Kid Rock allegedly went "off the rails" during an interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Peisner, who claimed the country rock artist eventually waved a gun around and rattled off racial slurs in a drunken stupor.
Rock emerged as a rapper and DJ from the Detroit hip-hop scene who shifted his music towards country rock with best-selling hits like "Picture" and "All Summer Long."
Over the years, however, the rocker has become known more for his alt-right views and for being a close ally of Republican President Donald Trump, whom Rock endorsed as a GOP nominee in February 2016.
Rock identifies as Republican on fiscal issues and the military but says he leans more moderate on social issues.
The 53-year-old's public image was tarnished by controversies including using homophobic slurs, displaying Confederate flags at concerts, and facing misdemeanor charges relating to alcohol arrests.
Rock also came under fire for going after public figures. In September 2016, he slammed former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee as a form of protest against police brutality. "Man, f'k Colin Kaepernick," Rock allegedly said during a live performance of his song "Born Free."
He also went on a transphobic meltdown and shot up Bud Light beer cans with a submachine gun in response to Anheuser-Busch's 2023 appointment of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as brand ambassador.
According to Peisner, the "first two hours" of the interview were "cordial to a degree" until the artist "got drunk and belligerent".
During the interview, Peisner and Rock argued about Trump's immigration policies.
When the journalist quoted Trump calling immigrants "not humans," Rock parroted the ex-President by calling them "murderers" and "rapists."
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In response to the singer proclaiming the song "Purple Rain" was Prince's legacy and that his would be for "shooting up Bud Light cans," Peisner presumed Rock wouldn't want the transphobic reaction controversy on his epitaph.
Rock countered that he didn't care, adding:
"I really don't give a f'k."
Peisner also said Rock reached behind the seat of his leather chair to pull "out a black handgun" and waved it around "to make some sort of point."
He allegedly shouted:
“And I got a f'king goddamn gun right here if I need it! I got them everywhere!”
Rock has a firearm collection that includes a Civil War cannon, an MP5 machine gun, and old police guns.
While he believes anyone invading another's home should be shot, the singer said, "I don’t think crazy people should have guns."
At the end of the intense interaction, Peisner wrote:
“After another five or 10 minutes of this back-and-forth, he finally seems to lose steam and agrees to drive me back to my car. As he pours himself one more drink for the road, he looks me up and down."
"‘Do you think you could whup the sh*t out of me?’ he asks."
"I laugh. ‘Probably not.’"
"You can take a shot if you want," Rock told Peisner, to which he replied:
"No, thanks. I’m good."
Peisner also noted:
“It’s worth mentioning these are not the only times Ritchie drops the n-word during my visit.”
Social media users weren't shocked at Rock's comments.
Readers were thrown as to why the high-profile magazine would give the artist its time.
Peisner said Rock thwarted many attempts to end the interview as he repeatedly asked the journalist to watch one YouTube video clip after another.
When he finally made it out of the house, described as similar to the White House, Peisner recalled how the dramatic interview concluded.
“He stops the ATV. I get out and we shake hands. Then he motions for me to come close, as if he has a secret he wants to tell me."
"‘Would you do me a favor?’ he asks, practically whispering. ‘Just write the most horrific article about me. Do it. It helps me.’"