Eminem Defends His Kid Rock Song: "Not About Choosing Sides, Just Choosing My Old Friend"

Short answer: Eminem says his new song with Kid Rock is about friendship, not politics. Hours after Kid Rock released his faith-based album Halfway 2 Jesus on October 17, 2026, Eminem posted a short defense of their track "Heal My Faith": "Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us." The post instantly split fans — and that split is exactly why the collaboration is going viral.

What happened

Kid Rock released Halfway 2 Jesus, his new faith-based album, on October 17, 2026. Eminem guests on the track "Heal My Faith," a song built around the two Detroit artists' decades-long friendship. In his verse, Eminem raps, in part, "He is my brother, not my political enemy," and frames the song as being for people who can disagree and still stay close.

After some fans questioned the team-up, Eminem addressed it directly on social media the same day, sharing a snippet of the track with that one-line explanation. He did not announce any change in his own views — he pointed to the friendship itself as the reason he showed up.

Why this pairing shocked fans

The two artists are publicly on opposite sides politically. Eminem endorsed Kamala Harris at a Detroit rally in 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump in his music. Kid Rock, by contrast, is one of Trump's most prominent supporters in music. That contrast is why a faith-album collaboration between them landed as such a surprise — and why a single Instagram-length post from Eminem became the story.

Kid Rock made the same point from his side. In the album's foreword, he wrote that he is proud of the guests who joined him, "especially my old friend Eminem," adding that they differ politically and on other things but have stayed friends through it all — and that they hope it sets an example for people who have lost friends or stopped talking to family because they think differently. In an interview with Billboard, Kid Rock said the two have been friends for about 40 years, that they talk about politics only a little, agree on a lot, and can laugh about the rest.

Key facts

• Album: Halfway 2 Jesus by Kid Rock, released October 17, 2026.
• Track: "Heal My Faith," featuring Eminem.
• Eminem's statement: "Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us."
• History: Eminem previously appeared on Kid Rock's 1998 song "Fuck Off" from Devil Without a Cause, and Kid Rock later appeared in Eminem's 2013 "Berzerk" music video.
• Friendship: Both artists are Detroit natives who have known each other for roughly four decades, dating back to the local Michigan music scene.

Why it's blowing up

Part of the reaction is pure surprise: two of Detroit's biggest music exports, famous in part for opposite public politics, choosing a faith record to reunite on. Part of it is the message itself. Fans defending Eminem called the collaboration a rare example of a friendship surviving a political divide. Fans criticizing it argued, in comments quoted by Parade, that "not choosing sides is choosing a side," or that they understood the sentiment but would not have made the same choice. Both reactions are fueling the same thing — shares, quote-posts and debate — which is why a one-line post is still climbing a day later.

It also helps that the history is real. This is not a label-arranged feature between strangers. The two collaborated in 1998, long before either man's politics became part of his public brand, and Kid Rock's cameo in the "Berzerk" video in 2013 shows the connection never actually went away.

What's next

Expect the debate to follow the album, not just the post. "Heal My Faith" is the track most listeners are heading to first, and every new interview either artist gives about the record will restart the conversation. Whether it changes anyone's mind about cross-divide friendships is an open question — but as a viral moment, the collaboration has already done what it set out to do: get people who disagree talking about the same song.

Sources

Consequence — Eminem Defends Kid Rock Collaboration
Parade — Eminem Explains Kid Rock Collaboration After Fans React to New Song
Stereogum — Eminem Defends New Kid Rock Collaboration
BollywoodShaadis — Eminem Breaks Silence On Controversial Kid Rock Collab

FAQ

What did Eminem say about working with Kid Rock?

He wrote: "Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us."

What is the Eminem and Kid Rock song called?

It is "Heal My Faith," from Kid Rock's faith-based album Halfway 2 Jesus, released on October 17, 2026.

Have Eminem and Kid Rock worked together before?

Yes. Eminem appeared on Kid Rock's 1998 track "Fuck Off," and Kid Rock appeared in Eminem's 2013 "Berzerk" video.

Why are fans divided over the collaboration?

The two artists hold publicly opposite political views, so some fans praise the friendship-first message while others question teaming up across that divide.