DETROIT – After more than 15 years since Elton John and Eminem performed "Stan" at the Grammys, Elton John is defending Eminem against charges of homophobia.
The 2001 Grammys performance was surrounded by controversy, with many upset over Eminem's violent and homophobic lyrics.
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In an interview with Beats 1's Zane Lowe, Elton John defended Eminem:
“For me, Eminem was never homophobic,” he said. “I listened to the whole of the ‘Marshall Mathers’ album when I drove to a show in South Hampton and I was floored by it. And I thought how could anyone think this is… he’s just writing about the way things are. Not how he thinks, but the way things are.”
Elton John also recalled a performance with Axl Rose.
“I did the MTV Music Awards with him and the Guns N’ Roses and I did the Grammys with Marshall and I became very big friends with Marshall. I’ll fight for anyone who is misunderstood and misrepresented by the idiots out there.”
In 2004, Eminem told MTV that he didn't even know - or care - that Elton John is gay.
“Of course, I heard of Elton John,” said. “I didn’t know he was gay. I didn’t know anything about his personal life. I didn’t really care. But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from.”