Are Eminem and Kid Rock friends? History between the rappers explored amid their opposing political views

On Friday, October 25, Kid Rock uploaded a video on his X handle to show his support for Eminem and Taylor Swift for being vocal about their political beliefs. He played a guitar at the beginning of the video to get the attention of his audience and then went on to say:

"I love Eminem. We've been friends for many years. I don't agree with his politics, but I do give credit to him and people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal for that which they believe."

Continuing, Rock also stated that his political stance was "unequivocally MAGA" because he knew in his heart - "mind, body, and soul" - that President Trump would make America great.

As Kid Rock addressed the Slim Shady as his friend, here's a look at the history between the rappers.

---

Eminem and Kid Rock were the first white faces in Detroit's rap scene

Both Eminem - originally Marshall Mathers - and Kid Rock - originally Robert Ritchie - were born and brought up in Michigan. Kid Rock, who was one year older than the Guilty Conscience rapper, lived in Romeo - a small town north of Detroit, while the latter lived in Detroit's east side with his mother.

Eminem's childhood was tough - with the absence of his father and an addicted mother. However, both Rock and Eminem developed an interest in hip-hop in their teen years, with Eminem dropping out of high school and Rock clashing with his father to pursue it.

At the time, they were the only white faces in the rap scene in and around Detroit, which pushed them to acknowledge each other. In the early '90s, a record store owner also reported to have witnessed Eminem challenge Kid Rock to a rap battle, reported HuffPost.

Eminem and Kid Rock's rap careers began to take off around the same time, with their major hits - Eminem's My Name Is and Rock's Bawitdaba - released in 1999. The tracks competed against each other in MTV's Total Request Live.

Anthony Bozza, the author of Whatever You Say I Am, told HuffPost:

"They both came to prominence at this time where popular music was undergoing this testosterone-fueled resurgence of maleness. It was a combination of testosterone, super-duper ‘guy’ rock, and white guys rapping that commanded the airwaves."

However, the duo was friendly with each other by that time. Eminem appeared on Rock's 1998 track F*** Off - which was released as part of his fourth studio album. In 2009, Eminem spoke to Metro Times about their friendship, saying:

"He'll come over to my house, I've played basketball with him, you know? But, yeah, me and Bob are pretty good friends."

Rock also appeared in a cameo on the music video of Eminem's Berzerk, although many years later, in 2013.

---

Kid Rock talked about hanging out with Eminem and Bog Seger in 2015

In February 2015, Kid Rock appeared on the cover of Rolling Stones, where he opened up about getting along with his celebrity friends, one of which was Eminem.

Recounting when Eminem was hanging out in his Detroit home, alongside Bob Seger, Rock said:

"Em’s just sitting in the corner — me, Em and Bob — and they’re trying to relate, but they’re both a little kooky... Eminem’s funny as s**t, man. He’s a great father, he’s funny, he’s talented out his a**, but you know, obviously, my social skills are much more developed.”

While the artists are preoccupied with their music, it's evident that they make time to catch up with each other every once in a while. Recently, three days after Kid Rock mentioned Eminem in his video tweet on Friday, the latter tagged him in one of his tweets on Monday.

Responding to Eminem's tweet within hours, Ritchie wrote back, mentioning how the duo showed the "divided country what class is." Their tweets were met with countless comments of appreciation and praise from fans.

---

As the presidential election in the USA draws closer, tensions among the Republican and Democratic Parties are running high. Beyond the political domain, citizens are ready to make a choice, with many celebrities coming forward to make their stance in the upcoming election clear.