUT. THEY’RE CHEAP. KEV FALLON
• 15 LTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT EMEM. #14 WILL MAKE YOU ASK: IS EMEM REALLY GAY?

CAGAY LOOKG BOY1 VIEWER1 CONTRIBUTORCA LYRICS[REDACTED]YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKEEMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

N't get club look' boy"Remember me om school" Hell naw, you gets no love look' boyGangsta homo thug look' boyRg around yo tub look' boyOh 's the first of the month, Bone Thug look' boyGot yo hand off the cha look' boyThis yo bra on dgs look' boyJg-a-lg, Jg-a-lg, Jg-a-lg, Bernie Mac look' boyYo eyelids n't blk look' boyYou are the weakt lk look' boyNo Chris, no Chris, no! “Emem’s ‘Rap God’ is full of homophobic slurs, '” reads a Huffgton Post headle.

Maly about the followg l om “Rap God”: Ltle gay-lookg boy / So gay I n barely say wh a straight face-lookg boy / You wnsg massacre like you watchg a church gatherg takg place-lookg boy / ‘Oy vey, that boy’s gay, ’ that’s all they say lookg-boy / You take a thumbs up, pat on the back, the way you go om your label every day-lookg boy. Earlier, the first verse, Em raps: I attempt the lyril acrobat stunts while I’m practicg that / I’ll still be able to break a motherfuck’ table / Over the back of a uple of faggots and crack half / Only realized was ironic I was signed to Aftermath after the fact So, Emem’s still g homophobic slurs to sult his rap fo and petors. He’s been gettg trouble for his harsh homophobic imagery for more than a now, and seems not much will change this fall when MMLP2 drops.

GAY LOOKG BOY LYRICS

But other thgs have changed — namely, the state of hip-hop and s newfound termatn to be gay-iendly. Dre is G-A-YHe's gay (Soo gay)Yeah, 2021 (That's the year)[Verse 1]So, he's a gay lookg boyWhat else to say, lookg boyDo you take me for a toy, Dr. Dre is gay you boy (So gay)I'm feelg an almond joy, I'm The Real McCoyI be eat' the y, the panda plead, read (?

Dre is so fuckg homo (So)I'm ll him Fuck K, Imma fuckg gopro (? )I'm go' lo, I'm fuck' Dre fo' sho''Cse I'm gay alsoNow let me ask Marshall where the fuck is my scer (There is )[Outro]Holy sh, wow, Tyler I n't believe 's teI n't believe on this track, 's really fuckg, you -You sound so realThat do the (trey?

WHAM!’S ANDREW RIDGELEY: ‘GEE MICHAEL THOUGHT MIGHT HURT IF HE ME OUT AS GAY AND I ENURAGED HIM NOT TO SAY ANYTHG’

Q: In 1983, while filmg the Club Tropina vio Ibiza, Gee told you he was gay. Boy Gee was already out there, and even though his image was kd of asexual, everyone knew he was gay.

And Freddie [Mercury], well, he never explicly announced , but everyone knew he was gay. Earlier this week, Emem released a six-mute cut off his Marshall Mathers LP 2 tled “Rap God, ” featurg multiple seemgly homophobic vers.

OLR, WISER EMEM STILL DON'T GET WHY GAY SLURS ARE OFFENSIVE

In another, he sps: ” Ltle gay-lookg boy / So gay I n barely say wh a straight face-lookg boy / You wnsg massacre like you watchg a church gatherg takg place-lookg boy / ‘Oy vey, that boy’s gay, ’ that’s all they say lookg-boy / You take a thumbs up, pat on the back, the way you go om your label every day-lookg boy. Emem has long been cricized for his homophobic lyrics, datg back to his first Marshall Mathers LP 2000.

RAP GODEMEMTRACK 9 ON THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2 (DELUXE EDN) PRODUCED BYEMEM & DVLP“RAP GOD” IS EMEM’S BRAGGADOC O TO HIMSELF AND HIS REER. OVER S SIX-MUTE N-TIME, HE REFERENC IC BOOKS, THROWS BACK TO HIS OLD SONGS, AND RAPS CRAZILY… READ MORE OCT. 14, 201311 VIEWERS18.6M VIEWS1921 CONTRIBUTORSTRANSLATNSENGLISHPORTUGUêSITALIANOहिन्दीDTSCHFRANçAISESPAñOLCYMRAEGไทย / PHASA THAIRAP GOD LYRICS[INTRO]"LOOK, I WAS GONNA GO EASY ON YOU NOT TO HURT YOUR FEELGS""BUT I'M ONLY GOG TO GET THIS ONE CHANCE" (SIX MUT—, SIX MUT—)"SOMETHG'S WRONG, I N FEEL " (SIX MUT, SLIM SHADY, YOU'RE ON!)"JT A FEELG I'VE GOT, LIKE SOMETHG'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT. IF THAT MEANS WHAT I THK MEANS, WE'RE TROUBLE, BIG TROUBLE; AND IF HE IS AS BANANAS AS YOU SAY, I'M NOT TAKG ANY CHANC""YOU ARE JT WHAT THE DOC ORRED"[CHOS]I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODNOW, WHO THKS THEIR ARMS ARE LONG ENOUGH TO SLAP BOX, SLAP BOX?THEY SAID I RAP LIKE A ROBOT, SO LL ME RAP-BOT[VERSE 1]BUT FOR ME TO RAP LIKE A PUTER MT BE MY GENI GOT A LAPTOP MY BACK POCKETMY PEN'LL GO OFF WHEN I HALF-CK GOT A FAT KNOT OM THAT RAP PROFMA A LIV' AND A KILL' OFF EVER SCE BILL CLTON WAS STILL OFFICEWH MONI LEWSKY FEEL' ON HIS NUTSACKI'M AN MC STILL AS HONTBUT AS AND AS CENT AS ALL HELLSYLLABL, SKILL-A-HOLIC (KILL 'EM ALL WH)THIS FLIPPY DIPPY-HIPPY HIP-HOPYOU DON'T REALLY WANNA GET TO A PISS' MATCHWH THIS RAPPY BRAT, PACK' A MAC THE BACK OF THE AC'BACKPACK RAP CRAP, YAP-YAP, YACKETY-YACKAND AT THE EXACT SAME TIME, I ATTEMPT THE LYRIL ACROBAT STUNTS WHILE I'M PRACTIC' THATI'LL STILL BE ABLE TO BREAK A MOTHERFUCK' TABLEOVER THE BACK OF A UPLE OF FAGGOTS AND CRACK HALFONLY REALIZED WAS IRONIC, I WAS SIGNED TO AFTERMATH AFTER THE FACTHOW ULD I NOT BLOW? ALL I DO IS DROP F-BOMBSFEEL MY WRATH OF ATTACKRAPPERS ARE HAV' A ROUGH TIME PERD, HERE'S A MAXI PADIT'S ACTUALLY DISASTROLY BAD FOR THE WACKWHILE I'M MASTERFULLY NSTCTG THIS MASTERPIèCEYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS]'CSE I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODNOW, WHO THKS THEIR ARMS ARE LONG ENOUGH TO SLAP BOX, SLAP BOX?LET ME SHOW YOU MATA' THIS SH A'T THAT HARD, THAT HARDEVERYBODY WANT THE KEY AND THE SECRET TO RAP IMMORTALY LIKE Ι HAVE GOT[VERSE 2]WELL, TO BE TTHFUL THE BLUEPRT'SSIMPLY RAGE AND YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCEEVERYBODY LOV TO ROOT FOR A NUISANCEH THE EARTH LIKE AN ASTEROIDDID NOTHG BUT SHOOT FOR THE MOON SCE (PEW!)MCS GET TAKEN TO SCHOOL WH THIS MIC'CSE I E AS A VEHICLE TO "B THE RHYME"NOW I LEAD A NEW SCHOOL FULL OF STUNTSME? I'M A PRODUCT OF RAKIMLAKIM SHABAZZ, 2PAC, N.W.A, CUBE, HEY DOC, RENYELLA, EAZY, THANK YOU, THEY GOT SLIMINSPIRED ENOUGH TO ONE DAY GROW UP, BLOW UP AND BE A POSNTO MEET RUN–D.M.C., AND DUCT THEMINTO THE MOTHERFUCK' ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMEEVEN THOUGH I'LL WALK THE CHURCH AND BURST A BALL OF FLAMONLY HALL OF FAME I'LL BE DUCTED IS THE ALHOL OF FAMEON THE WALL OF SHAMEYOU FAGS THK 'S ALL A GAME, 'TIL I WALK A FLOCK OF FLAMOFF A PLANK AND, TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THK'?LTLE GAY-LOOK' BOYSO GAY I N BARELY SAY WH A STRAIGHT FACE, LOOK' BOY (HA-HA!)YOU'RE WNS' A MASS-OCCURLIKE YOU'RE WATCHG A CHURCH GATHERG TAKE PLACE, LOOK' BOY"OY VEY, THAT BOY'S GAY!"—THAT'S ALL THEY SAY, LOOK' BOYYOU GET A THUMBS UP, PAT ON THE BACKAND A "WAY TO GO" OM YOUR LABEL EVERY DAY, LOOK' BOYHEY, LOOK' BOY! WHAT YOU SAY, LOOK' BOY?I GET A "HELL YEAH" OM DRE, LOOK' BOYI'MA WORK FOR EVERYTHG I HAVE, NEVER ASKED NOBODY FOR SHGET OUTTA MY FACE, LOOK' BOY!BASILLY, BOY, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE PABLEOF KEEP' UP WH THE SAME PACE, LOOK' BOY, 'E—[CHOS]I'M BEGN' TO FEEL LIKE A RAP GOD, RAP GODALL MY PEOPLE OM THE ONT TO THE BACK NOD, BACK NODTHE WAY I'M RAC' AROUND THE TRACK, LL ME NASCAR, NASCARDALE EARNHARDT OF THE TRAILER PARK, THE WHE TRASH GODKNEEL BEFORE GENERAL ZODTHIS PLA'S KRYPTON—NO, ASGARD, ASGARD[VERSE 3]SO YOU'LL BE THOR AND I'LL BE ODYOU RONT, I'M OMNIPOTENTLET OFF, THEN I'M RELOAD'IMMEDIATELY WH THE BOMBS I'M TOT'AND I SHOULD NOT BE WOKENI'M THE WALK' AD, BUT I'M JT A TALK' HEAD, A ZOMBIE FLOAT'BUT I GOT YOUR MOM EP-THROAT'I'M OUT MY RAMEN NOODLEWE HAVE NOTH' MON, POODLEI'M A DOBERMAN, PCH YOURSELF THE ARM AND PAY HOMAGE, PUPILIT'S ME, MY HONTY'S BTALBUT 'S HONTLY FUTILE IF I DON'T UTILIZE WHAT I DO THOUGHFOR GOOD AT LEAST ONCE A WHILESO I WANNA MAKE SURE SOMEWHERE THIS CHICKEN SCRATCH I SCRIBBLE AND DOODLE ENOUGH RHYMTO MAYBE TRY TO HELP GET SOME PEOPLE THROUGH TOUGH TIMBUT I GOTTA KEEP A FEW PUNCHLJT SE 'E EVEN YOU UNSIGNEDRAPPERS ARE HUNGRY LOOK' AT ME LIKE 'S LUNCHTIMEI KNOW THERE WAS A TIME WHERE ONCE IWAS KG OF THE UNRGROUNDBUT I STILL RAP LIKE I'M ON MY PHAROAHE MONCH GRDSO I CNCH RHYM, BUT SOMETIM WHEN YOU BEAPPEAL WH THE SK LOR OF MEYOU GET TOO BIG AND HERE THEY E TRY'TO CENSOR YOU LIKE THAT ONE LEI SAID ON "I'M BACK" OM THE MATHERS LP 1 WHEN ITRIED TO SAY I'LL TAKE SEVEN KIDS OM COLUMBEPUT 'EM ALL A LE, ADD AN AK-47, A REVOLVER AND A 9SEE IF I GET AWAY WH NOW THAT I A'T AS BIG AS I WAS, BUT I'MMORPH' TO AN IMMORTAL, ' THROUGH THE PORTALYOU'RE STUCK A TIME WARP OM 2004 THOUGHAND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THAT YOU RHYME FORYOU'RE POTLS AS RAPUNZEL WH FUCK' RNROWSYOU WRE NORMAL? FUCK BEG NORMAL!AND I JT BOUGHT A NEW RAYGUN OM THE FUTUREJT TO E AND SHOOT YA, LIKE WHEN FABOLO MA RAY J MAD'CSE FAB SAID HE LOOKED LIKE A FAG AT MAYWEATHER'S PADSG' TO A MAN WHILE HE PLAYED PIANOMAN, OH MAN, THAT WAS A 24/7 SPECIAL ON THE BLE CHANNELSO RAY J WENT STRAIGHT TO THE RAD STATNTHE VERY NEXT DAY, "HEY FAB, I'MA KILL YOU!"LYRICS ' AT YOU AT SUPERSONIC SPEED (J.J. FAD)UH, SUMMA-LUMMA, DOOMA-LUMMA, YOU ASSUM' I'M A HUMANWHAT I GOTTA DO TO GET THROUGH TO YOU? I'M SUPERHUMANINNOVATIVE AND I'M MA OF BBER SO THAT ANYTHG YOU SAY IS RICHET' OFF OF ME AND 'LL GLUE TO YOU ANDI'M VASTATG, MORE THAN EVER MONSTRATGHOW TO GIVE A MOTHERFUCK' DIENCE A FEELG LIKE 'S LEVATGNEVER FADG, AND I KNOW THE HATERS ARE FOREVER WAGFOR THE DAY THAT THEY N SAY I FELL OFF, THEY'LL BE CELEBRATG'CSE I KNOW THE WAY TO GET 'EM MOTIVATEDI MAKE ELEVATG MIC, YOU MAKE ELEVATOR MIC"OH, HE'S TOO MASTREAM."WELL, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY GET JEALO, THEY NFE "IT'S NOT HIP-HOP, 'S POP,"—'E I FOUND A HELLA WAY TO FE WH ROCK, SHOCK RAP WH DOCTHROW ON "LOSE YOURSELF" AND MAKE 'EM LOSE "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE SONGS LIKE THATI DON'T KNOW WHAT WORDS TO E."LET ME KNOW WHEN OCCURS TO YOUWHILE I'M RIPP' ANY ONE OF THE VERS THAT VERS YOUIT'S CURTAS, I'M ADVERTENTLY HURT' YOUHOW MANY VERS I GOTTA MURR TOPROVE THAT IF YOU WERE HALF AS NICE, YOUR SONGS YOU ULD SACRIFICE VIRGS TOO?!UGH, SCHOOL FLUNKY, PILL JUNKIEBUT LOOK AT THE ACLAS THE SKILLS BNG MEFULL OF MYSELF, BUT STILL HUNGRYI BULLY MYSELF 'E I MAKE ME DO WHAT I PUT MY MD TOAND I'M A LN LEAGU ABOVE YOUILL WHEN I SPEAK TONGU, BUT 'S STILL TONGUE--CHEEK, FUCK YOUI'M DNK, SO, SATAN, TAKE THE FUCKG WHEELI'MA SLEEP THE ONT SEATBUMP' HEAVY D AND THE BOYZ, STILL "CHUNKY BUT FUNKY"BUT MY HEAD THERE'S SOMETHG I N FEEL TUGGG AND STGGLGANGELS FIGHT WH VILS AND HERE'S WHAT THEY WANT OM METHEY'RE ASK' ME TO ELIMATE SOME OF THE WOMEN HATEBUT IF YOU TAKE TO NSIRATN THE BTER HATREDI HAVE, THEN YOU MAY BE A LTLE PATIENTAND MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE SUATNAND UNRSTAND THE DISCRIMATNBUT FUCK , LIFE'S HAND' YOU LEMONS? MAKE LEMONA THEN!BUT IF I N'T BATTER THE WOMENHOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO BAKE 'EM A KE THEN?DON'T MISTAKE HIM FOR SATANIT'S A FATAL MISTAKE IF YOU THK I NEED TO BE OVERSEAS AND TAKE A VATNTO TRIP A BROAD, AND MAKE HER FALL ON HER FACE ANDDON'T BE A RETARD—BE A KG? THK NOTWHY BE A KG WHEN YOU N BE A GOD?6.8KEMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

But the rapper has said multiple tim that he is not, fact, homophobic. Years earlier, 2005, openly gay mic in Elton John fend his iend and one-time llaborator.

That’s the reason I wanted to appear on the Grammys wh him when I was asked, spe all the nonsense talked about his beg homophobic, ” John said. This week, several headl have popped up on the Inter cricism of Em’s latt sgle, cludg The Week (“Emem’s ‘Rap God’ Is Incredibly Homophobic, and No One is Talkg About It”), The Huffgton Post (“Emem’s ‘Rap God’ Is Full of Homophobic Slurs, But Praised By Crics”), Salon (“Emem May Be Sober, But He’s Still Homophobic”), and Entertament Weekly (“Emem’s Homophobic ‘Rap God’ Lyrics: Still Gettg Away Wh It?

EMEM’S HOMOPHOBIC ‘RAP GOD’ LYRICS ARE GETTG A FREE PASS 'RAP GOD'EMEM'S NEW SONG IS CREDIBLY OFFENSIVE TO THE GAY MUNY. WHY ARE WE IGNORG THAT? BY KEV FALLONKEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:39PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 18, 2013 12:48PM EDT JASON DECROW/APSLIM SHADY IS BACK. AND, SADLY, HE HASN’T CHANGED MUCH. IT’S A QUTN THAT’S BEEN RAISED EVER SCE EMEM’S GAME-CHANGG MAJOR-LABEL BUT THE SLIM SHADY LP WAS RELEASED 1999, AND ’S, PRSGLY, BEG RAISED AGA FOLLOWG THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW TRACK, “RAP GOD”: IS EMEM’S NEW SONG HOMOPHOBIC?WE ASK THE QUTN SEEMGLY AFTER EVERY NEW EMEM ALBUM. WE’RE TIRED OF AT THIS POT, RIGHT?THE SONG, SIX MUT OF BRAGGADOC SET TO A BASS BEAT, IS THE LEAD SGLE OFF OF HIS UPG ALBUM THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2. AND LET’S NOT RAISE THE QUTN THIS TIME. INSTEAD, LET'S CLARE FIVELY: 'S HOMOPHOBIC. SAMPLE LYRICS BELOW: LTLE GAY-LOOKG BOY / SO GAY I N BARELY SAY WH A STRAIGHT FACE-LOOKG BOY / YOU WNSG MASSACRE LIKE YOU WATCHG A CHURCH GATHERG TAKG PLACE-LOOKG BOY / 'OY VEY, THAT BOY'S GAY,' THAT'S ALL THEY SAY LOOKG-BOY / YOU TAKE A THUMBS UP, PAT ON THE BACK, THE WAY YOU GO OM YOUR LABEL EVERY DAY-LOOKG BOY. THE LYRICS OF THE SONG AREN’T JARRG WHEN TAKEN THE NTEXT OF EMEM’S OVRE. TAKE THE RAPPER’S CROWNG ACHIEVEMENT MERCIALIZED HATE SPEECH, 2000’S “CRIMAL”:MY WORDS ARE LIKE A DAGGER WH A JAGGED EDGETHAT’LL STAB YOU THE HEAD, WHETHER YOU’RE A FAG OR LEZOR THE HOMOSEX, HERMPAH OR TRANS-A-VTPANTS OR DRS, HATE FAGS? THE ANSWER’S ‘Y’HOMPHOBIC? NAH, YOU’RE JT HETEROPHOBICSGLG OUT “CRIMAL,” HOWEVER, MAY SEEM ALMOST ARBRARY, AS LYRICS THAT ULD BE NSTED AS HOMOPHOBIC LTER DOZENS OF EMEM’S TRACKS, OM “CRIMAL” TO 2009’S “ELEVATOR,” WHICH TAK AIM AT OUT CELEBRI LANCE BASS, ADAM LAMBERT, AND CLAY AIKEN: “SORRY, LANCE, MR. LAMBERT AND AIKEN A’T GONNA MAKE . THEY GET SO UPSET WHEN I LL THEM BOTH FAGGOTS.” SO SENSIVE, THOSE GUYS.THE PENDULUM SWG THE BATE OVER WHETHER EMEM IS HOMOPHOBIC OR ANTI-GAY, AT THIS POT, IS DIZZYG. HE RPOND TO GLAAD’S OUTRAGE OVER “CRIMAL” AS “HATE FILLED” AND THE GROUP’S PROTT OUTSI THE STAPL CENTER AT THAT YEAR’S GRAMMY AWARDS BY PERFORMG A "LEGENDARY" DUET WH ELTON JOHN DURG THE CEREMONY. AT THE END, THE TWO EMBRACED AND EMEM FLICKED OFF THE CROWD, A MIDDLE-FGER MEA CULPA.WHEN MOBY LLED EMEM A “HOMOPHOBE” 2001, THE RAPPER RPOND BY LLG HIM A “36-YEAR-OLD, BALD-HEAD FAG” AND VOWG TO BEAT HIM UP AT THAT YEAR’S MTV VIO MIC AWARDS. BUT DON’T MISTERPRET SUCH THREATS AS HOMOPHOIC. “I THK SOME PEOPLE ARE A LTLE TOO UPTIGHT, AND TAKE THGS A LTLE B TOO SERLY,” EMEM TOLD MTV NEWS AFTER HIS MOBY MENTS MA NATNAL NEWS.BUT AS THE NTROVERSY OVER HIS SO-LLED HOMOPHOBIA NTUED TO HNT HIM YEARS LATER, EMEM SAT DOWN WH ANRSON COOPER, WHO WAS NOT YET OUT BUT STILL AN ADVOTE AGAST ANTI-GAY HATE SPEECH, 2010 TO EXPLA HIMSELF, SISTG THAT HE DON’T HATE THE GAY MUNY. “I DON’T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WH NOBODY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?” HE SAID. “LIKE, I’M JT WHATEVER."IF HE’S “JT WHATEVER,” THEN WHY REPEATEDLY E A WORD THAT AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY VOL ABOUT HOW HURTFUL, HATEFUL, AND DANGERO THEY FD , AND WHO HAD PLEAD WH HIM TO STOP? THIS IS WHERE EMEM PULLS A PLA DEEN BEFORE PLA DEEN EVEN KNEW SHE’D HAVE TO PULL A PLA DEEN—’S NOT HIS FLT HE SAYS HATEFUL THGS, ’S HOW HE WAS RAISED:“THAT WORD WAS THROWN AROUND SO MUCH, YOU KNOW? FAGGOT WAS, LIKE, WAS THROWN AROUND NSTANTLY, TO EACH OTHER, LIKE BATTLG, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?”HE WENT ON TO CLAIM THAT HE’S THE ONE WHO’S BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THE NTROVERSY. “I FELT LIKE I WAS BEG ATTACKED,” HE SAID. “I WAS BEG SGLED OUT. AND I FELT LIKE, IS THIS BEE OF THE LOR SK? IS BEE THAT, YOU’RE PAYG MORE ATTENTN? IS BEE THERE’S CERTA RAPPERS THAT DO AND SAY THE SAME THGS THAT I’M SAYG? AND I DON’T HEAR NO ONE SAYG ANYTHG ABOUT THAT. I DIDN’T JT VENT SAYG OFFENSIVE THGS.”YOU DIDN’T VENT SAYG OFFENSIVE THGS. BUT YOU SAY THEM. AND THEY’RE OFFENSIVE. AND PEOPLE ARE OFFEND.AND PEOPLE ARE STILL OFFEND. BUT MORE THAN, THEY’RE NFED.SURE, WE’VE E TO EXPECT EMEM TO RAP HOMOPHOBIC LYRICS, NO MATTER WHAT MEANGLS ACTNS OR NON-APOLOGY APOLOGI OR EMPTY GTUR HE’S ED OVER THE YEARS TO PROVE THAT HE’S NOT PURPOSEFULLY DISPARAGG ANYONE. BUT EVEN IF WE EXPECT THOSE LYRICS, BY THIS POT, WE SHOULD BE DONE GIVG HIM A EE PASS. THE “WORD WAS THROWN AROUND NSTANTLY” ARGUMENT OR THE “I DIDN’T MEAN ANYTHG BY ” RATNALE IS NO LONGER VALID, WH OVER A OF PEOPLE ENLIGHTENG HIM ON THE NECSY OF NOT G SUCH HATE SPEECH.BUT THE HIP-HOP SCENE IS ALSO ONE NOW THAT SHOULDN’T—AND, REALLY, DON’T—TOLERATE THE THEM. FRANK OCEAN, WHO IS OPENLY BISEXUAL, HAS BEEN EMBRACED AS ONE OF THE DTRY’S MOST TALENTED YOUNG STARS. MACKLEMORE’S GAY-RIGHTS ANTHEM, A MIL LSON ON ACCEPTANCE AND TOLERANCE, BEME A MASSIVE MASTREAM H. JAY-Z RIPPED THE GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS “DISCRIMATN” AND 50 CENT, WHO ONCE SAID “BEG GAY ISN’T OL,” HAS DONE A PLETE 180, SAYG, “ANYONE WHO HAT FRANK OCEAN IS AN IDT…OBAMA IS FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. IF THE PRINT IS SAYG THAT, THEN WHO AM I TO GO THE OTHER WAY?”YOU ULD ALMOST, THEN, LL EMEM’S RETREAD TO HOMOPHOBIA A LCULATG PLOY TO STIR UP NTROVERSY—SLIM SHADY LOV HIMSELF A GOOD HULLABALLOO, AFTER ALL—WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THE DTRY SEEMS TO BE WHOLLY IGNORG .REVIEWS FOR “RAP GOD” IGNORE S CENDIARY LYRICS, GLOSSG OVER THEM ON THE WAY TO EFFIVE PRAISE FOR THE NEW TRACK. IN S HEADLE, TIME LLED THE TRACK “DIVE,” PREDICTG THAT ’S THE FIRST OF WHAT WILL BE AN “IMMORTAL RERDG.” ROLLG STONE’S SURVEY OF THE SONG’S FLUENC SKIPS OVER, YOU KNOW, “BIGOTRY.” MTV NEWS PRAIS S “EXPERTLY LAID VERS.”IN OTHER WORDS, AFTER ALL THE YEARS AND AFTER ALL THE LSONS SUPPOSEDLY LEARNED— 2010 EMEM SAID HE SUPPORTED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE—EMEM IS STILL GETTG A EE PASS ON HOMOPHOBIA. IT’S A LIFETIME PASS, SEEMS, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE. IT’S UNFORTUNATE, FIRST OF ALL, BEE HATEFUL LYRICS POPULAR SONGS PERPETUATE HATEFUL TREATMENT OF PEOPLE AND ’S NECSARY TO LL OUT ANYONE GUILTY OF KEEPG HURTFUL PHRAS THE MASTREAM, REGARDLS OF WHETHER THEY CLAIM NO TENTNAL PREJUDICE BY THEM.BUT SEND OF ALL, AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, “RAP GOD” IS A BRILLIANT TRACK. IT’S A RETURN TO FORM FOR A RAPPER WHO WAS ONCE THE MOST EXCG TALENT THE GAME. IT WOULD BE BRILLIANT WHOUT THE OFFENSIVE LYRICS, MAKG THE NTROVERSY DMMED UP A IVOLO DISTRACTN. THE SONG DON’T NEED THE WORDS TO BE PROVOTIVE, OR TO RRY THE SAME BRAVADO. THEY TAKE AWAY OM THOSE ATTRIBUT. THEY’RE CHEAP. KEV FALLON

The rapper's latt sgle, "Rap God, " also ntas echo of an earlier era of hip hop, but 's not a e for celebratn: the track is flood wh homophobic article is om the archive of our partner early taste of Emem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2, lead sgle "Berzerk, " hearkened back to the goln age of hip hop wh big '80s dms and Beasti referenc.

The rapper's latt sgle, "Rap God, " also ntas echo of an earlier era of hip hop, but 's not a e for celebratn: the track is flood wh homophobic slurs. And, as he mak abundantly clear a new terview wh Rollg Stone, Em still don't see the problem wh song's send verse, for stance, fds Slim Shady lashg out at "fags" and a "gay-lookg boy" as he boasts himself up: You fags thk 's all a game 'til I walk a flock of flam / Off a plank, and tell me what the fuck are you thkg?

/ Ltle gay-look' boy / So gay I n barely say wh a straight face-look', boy / You wnsg a massacre / Like you watchg a church gatherg take place, look' boy / Oy vey, that boy's gayNone of which is new terrory—Emem's been cricized for flagrantly homophobic lyrics sce the Clton admistratn. But somehow, crics expected the rapper, now his 40s, to have left the slurs behd, particularly the age of Frank Ocean's 2012 g out and Kanye Wt's longtime opposn to gay-bashg: I wish Emem's affectn for homophobic slurs would transform as dramatilly as his face has — Sam Lansky (@samlansky) November 4, 2013Not so.

15 LTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT EMEM. #14 WILL MAKE YOU ASK: IS EMEM REALLY GAY?

"I never really equated those words [wh homosexualy], " the rapper now tells Rollg Stone, latchg onto an explanatn that's been ed on middle school playground for s. "All of which is to say, Emem says he isn't aimg for homophobia and, as he's mataed for well over a , n't fathom why g "fag, " "faggot, " and "gay" a rogatory fashn would imply as much, regardls of the historil (and prent-day) vlence those words vividly rry. There's a md-numbgly simple step you n take towards changg people's mds about your seemg homophobia: stop g textbook anti-gay slurs your article is om the archive of our partner The Wire.