Eminem hopped on social media on October 17 to explain why he jumped on a Kid Rock song, and his answer was that they are buddies. The track is “Heal My Faith,” tucked onto Kid Rock’s new Christian record “Halfway 2 Jesus,” which landed the same day. Does it strike anyone else as odd that a Detroit rapper who once threatened a cameraman is now trading holy verses with the guy from “Bawitdaba”?
The Defense Rests Before It Starts
Eminem told fans the song is about friendship, not politics. He wrote that it is not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with an old friend, and added that he is praying for all of us. Fine. Pray away. I still say this whole thing is a bad idea wearing a choir robe.
My issue is not that two guys in their fifties want to hang out. My issue is that this collaboration hands Kid Rock a credibility shield he did not earn. Kid Rock has spent years yelling about politics at rallies. Now he stands next to a rapper with real crossover appeal and borrows some of that glow as cover. That is not bridge building. That is a PR move with a beat.
Brothers In Bars, Not Ballots
In his verse, Eminem calls Kid Rock his brother and not his political enemy. He raps about liberals and evangelicals agreeing and about God first and home of the free. That line lands with a thud. It sounds like a bumper sticker that got stuck to a guitar case.
Eminem also seems to think his friendship can be a model for listeners who have lost people over politics. Sweet thought. Wildly optimistic. Most people who stopped talking to their uncle after Thanksgiving did not do it because they forgot he was fun at a barbecue. They did it because he kept forwarding things. A rap verse does not fix that.
Kid Rock Writes A Foreword, Naturally
Kid Rock added a foreword to the album where he says he is proud of the guests and singles out Eminem. He admits they differ politically and on other matters but stayed friends. He hopes the friendship sets an example for people who have lost friends or stopped speaking to family over disagreements. Of course he wrote a foreword. The man cannot release a record without turning it into a sermon with a tracklist.
My bias kicks in and stays kicked. I am against this collaboration. Not because the song is offensive. Because it is a shrug; it lets both men feel noble while the actual argument about politics keeps burning in the background. Eminem gets to look loyal. Kid Rock gets to look reasonable. Nobody has to answer for anything.
The 8 Mile Line Nobody Asked For
Think back to “8 Mile,” the movie where Eminem played a guy fighting for a mic in a Detroit basement. That character would have eaten this track for breakfast. He would have called it soft. He would have called it a sellout move wrapped in a gospel choir. I am not saying the real Eminem owes me that character. I am saying the contrast is funny enough to mention at a dinner party.
What makes this stranger is that Eminem is not some monk who never touches politics. He endorsed Kamala Harris at a Detroit rally in 2024. He has taken swings at Donald Trump on record more than once. So the idea that he is above the fray does not hold. He knows exactly what he is doing. That makes the buddy routine harder to swallow, not easier.
The verse itself is fine. Not great. It is the rap equivalent of a wedding toast about how we all need to get along. Everybody claps. Nobody remembers it a week later. The most memorable part is the line about how you voted or lean, which sounds like a slogan for a bank.
What Even Is The Next Step
“Halfway 2 Jesus” is out now. Kid Rock has been doing the rounds to promote it, which is what he always does. The last thing anyone needs is a tour where Eminem and Kid Rock trade verses about unity while charging two hundred dollars a ticket.
I will give Eminem this. He meant what he said. He clearly loves his old friend. That counts for something. It just does not count for much when the friend in question has spent a decade using politics as a personality. Making music with an old buddy is nice. Pretending that music solves anything is a stretch. Eminem should stick to rapping. Kid Rock should stick to whatever it is he does now. And the rest of us should stick to changing the subject when this song comes on.
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