On June 4, 2000—barely two weeks after releasing The Marshall Mathers LP to great critical and commercial acclaim—Eminem was arrested for allegedly assaulting a man named John Guerra with an unloaded gun after the Detroit rapper claimed he saw Guerra kissing his then-wife, Kim. Eminem gave his side of the incident on his next album, 2002’s The Eminem Show, which was released 17 years ago today. In addition to recreating his version of what happened that evening on “The Kiss (Skit),” Em also addressed the assault allegations on “Soldier” and “Sing For the Moment.”
Eminem uses “The Kiss (Skit”) to explain his version of the incident by reenacting dialogue with his friend, Gary Kozlowski. The first half of the skit depicts Em and Kozlowski waiting in the parking lot of Warren, Michigan’s Hot Rocks Café—where Em (in italics) thought Kim had gone to meet a man she was seeing behind his back:
“Alright, we wait.”
“We wait for what?”
“We wait until she comes out, and then I’m gonna fucking kill her.”
“Man… you ain’t gonna kill no one—what the fuck did you bring that for!?”
“Man, shut the fuck up, dawg. Just shut up. Fucking clip is empty, it’s not—” [Eminem reveals the empty gun magazine]
The second part of the skit describes Em witnessing Kim kissing Guerra:
“It’s the fucking bouncer… Did she just kiss him..?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Dawg, sh—she just fucking kissed him!”
“No, she didn’t.”
“Sh—she’s kissing him, dawg.”
“No, she’s not!”
“She fucking kissed—” [Eminem exits car]
“Aw, shit…”
“Come on.” [Eminem runs off, yelling “Motherfucker!”]
“Marsh!”
“The Kiss” lines up with Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga’s account of the events based on witness interviews conducted by the Warren Police Department. Marlinga told MTV News that Eminem first went to Kozlowski’s house, upset that Kim was at Hot Rocks with another man. Kozlowski then drove them to the bar, where they allegedly saw Kim kissing Guerra.
According to prosecutors, Eminem then approached Guerra while pointing the unloaded gun at him. During the ensuing physical altercation, Em allegedly pistol-whipped Guerra before being tackled by onlookers. When the gun fell to the ground, Kozlowski picked up the gun as Guerra fled the scene.
Once Warren police arrived, Kozlowski showed officers the gun. Em then told the police the gun was actually his, leading to both men being arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon.
On the next track, “Soldier,” Eminem describes the mindset which pushes him to carry guns and references the alleged assault. He explains he’s constantly being tested in public:
When you’re me, people just wanna see if it’s true
If it’s you—what you say in your rap’s what you do
So they feel it’s part of your obligation to fulfill
When they see you on the streets, face to face, are you for real?
Later on, Em references the June 2000 incident:
I’m a lit fuse, anything I do, bitch, it’s news
Pistol whip a motherfucking bouncer 6'2"
After seemingly admitting to pistol whipping Guerra on “Soldier,” Eminem walks back the statement on “Sing For the Moment.”
On the track, which samples Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” Em fires back at all his critics before claiming that he actually hit Guerra with a fist:
If I’m such a fuckin' menace, this shit doesn’t make sense, B
It’s all political, if my music is literal
And I’m a criminal, how the fuck can I raise a little girl?
I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be fit to
You’re full of shit too, Guerrera, that was a fist that hit you!
It’s unclear why Eminem mispronounces Guerra’s name on the song, but the rapper was involved in a civil lawsuit filed by Guerra on June 9, 2000 for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit was later settled in April 2002 for $100,000, although neither party admitted to liability or wrongdoing under the settlement.
As for the criminal case, the assault charge was dropped in April 2001 as part of a plea-bargain agreement in which Eminem pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon. The rapper received two years' probation under the conditions that he refrain from excessive alcohol or drug use, undergo counseling, avoid “assaultive behavior,” and can’t own or possess firearms or other weapons.
Eminem and Kim experienced a turbulent public relationship during the early years of his career, which was reflected in his musical fantasies. Em rapped about getting rid of Kim’s dead body with the assistance of their daughter, Hailie Jade, on 1999’s “97' Bonnie & Clyde.” He then released a prequel to the song, 2000’s “Kim,” in which he imagined the scenario in graphic detail which led to him slitting her throat.
Following the Guerra incident, Kim and Eminem legally separated in August 2000. Although they briefly reconciled that December, Kim filed for divorce in March 2001. It was finalized later that year, meaning their relationship was officially over by the time The Eminem Show hit shelves.
Catch up on all the lyrics Eminem’s The Eminem Show on Genius now.
