Kid Rock has announced a Christian music album called ‘Halfway 2 Jesus,’ which features a guest appearance by Eminem. He shared the news in a video on Kid Rock’s YouTube channel. The album is set for release on October 17 and has 17 songs. One of them is “7 Sins,” which includes Eminem. The first single, “James 1:17 (Jesus Is King),” is already out.
The announcement covered the album cover, the track list and the single’s release.
“The album cover and track list for Kid Rocks soon to be released album ‘HALFWAY 2 JESUS’ is here!” Kid Rock said. “‘JAMES 1:17’ (Jesus Is King) is available everywhere NOW! The official video premieres TONIGHT!”
Kid Rock also spoke about the guests on the album, especially Eminem, and about the message behind Eminem’s verse.
“I’m proud of the guests who joined me, especially my old friend Eminem,” Kid Rock said. “His verse speaks to something we’ve talked about and that really needs to be heard: we differ politically and on other things, but we’ve stayed friends through it all.”
He then said what he hopes listeners will take from it.
“We hope that sets an example for people who’ve lost friends or stopped talking to family because they think differently,” he added.
The full album is due on October 17, and the official video for the first single premieres tonight.
The collaboration on “7 Sins” is not the first time the two Detroit-area artists have worked together. Their friendship goes back decades, and their history helps explain why Kid Rock calls Eminem an old friend.
Their last recorded collaboration was “F— Off,” from Kid Rock’s 1998 album ‘Devil Without a Cause.’ That track came early in both careers. Nearly 30 years later, the two are credited together again on a very different kind of project.
Their paths crossed again in 2013, when Kid Rock appeared in the video for Eminem’s “Berzerk.” That appearance showed the bond was still strong, even as their public views moved in different directions.
Eminem is not the only guest on ‘Halfway 2 Jesus.’ Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts and country singer Jimmie Allen appear on the title track. Their presence adds a country influence to a record that also features one of hip-hop’s best-known names.
Kid Rock summed up the spirit of the Eminem collaboration in a short line:
“We differ politically, but we’ve stayed friends.”
