The controversial Eminem feature, which sparked debate even before release, is finally out. Now, every fan can make up their own mind based on the verse itself.
“Heal My Faith” was added at the last minute to Kid Rock’s Halfway 2 Jesus album after Eminem pulled out of the “7 Sins” track on the same album. After a heated discussion, it is time to listen to the song itself.
As previous reports suggested, Eminem leaned heavily into the history of his relationship with Kid Rock, mentioning his early albums and stating that their dedication to music and shared Detroit background tie them together with a bond stronger than any political differences. He shows gratitude to Kid Rock, who came to support him at The Slim Shady EP release party. For Eminem, the verse is unusually devoid of bragging or attacking his creative opponents. Marshall is even sombre as he looks back, and he doesn’t shy away from biblical metaphors, which fit a Christian-themed album. Em managed to pack his bravado, religious references, and wordplay into one impressive line to close the verse. And yes, despite the hints left by journalists in their listening-sessions write-ups, there was only one Eminem verse on the song:
I prolly used to pump The Polyfuze Method like every two seconds
“The Prodigal Son” was a huge record,
Grit Sandwiches for Breakfast. This rhyme reminds me
The year was 1997 when I was grinding
A silver lining, finally, a tiny light is shining
But it’s so bright, it’s blinding, yeah
The Viper Room release party for my CD
The Slim Shady EP, Kid came to see me
I was nobody, he came to my show to see me
Was dope ’cause it seemed like a sign from Jehovah to me
’cause then I got signed, Dre ultimately saved my life
But what Kid did emotionally when he showed up, ’cause he gave me hope
Told me to keep going. I did, fast-forwarded three months later
We’re both in California, and we are staying at the same apartment
The Oakwoods and he was recording at the same studio
Could it be another sign? I don’t believe in coinci-dinks
Brought us closer to each other, we did the “Fuck Off” track
And never got the fuck off track, we both from the D
And I never forgot that, so when you see
Someone like me having Rock’s back
’cause both of us be off our rockers, how far back we go ’cause if we
Were tippin’ over, R.I.P. to Joe to the C. from shock rap to the rock rap
My homie and me, he is my brother, not my political enemy
B.O. to the B., we wrote this for those who believe in G.O. to the D
However you voted it or lean, liberal or even evangelical can agree
It’s God first, home of the free, Saint Joseph to be
Ayy, shoutout to Nashville, good old Tennessee
But don’t need a bible belt to turn the Devil over my knee
Opinions split as soon as the song became available in some territories ahead of the US release. Some fans are excited, comparing Em’s flow to The Eminem Show era or to Encore’s “Yellow Brick Road”. Others find the delivery monotone and mechanical. Some can’t get over the fact that Marshall made a song with a Trump supporter. This last group should be the primary audience for Eminem’s message of unity over political division, and it seems the message didn’t land particularly well.
Production-wise, the verse stands apart from the oversaturated album sound Kid Rock built with a lot of SUNO assistance. Kid praises AI as a powerful tool that lets him achieve remarkable results with modest input, for instance, turning his three back vocalists into a gospel choir. This is a point of contention for some Eminem fans who aren’t happy with the alleged use of AI in recent Eminem production. Is the classic Slim Shady voice he’s been using lately the result of AI-assisted filters, or is it generated? Where is the line between the two, and what voice counts as real?
It seems like there are still more questions than answers, and Eminem once again made people think, talk, and feel with just one verse.