Christian Smith
(The hill) – Singer Kid Rock faced pressure this week after a Rolling Stone journalist claimed the singer brandished a gun and repeatedly used the N-word during an interview with the magazine.
Kid Rock, born Robert James Ritchie, recently did an interview with David Peisner, who published a expansive profile at the musician on Sunday night. The profile, titled “How Kid Rock Went From America’s Favorite Partying Rock Star to MAGA Spokesperson,” delved into Rock’s rise to fame and how he subsequently became a prominent figure in the far-right movement.
Recounting the interview at Rock’s home music studio, Peisner said the two discussed political topics including the 2024 presidential election, transgender rights and illegal immigration, when at one point the “Picture” singer pulled out a gun and waved his hand. she.
“At this point, I’ve long since stopped drinking, but Ritchie has swapped his white wine for Jim Beam and Diet Coke,” Peisner wrote. “It starts draining at least three or four of them in fairly quick succession. He’s sitting in a dark leather chair, yelling at me about one thing or another, when he gets behind the seat, he pulls out a black gun and waves it around to make some kind of point.
“And I have a… gun right here if you need it,” Kid Rock was quoted as saying, according to Peisner. “I have them everywhere!”
Peisner said they discussed American history, including slavery and the murder of Native Americans. When he asked Kid Rock if he was on the wrong side of history, the singer reportedly said, “No. It was the Republicans who freed the (expletive) slaves!”
Peisner said he noticed that the Republicans were the progressive party at the time.
Kid Rock then claimed that Detroit rapper Trick Trick, who is black, supported Rock’s support of former President Donald Trump and called the rapper a racial slur, Peisner said.
“It’s worth mentioning that these aren’t the only times Ritchie drops the N-word during my visit,” Peisner noted. “It would be easy to label this as a drunken racist rant, but as with everything Ritchie does, it’s hard to know how calculated it all is.”
“Is he just trying to get a reaction? Is he begging to be ridiculed when this story comes out so he can launch a public tirade against “cancel culture”? Is this all just a joke to get more attention? Peisner added.
The Hill has reached out to Kid Rock’s spokesperson for comment.
Kid Rock’s right-wing views have made him increasingly polarized over the years.
The “All Summer Long” singer made headlines last year after calling for a national boycott of Bud Light over the company’s brand partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The musician, in a video on social media, shot Bud Light cans while wearing a “MAGA” hat in protest of the partnership.
In 2021, the artist also released a song ripping Anthony Fauci and COVID-19 mitigation policies.
