Upcoming Kid Rock Collaboration Divides Fans
October 3, 2026
On October 1, revealed the tracklist for his upcoming Christian album, HALFWAY 2 JESUS, and one unexpected name immediately caught fans' attention.
Track three, “7 Sins”, features Eminem.
The song will mark only the second official collaboration between the two Detroiters, following Kid Rock’s “Fuck Off,” which appeared on his fourth studio album, Devil Without a Cause in 1998.
The pair have crossed paths several times since then, however. Kid Rock performed the scratches on Eminem's “Just Don't Give a Fuck”, appeared in the music video for “Berzerk,” and Eminem co-produced “Let's Roll” by Yelawolf featuring Kid Rock.
The two therefore go back decades, but their friendship has taken on a different context in recent years. With both artists having publicly expressed political views that place them on very different sides of America's increasingly polarised political divide, fans have questioned where their relationship now stands.
The answer appears to be: they're still friends.
Though, this won’t come as news to anyone who remembers Kid Rock publicly discussing his relationship with Eminem just two years ago. In an Instagram video, Kid Rock said, “I love Eminem, we’ve been friends for many years. I don’t agree with his politics, but I do give credit to him and people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal for that which they believe.”
Eminem later responded on X, writing, “Here’s one thing @KidRock and I do agree on... GO @Lions!!!! Appreciate you, Bob.”
Addressing the unexpected collaboration, Kid Rock wrote that he was “proud of the guests who joined me, especially my old friend Eminem.”
“His verse speaks to something we’ve talked about and that really needs to be heard: we differ politically and on other things, but we’ve stayed friends through it all,” he continued.
“We hope that sets an example for people who've lost friends or stopped talking to family because they think differently,” he concluded.
The collaboration has nevertheless divided Eminem’s fanbase.
Some fans, particularly those who strongly disagree with Kid Rock’s politics, have expressed disappointment with Eminem’s decision to work with him.
One user in an Eminem Discord server — which has since been renamed “Eminem (before Kid Rock)” — criticised the collaboration in particularly strong terms, writing:
“Kid rock isn't just ‘right wing’ he’s a racist Charlie Kirk associated n-word sayer who wrote ‘I like em underage, some say it’s statutory, I say it’s mandatory’. This is a dark dark chapter in Eminem history and if you want to leave we DO NOT blame you.”
Another fan on X questioned why Eminem had chosen to collaborate with Kid Rock rather than other hip-hop artists:
“Could have collab’d with Dot, Cole, or Nas again. Redman went on a whole campaign tryna get a verse from Em on his last album but Em only comes outta hiding for the fascist simp hillbilly?”
Not everyone has reacted negatively, however.
One fan defending the collaboration wrote on X:
“The two go way back. They’re friends. Yes, they disagree politically, but that doesn’t mean they need to cut ties. This is something many Americans need to grasp. Chill the f out. Salute to both for having the balls to do this. To people who disagree, grow a dick.”
“7 Sins” by Kid Rock featuring Eminem is scheduled for release October 17, 2026, on Kid Rock’s 13th studio album, HALFWAY 2 JESUS.