Eminem is making an unexpected contribution to Abdul El-Sayed's Senate campaign — or at least one of his songs is.
The rapper’s hit “Not Afraid” appears in a final campaign video for the Michigan Senate. The use is notable because Em recently collaborated with Kid Rock, one of El-Sayed's harshest critics. A rep for Slim Shady denied that El-Sayed’s campaign made any outreach at all about the track’s use.
The get-out-the-vote ad debuted Tuesday (Nov. 3), Election Day, featuring 1 minute and 18 seconds of campaign footage set to the 2010 single.
The video includes President Donald Trump during the lyric "all those who look down on me" before cutting to El-Sayed on a balcony as Eminem raps, "I'm tearin' down your balcony."
The development comes weeks after Eminem appeared on "Heal My Faith," a track from Kid Rock's Christian album Halfway 2 Jesus, released October 17.
After the song’s release, Em explained the collaboration through an Instagram post, writing, “Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us.”
Kid Rock, a prominent Donald Trump supporter, subsequently compared El-Sayed to the 9/11 hijackers during an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, according to Variety.
Despite his longstanding friendship with Kid Rock, Eminem's political views lean in the opposite direction. He has been a longtime (and vicious) Trump critic and endorsed Kamala Harris at a 2024 Detroit rally, but has remained quiet during this election season.
"Not Afraid," the lead single from Recovery, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has more than 2.1 billion YouTube plays. Eminem previously licensed "Lose Yourself" for Joe Biden's 2020 get-out-the-vote ad.
EI-Sayed, a Democrat, faces Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan's Senate seat. His campaign's final push also featured Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria."
