Eminem’s ‘Venom’ Rap Draws Mixed Reactions

Rapper Eminem dropped surprise album Kamikaze Friday, simultaneously debuting “Venom” — the [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

Rapper Eminem dropped surprise album Kamikaze Friday, simultaneously debuting "Venom" — the premiere tie-in track from Sony's Tom Hardy-led Venom standalone movie — drawing mixed reactions on social media.

Three of the 13-track album's songs have already entered the top ten on iTunes: diss track "The Ringer" sits at #1, followed by "Lucky You" at #2 and "Venom" at #9.

The anthem sees Eminem conjure imagery of the titular fan-favorite Spider-Man foe and anti-hero, who in the comics emerges as the web-slinging, long-tongued creature known as Venom after investigative reporter Eddie Brock (Hardy) forms a parasitic relationship with an inky black, living extraterrestrial substance known as a symbiote.

NBA star LeBron James praised Kamikaze, as did rapper Lil Yachty, who gets a slight call out in "The Ringer" when Eminem says the star's music "just ain't for me."

"Lmao me personally I think it's [fire] Eminem took a shot at me," Lil Yachty wrote in a tweet. "I f—k with Eminem."

Rapper Hopsin — who gets a mention in "Fall" as Eminem raps, "I inspire the Hopsins, the Logics, the Coles, the K-Dots, the 5'9"s" — thanked Em for acknowledging him on Kamikaze, writing on Instagram the namedrop comes as "the best f—king day of my f—king life."

As the just-dropped album draws mixed reviews — The Hollywood Reporter dubbed it an "epic fail," writing Kamikaze off as "the work of an aging artist trying, and failing, to remain relevant by acting out," while Vox called the "diss-filled power move" of an album the rapper's "best in years" — "Venom" is similarly drawing a mixed bag of praise and mockery.

"This movie is slowly becoming the film embodiment of the one really edgy kid from junior high that only listens to Seether and Eminem and only reads Deadpool and Venom comics who's super popular for some reason," @Clankity wrote on Twitter.

@ThatSpaceSkull took a shot, writing, "Can't wait to go see the Venom movie and listen to the Eminem song and chug a Monster Energy Drink and ride my dirt bike around my block." Others, like @SJames, accused Eminem of selling out on Venom, "the sell out movie of 2018."

"Jokes on you," wrote @advent_crash, "that Eminem Venom single is [fire]." Wrote @Dylan_Rhoades, "Already wanted to see Venom cause of Tom Hardy.. and now Eminem did the theme song for it... it's a wrap."

Early tracking predictions have Venom webbing up a record-breaking October opening.

Venom, starring Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, and Michelle Williams, opens October 5.

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