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The backlash against Eminem's use of the f word is growing.
Justin Vernon, the lead singer of Bon Iver, has joined the chorus of criticism against homophobic language in Eminem's new album, Kamikaze.
Vernon's vocals are featured on the controversial track "Fall," in which Eminem aims the f word at another rapper, Tyler, the Creator. "Tyler create nothin', I see why you called yourself a f*ggot, bitch," Eminem rapped. The expletive was bleeped on the track but still generated a storm of controversy.
On Twitter, Vernon claimed he was not in the studio for the song's production. In fact, he said he thought the track was "tired," and he had asked producers to change it.
Vernon urged Eminem to "listen" to the criticism of young people. "I was wrong and we are gonna kill this track," he concluded.
Eminem has not yet responded to the backlash against the antigay language. In 2013, facing criticism for similar homophobic terms, Eminem told Rolling Stone he doesn't think the language is antigay but rather a generic insult, "like calling someone a bitch or a punk or asshole."
This excuse did not sit well with Dan Reynolds, the front man of Imagine Dragons.
"It's never ok to say a word that is filled with hate," Reynolds stated Friday on Twitter. "I don't care what year you were born in or what meaning it has to you."
"It's disgusting to be told this is being 'overly sensitive' or 'millennial," Reynolds said in a follow-up Sunday. "LGBTQ kids are TAKING THEIR LIVES after being bullied with homophobic slurs. [I]t's not 'sensitive' to take a stand against a word that has been used to spread hate for years."
"I will not be a silent voice with this platform I have been given," added Reynolds, an ally whose annual LoveLoud concert shines a spotlight of the suicide crisis among LGBTQ young people.
Tyler, the Creator has faced criticism for using the f word in his own music. However, the rapper's lyrics have also fueled speculation around his sexuality. In his 2017 album Flower Boy, Tyler, the Creator rapped, "I been kissing white boys since 2004."
He later said on the Koopz Tunes radio show, "I had a boyfriend when I was 15 in fucking Hawthorne. ... If that's not open-minded, I don't know what is."
