Killshot (song)
"Killshot" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Eminem. It was released on September 14, 2018, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records, amidst his feud with American musician Machine Gun Kelly. It serves as Eminem's response to Kelly's diss track "Rap Devil".
Primarily produced by Illa da Producer, "Killshot" is a grimy hip-hop track composed of a minimalist beat with sharp piano keys and a deep bassline. Its lyrics target Kelly, mocking his appearance, career, and lyrical abilities while addressing his critiques from "Rap Devil". Eminem also brings up his longevity in the music industry and his influence on younger artists. The track further criticizes Kelly for trying to use their feud to elevate his career.
"Killshot" was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised Eminem's lyrical prowess and delivery. It broke the record for the biggest YouTube debut for a hip-hop song, accumulating 38.1 million views within 24 hours. The song charted at number one in Canada while reaching the top 10 in Hungary, New Zealand, and the United States as well as the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Scotland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.
Background and release
In 2012, Machine Gun Kelly posted a tweet about Eminem's daughter, Hailie Mathers. The tweet read, "ok so I just saw a picture of Eminem's daughter...and I have to say, she is hot as fuck, in the most respectful way possible cuz Em is king". MGK claimed to apologize to Eminem behind the scenes. After this, in 2015, MGK claimed that Eminem banned him from going to Shade 45, a SiriusXM radio station owned by Eminem. In 2017, MGK was on Power 106 FM and did a freestyle with The LA Leakers. During this, he again claimed Eminem had banned him from Shade 45. MGK also collaborated on a song with Tech N9ne in March 2018, and sent disses towards Eminem. On August 31, 2018, Eminem released a surprise album Kamikaze in which he dissed several artists, including MGK.On the song "Not Alike" from Kamikaze, Eminem made several disses aimed at MGK. Two days later, MGK responded to "Not Alike" with the song "Rap Devil", releasing a music video for the song as well on September 3, 2018. After MGK's response, Eminem released an interview with Sway Calloway, in which Eminem was asked about the feud. Eminem explained that he did not want to respond initially, because it would just benefit MGK's exposure. On September 14, 2018, Eminem released "Killshot". On September 19, 2018, the song was officially released as a single.