Eminem Addresses Las Vegas Mass Shootings in New ‘Darkness’ Video [NSFW]
Eminem takes on the hot-button issue of gun violence in America in a wrenching new song and video from his surprise new album, Music to Be Murdered By. In "Darkness," the rapper evokes the horror of the Las Vegas mass shooting and more in an unsparing rant against America's gun culture.
The song's chilling lyrics attempt to take the listener inside the mind of the shooter, who is looking down at a concert audience from his hotel room above the crowd in the moments leading up to his shooting rampage. A blurry image of a man in a cowboy hat bears a strong resemblance to Jason Aldean, who was onstage performing his festival-closing set at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in 2017 when the shooting spree began.
The rapping is offset by a line borrowed from Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence," repeating a haunting, "Hello darkness my old friend" set against an answering line that states, "I don't wanna be alone in the darkness."
The brutal lyrics take on the easy availability of guns in America, pointing out that since the shooter in Las Vegas had no prior convictions and was a licensed gun owner, he was able to stockpile a massive arsenal without attracting suspicion. Eminem also takes on the mental health crisis in America and the availability of prescription drugs in an angry, profanity-laced stand.
Fifty-eight people died and hundreds more were injured when a lone shooter opened fire on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, firing into the fans from his hotel room contiguous to the concert site. The gunman took his own life after his killing spree. Despite a long, intensive investigation, authorities were unable to establish any clear motive for the crime.
These Are the Names and Faces of the Victims of the Las Vegas Shooting