Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Regrets How He Handled Eminem Diss Track Situation

BY Erika Marie 3.9K Views
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Justin Vernon
He took things to Twitter before addressing his issues with Eminem.

Immediately taking your grievances with fellow artists to social media isn't the best way to handle a difference of opinions for entertainers. Yet, so many choose to share their thoughts about one another on Instagram or Twitter instead of simply sending a text message or giving someone a call. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon is one of those people who now admits he didn't properly handle a situation with Eminem last year.

You may remember that in August 2018, Eminem released his album Kamikaze. On his track "Fall," Justin sang the chorus and was featured as one of the song's co-writers. "Fall" was highly controversial as Eminem went on to diss a number of entertainers including Joe Budden, DJ Akademiks, and Tyler, The Creator. His words against the IGOR artist sparked backlash as he called Tyler a "f*ggot" and a "b*tch." 

Upon hearing the song, Justin sent out a series of tweets letting it be known that he wasn't aware of the lyrical content. "Was not in the studio for the Eminem track... came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will. Not a fan of the message, it’s tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn’t do it. Thanks for listening to BRM...Eminem is one of the best rappers of all time, there is no doubt. I have and will respect that. Tho, this is not the time to criticize Youth, it’s the time to listen. To act. It is certainly not the time for slurs. Wish they would have listened when we asked them to change it." He added, "I was wrong and we are gonna kill this track."

Eminem later expressed his regret for his word choices, sharing that he was angry when he made the song. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Justin had a few regrets of his own, sharing that if he would have thought things through, he would have spoken with Em directly. “I made that huge mess out of the Eminem song. I was just in a car wash, and I just tweeted,” Vernon said. “I should’ve just probably chilled out and actually just said, ‘Please don’t put this song out.’ It was very rude and I felt really bad about it." Check out Justin speaking about "Fall" around the 29-minute mark below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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