Em has had lots of famous beefs–too many write about here–but one of his earliest was against Canibus. The two had a misunderstanding, because Em was suspected to have been the writer for LL Cool J of “The Ripper Strikes Back,” which dissed Canibus. Em has never admitted writing it, and Cool J claims he wrote it himself, but relations between Bus and Em started getting worse. So, on Sway & Tech’s “This Or That” album, Em slipped in a line against Bus. It wasn’t even a great line–he just suggested that someone switch their demo with Canibus’ if they want to get ahead, suggesting that Bus was making his fame on his name and not on his skill. Bus attacked Em a few times, but none of them are even worth hearing. But Em’s responses are brilliant.
1. Children’s Story (Canibus diss)-Em
2. Can I Bitch? (Canibus diss)-Eminem
Marshall has also fueded with far more famous folks than ‘Bus, who never really broke big. There was this toss-off, for example, against a guy who was huge for about a year:
3. Are You Afraid (Mystikal diss)-Eminem. “I’m strong enough to beat your ass with a feather pillow!” he says, before threating to rip Mystikal’s voicebox out. This seemed kinda gratuitous, but a young Marshall was hungry for fame so he took the attack everyone route. Seems to have worked.
And remember his classic battle with Whitey Ford? I’m actually a fan of Everlast (not a huge fan, but I appreciate the dude). But I gotta say, Em killed him.
Here’s some of what Ev said: Whitey’s Revenge (dissing Eminem)-Everlast And here’s the fourth reason not to attack Eminem:
5. Everyone knows about the famous line about Christina Aguilera from “The Real Slim Shady.” (I’m not gonna throw it up here–y’all must have heard it.) He did it live at MTV, with XTina in the audience (best reaction shot from a live show ever!). But not a lot of folks know that she tried to respond by creating her own diss records. And they’re actually pretty funny. Wonder who wrote them for her?
The Real Slim Shady-Christina Aguilera “You sound like Peter Brady/You get real irritating.”
Slim’s greatest battles are against other rappers, though, not blues singers like Whitey or pop stars like Christina. In 2003, Eminem’s battle with Benzino marked his greatest diss lyrics ever. Zino is the editor of The Source (or was), which gave his genius album “The Marshall Mathers LP” only 2 mics. So Em came back on his The Eminem Show album with “Say What You Say.” But it was the mixtape verses that really killed any street cred Benzino might ever have had.
Pull Ya Skirt Up-Benzino. What’s so funny about this is that Ben spends the whole time talking about Eminem was never a gangbanger or drug dealer, but Em never claimed to be! So Em didn’t even want street cred.
Most of Em’s retaliations are well known (Nail in the Coffin is the best), but here’s one he just tossed off in a Freestyle, proving that Em can free associated better than Zino can ever write.
6. Nail in the Coffin (vs. Benzino)-Em
7. Freestyle (vs. Benzino)-Eminem.
During the ‘Zino battle, Marshall dragged Jah Rule into it, the shoutingest gravel rapper since Mystikal. Here’s a couple tracks, along with Jah’s sexiest picture ever. He almost looks like a girl!
8. Got It Twisted (vs. Benzino and Jah Rule)-Eminem
9. Monkey See Monkey Do (Jah Rule)-Eminem
And I’d like to leave you with the tape released by Benzino of Eminem being “racist.” I don’t think he’s particularly racially offensive here, he’s just not funny. Number 10, then, may be Em’s worst diss ever.
10. The tape.
