Eminem is a notably explicit rapper with some of the most controversial lyrics in mainstream music history. In fact, his words (and the marketing practices of the entertainment industry more broadly) were once the topic of a congressional hearing in 2001, with one representative saying, “When you hear the words about raping your mother or killing your mother, I think that the industry should be embarrassed that that’s award-winning entertainment.”
Back then, it may have seemed unlikely that Em would ever top any Christian music charts, but here in 2022, that’s just what he’s done. On Billboard‘s latest Hot Christian Songs chart, DJ Khaled’s “Use This Gospel (Remix)” featuring Kanye West and Eminem debuts at No. 1. This gives Em and Khaled their first leaders on that chart and Ye his fifth.
.@djkhaled‘s “Use This Gospel (Remix)” featuring @kanyewest & @Eminem debuts at No. 1 on this week’s #HotChristianSongs chart.
It earns DJ Khaled and Eminem their first No. 1s on the chart and West his 5th.
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) September 7, 2022
The “Use This Gospel” remix has multiple lines in which Em expresses his love for God, including, “Bible at my side like a rifle with a God-given gift / Every single day I thank God for / That’s why I pay so much homage / Praises to Jesus,” and, “So my Savior, I call on / To rescue me from these depths of despair / So these demons better step like a stair / Because He is my shepherd / I’m armed with Jesus, my weapon is prayer.”
So, while a lot of Eminem’s past material may not have been gospel-chart-worthy, his latest is, despite how odd that may read as a headline.