Kid Rock is taking aim at Taylor Swift, claiming the pop superstar has forgotten the people who helped her get started in the music business.
Rock said Swift has repeatedly brought up his name whenever she wants to criticize conservatives, but he believes she should remember the early days of her career before taking shots at the artists who were around when she was still trying to make a name for herself.
“Any time she wants to go after conservatives, she brings up my name,” Rock said. “Back in 2002 I took her on tour. She was a skinny kid with a banjo. Nobody knew who she was.”
According to Rock, Swift’s current level of fame makes it easy to forget just how different things looked at the beginning of her career. He argued that artists who had already established themselves helped create opportunities for younger performers who were still trying to break through.
Rock said Swift should not dismiss those artists simply because she now has a different audience and a much larger platform.
“Without me and other artists she mocks now, she’d be nowhere today,” Rock said.
The comments come as Swift has become one of the biggest names in entertainment, with an enormous global fan base and an influence that extends far beyond music. Rock, however, suggested that success should not erase the history of how an artist got there.
“Remember where you came from, Taylor,” he added.
Rock’s criticism also focused on what he sees as a growing divide between Swift and some of the musicians who were part of the earlier country and rock music scene.
For Rock, the issue is not simply about politics. He argued that artists can change their opinions over time, but they should still acknowledge the people who helped them when they were starting out.
“When you’re coming up, everybody matters,” Rock said. “You don’t know who’s going to help you get that next opportunity.”
He suggested that younger performers often depend on established artists opening doors, bringing them on tours and introducing them to audiences they might not otherwise reach.
Rock said that relationship creates a responsibility to remember those early opportunities, even after an artist becomes successful.
“You can become the biggest star in the world,” he said. “That doesn’t change where you started.”
Swift’s career has evolved dramatically since her early country music years, eventually turning her into a global pop superstar. Rock, however, maintains that the transformation should not mean forgetting the people who supported her along the way.
His comments are likely to fuel another round of debate between fans of the two artists, particularly because Swift and Rock have become associated with very different political audiences.
For Rock, though, the message is simple: success may change an artist’s career, but it should never erase the past.
“Remember where you came from,” he repeated. “That’s all I’m saying.”