Elton John and Eminem have been friends since they performed "Stan" at the 2001 Grammys, a performance that aimed to prove Eminem was not a homophobe despite criticism of gay slurs used in his lyrics. In a recent interview on the Graham Norton Show, Elton looked back at on the performance, as well as revealing a present he received from the rapper which he felt spoke to his open-mindedness.
"He was accused of being homophobic by so many people because of his lyrics, which I thought was nonsense," he said of the reaction to Eminem's 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP. "I came out and supported the fact that he isn’t and I appeared on the Grammys with him, doing ‘Stan.'"
"We've been friends ever since," Elton continued. "He's an amazing guy. I interviewed him last week for a magazine. I just adore him."
After praising the rapper, John was prompted to reveal the ridiculous gift he received from the rapper after his civil partnership to David Furnish in 2006. "From my marriage... When David and I did our civil partnership, I got this package from Eminem. It shows you how homophobic he isn't," he recalled. "It had two diamond encrusted cock rings on velvet cushions."
Elton then made sure to clarify: "I have to say, they have remained unused."
Eminem has been criticized for his use of homophobic slurs in his songs as recently as 2003 on The Marshall Mathers LP II's "Rap God." At the time, he defended his use of the slurs by pointing to his battle rap background. "It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or asshole," he said. "So that word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people."
Watch Elton and Eminem's performance of "Stan" from the 2001 Grammys below.
Eminem's new album REVIVAL is set for release December 15th. The date was announced last week by longtime collaborator Dr. Dre.