Token Calls Out White Rappers for Copying Eminem in New Freestyle

Massachusetts rapper Token has dropped a blistering new freestyle titled “Eminem’s Soldier,” ripping over the classic “Soldier” track, hard-hitting beat from Marshall Mathers’ 2002 The Eminem Show. Delivering a relentless onslaught of rapid-fire bars, the Salem-born lyricist uses the legendary backdrop to share incredibly raw personal trauma, family history, and unfiltered behind-the-scenes stories from his rise in the music industry.

The freestyle pulls back the curtain on Token’s interactions with some of hip-hop’s biggest figures, painting a vivid picture of a young artist navigating chaotic, high-pressure environments. He reflects on his nerves during an early meeting with Joyner Lucas and recalls being starstruck in a studio room containing Kanye West, Pusha T, and The Game during the Donda 2 recording sessions. He also touches on his frustrations with the industry, mentioning a past rift with French Montana and the emotional roller coaster of seeing an album underperform while still getting to connect with his idol.

In some bars, Token delivers a sharp critique of the “Eminem clone” epidemic that plagues a lot of upcoming white hip-hop artists. By shouting out Houston legend Paul Wall—a rapper who carved out his own distinct, authentic lane in Southern hip-hop without ever trying to mimic Marshall’s hyper-technical, angst-ridden style—Token makes a powerful point about originality. He argues that defaulting to Eminem‘s blueprint just makes artists sound like uninspired, “lesser versions” who are desperately begging for their idol’s validation with every release. Ultimately, Token is telling his peers to stop treating Eminem’s unique genius as a paint-by-numbers template and instead learn from artists like Paul Wall who succeeded by being entirely comfortable in their own skin and local culture.

Beyond the industry name-dropping, Token dives deep into heavy family issues and personal demons. He delivers highly vulnerable bars about his late father, examining their strained relationship, his dad’s health struggles, and the profound guilt he carries over not staying closer before his passing. The lyrics take an even darker, more boundary-pushing turn as he references discovering explicit content on his father’s old BlackBerry and details painful generational trauma, including an allegation that his father was molested at a Massachusetts private school in 1971.

Steeped in self-reflection and signature aggression, “Eminem’s Soldier” serves as a striking, unfiltered diary entry from Token. Despite addressing severe regrets—ranging from past relationship mistakes to old street habits like leaving a weapon in his mother’s car—the track ultimately lands on a note of gratitude. By paying tribute to late indie-pop artist Oliver Tree and expressing appreciation for the path he’s survived, Token proves once again that his technical sharpness is only matched by his willingness to bare his soul.

Eminem Token