Eminem Stirs Up Debate: Misgendering Caitlyn Jenner and Targeting Pronouns in Latest Song ‘Habit

On the new album, the Missouri-born rapper adopts his historical alter ego Slim Shady for one final time, before seemingly killing him off.

The lyrics of new Eminem song “Habits” take aim at Caitlyn Jenner, pronouns, and trans people. (Getty)

In the early 2000s, Shady’s shtick appeared to be an effort to offend as many people as possible, hence a slew of bars included on his Shady debut, The Slim Shady LP, that were dubbed misogynistic by critics.

And, as Shady returns, so too do the inflammatory bars on five-minute song “Habits”, which touches on Eminem’s battle with addiction. The rapper takes aim at being politically correct, misgenders former Olympian and Trump supporter Caitlyn Jenner, and questions the use of they/them pronouns.

“This my s**t, I’m gonna spit it how I wanna spit it. Whoever gets offended, suck a d**k and f**k a critic,” Shady raps in the first verse, setting the scene for where the track is going.

“‘Bout to get ret***ed on this motherf**kin’ shidit, you can’t say ret***ed, shut up, midget, the f**k,” he continues, before throwing in a reference to a former US president.

“This is Jimmy Carter, now I’m kitty-cornered, what? Sittin’ in PC court with a sh*tty lawyer, sh*t like damn.”

In the second verse, Eminem is seemingly happy to reignite his ability to upset as many women as possible – a point he admits himself in one lyric.

“A lyricist here to voice his true sentiments, got the women p*ssed. And it seems like men are just off growing a huge clitoris (p*ssies). Yeah, I probably annoyed a few feminists,” he spits, before turning to his previous controversies directly.

“I reminisce on them blowing a fuse over my points of views. Still, I’m devoid of two sh*ts to give.”

Towards the end of the second verse, Shady opts to take aim at Jenner, using her deadname and mocking pronouns.

“But when it comes to givin’ it to anybody, boy, is Bruce generous (Marshall), and I’m ’bout as much of boy as Bruce Jenner is. Cause I’m not a boy, I’m a man, b*tch, man-b*tch. My speech is free as his choice to choose gender is (man).”

The rapper ramps up his disdain for pronouns and “cry babies” in the following verse.

“All these pronouns, I can’t remember (damn). They or them, theirs? (Who?) His or him, hers?” he barks. “Into them girls who bought t*ts to get attention. Then get hit on by ugly men who are, creep, not in your league, so you pretend you’re a victim, and Me-Too ’em.”

Eminem’s lyrics have got him in hot water again. (Kevin Winter/Getty)

In 2021, Eminem’s child Stevie came out as genderfluid and adopted they/them pronouns.

The 15-time Grammy Award winner rounds off “Habits” by suggesting that listeners are going to “cancel” him like fellow celebrities, including rapper DaBaby and comedian Dave Chappelle, both of whom have been criticised for remarks about the LGBTQ+ community.

On “Houdini”, the first single from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), released in May, Eminem joked about RuPaul’s “balls” and Megan Thee Stallion being shot.