Eminem is sending an apology to Rihanna through music.
On Friday, Dec. 18, the rapper surprised fans when he released a new album titled Music to Be Murdered By—Side B. As music lovers began listening to the companion record to January's Music to Be Murdered By, some noticed a few lyrics about another music superstar.
On the new song "Zeus," Eminem offered an apology to Rihanna for previously leaked lyrics centered on her past relationship with Chris Brown.
"But, me, long as I re-promise to be honest / And wholeheartedly, apologies, Rihanna," Eminem rapped while taking responsibility for the controversial lyrics that made headlines last year. "For that song that leaked, I'm sorry, Ri / It wasn't meant to cause you grief. Regardless, it was wrong of me."
Back in November 2019, a Reddit user posted a seven-second snippet of a track where fans heard Eminem rapping, "I'd side with Chris Brown, I'd beat down a bitch down too."
The verse, which referenced Chris' 2009 assault on Rihanna, was reportedly recorded during the making of Eminem's 2009 album, Relapse. After the lyrics surfaced, a spokesperson for Eminem revealed details about the situation.
"This is a leak of something that's over 10 years old," his rep said in a statement to XXL. "After Eminem recorded it, he scrapped it, and rewrote it. Obviously he and Rihanna have a great relationship."
In fact, the two artists have teamed up on multiple occasions including hit tracks like "Numb" and "The Monster." In 2014, the pair also went on a mini-tour together, which quickly sold out. Fans also won't soon forget their 2010 collaboration titled "Love the Way You Lie."
"The perception of the record, what it's saying, I thought it would be a good idea to have her on it because I think people look at us like we're both a little nuts," Eminem previously told MTV News. "That's one of the things that I was telling her in making the record. I think that people look at us a little crazy. As soon as I got the beat I just heard her on it."
The 48-year-old rapper added, "She laid the hook, sent it back. She smashed it like she does always."