Hear Eminem Tackle Racial Profiling, White Privilege on New Song ‘Untouchable’
Eminem tackles white privilege and racial profiling on the explosive new song “Untouchable,” a track from his upcoming album Revival. The song was produced by Mr. Porter and built around a sample of Cheech & Chong’s rock pastiche, “Earache My Eye.”
“Feels like we’re stuck in a time warp to me/ As I kick these facts and get these mixed reactions/ As this beat backspins/ It like we’re drifting back into the Sixties/ Having black skin is risky ’cause this keeps happening,” Eminem says. “Throughout history, African Americans have been treated like shit/ And I admit, there have been times where it’s been embarrassing to be a white boy.”
In the third verse of “Untouchable,” after the energetic Cheech & Chong sample subsides, Eminem delivers a sprawling narrative from the perspective of the black community – “Why is there black neighborhoods?/ ‘Cause America segregated us/ Designated us to an area/ Separated us/ Section-eight’d us” – and criticized bad cops who “fuck it up for good cops.”
“Just keep marching, til’ we reach Congress/ But they gonna say you’re tying to take an irrational stance cause you try to slander the flag/ But somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb,” Eminem said. “So they call it a Kaepernick tantrum if you don’t stand for the national anthem.”
In addition to “Untouchable,” Eminem also unveiled the album cover for Revival, with the rapper ruefully burying his head in his hand behind an unfurled American flag. Revival, due out December 15th, features guests like Ed Sheeran, Pink and Alicia Keys as well as “Walk on Water” collaborator Beyonce.
NEW SONG + ALBUM PREORDER #UNTOUCHABLE #REVIVAL: https://t.co/1acPsetWBJ pic.twitter.com/2VfgKaqcUH
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) December 8, 2017
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