From the heated rap battles as B Rabbit in Eight Mile to ruining MGK’s rap career in a matter of weeks, these are the real reasons why rappers are so scared of Eminem. You don’t even need to look at Eminem’s face to know the rappers got a lot of pent-up anger; his songs literally fire people up. But there’s one thing most people can’t seem to wrap their heads around: why are rappers scared to diss Eminem?
Respect and Reputation
A lot of people within the rap industry forget that the man came up as a battle rapper. He’s a lyrical genius who absolutely destroyed MGK’s career in rap. And let’s not forget how defensive he is. We all know that if you diss Eminem, he’s gonna come back and send you for a dirt nap.
The Fear Factor
But it’s not all about fear; it’s also about respect. Most of the young cats coming up in the rap game right now, especially Gen Z who grew up listening to him and watching him on screen destroying Papa Doc in the final rap battle scene in Eight Mile, don’t want to mess with him and have a lot of respect for him as an artist.
Clout and Influence
Furthermore, numerous rappers struggle to secure a feature from him, let alone provoke a response to a diss. And even if they somehow manage to, Eminem doesn’t just drop a bar or two on you; that man gonna get your whole life story together, find something he can use, and make you wish you never said his name.
Public Humiliation
And with that, sure, you’ll get popular, might even go viral, but it won’t be for the right reasons. When M releases the song and fans break down the lyrics, it’s gonna be game over. In fact, he doesn’t love the way you lie, and he’s gonna bring everything out to the public.
The Mentor Factor
Remember the one thing he hovers above his rivals’ heads: clout. Eminem’s reach within the industry is literally so deep that you’ll risk your entire career if you try to diss him. Sure, a lyrical beef like a rap feud is gonna be super entertaining, but if you try taking things too far like dropping Hallie Jade’s name, for instance, M’s clout within the music industry will leave you rapping in your mama’s basement.
Respecting Boundaries
And let’s just say it’s hard to diss someone for something if they totally own it. Seriously, have you seen anyone who actually managed to win a diss battle with him? I don’t think so. At the same time, I wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s untouchable because no one is. In fact, think about Meek Mill; he was a battle rapper too, and he just about lost his career to Drake, who’s known for his softer pop-influenced songs.
The Complexity of Diss
I know there are a bunch of amazing lyricists out there; we’ve got Kendrick Lamar, J.I.D, Joyner Lucas, Earl Sweatshirt, and so many more, and they’ve definitely got the skill to write a sick diss track and execute it with just as much finesse as you’d expect from Eminem. But will they do it? Oh hell no. Even if they did, rap feuds don’t always have a clear winner.
The Legacy of Diss
I mean, in the MGK beef, a lot of you out there still think that he won, but it’s pretty hard to dissent because of one reason: he wears his flaws on his sleeves. M’s been dissed so many times before that no one really has anything on him anymore.
Personal and Artistic Integrity
So maybe rappers aren’t really afraid to diss him; they’re just smart enough to know better. M didn’t even leave his own mother out of this either. Remember the last verse in “Cleaning Out My Closet”? I would never disparage my own mother simply to gain acknowledgment. And even in the chorus, you’ll see how he kept warning his mom about what was gonna happen in the song.
Understanding Eminem’s Story
And we all know his childhood was pretty dark, lonely, and his mother’s bad habits played a major role in his development. For example, he mentioned her popping prescription pills in the kitchen. On top of that, he even mentioned his daughter, saying that she’s growing up but his mother will never get a chance to meet her. That’s ice cold and pretty explicit, to say the least.
The Eminem Brand
Basically, you gotta go past his talent as a rapper, his dark mind, and his popularity if you want to diss him, and let’s just say it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to mess with the rap god.
Mentorship and Collaboration
Did you know that many rappers consider Eminem to be a mentor, like 50 Cent, who talked about his friendship with Slim Shady in an interview with Music Choice? He mentioned how Eminem helped him out in his career, and that’s one of the major reasons why their friendship is so important to him.
Criticism and Defense
He even talked about the super disproportionate and selective nature of the award system. Mostly, he was just trying to highlight the fact that 50 Cent doesn’t really have all those awards to back up his talent. He doesn’t have the trophies, and even the one Grammy he’s got for “Crack a Bottle” wouldn’t be possible without Eminem, or at least that’s what he says. “I owe one of my Grammys to ‘Crack a Bottle.’ Without him, I wouldn’t have achieved that recognition. That’s why I have so much value for him. Not just in my career, just in my life.”
Race, Talent, and Eminem’s Dominance
Having said that, when it comes to rappers hating Eminem, 50 Cent chose the wrong way to defend his friend. He went along racial lines, putting him in a battle rap context. He emphasized that hip-hop is fundamentally rooted in black culture. He noted that for some individuals, it can be challenging to acknowledge when a white artist excels in the genre more than black artists. It is what it is.”
Comparative Success and Influence
On top of that, he doesn’t think that even the best black artist out there will be able to beat Eminem face to face. And while I’m at it, a lot of people consider Jay-Z equal or even better than Eminem, and to that, 50 Cent pointed out that M’s out there selling 60 million records more than him, so how exactly are they equal? And yes, before you say it, the Queen’s rapper definitely admitted that he sounded a bit bitter, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t telling the truth, at least for him.
Collaborative Loyalty
And let’s not forget the relationship Eminem and 50 Cent share. After all, did we already forget the Super Bowl? Eminem wasn’t even ready to go out on stage and give an epic performance if 50 Cent was kicked off the lineup. But that’s a story for another day.
Acknowledging Fear and Recognition
The fact is, 50 Cent knows not everyone in the industry is a fan of Eminem, and he’s not the only rapper who talked about this. Even Busta Rhymes says rappers are terrified of Eminem, but he’s put him on the same pedestal as a bunch of other notable rappers like Nas and Jay-Z. At the same time, he’s talked about how these, what he calls them, dangerously lyrical artists aren’t on every song out there.
The Pragmatics of Diss
And that’s mostly because there’s a fear factor, the one I’ve mentioned earlier, the fact that most artists don’t want to risk anything for the sake of it. Sometimes you’re really not sure if you’re gonna be happy with what you asked for. Do you really want to ridicule yourself on your own record? Like, if you’re out there trying to win over some fans by dissing artists like Eminem, you’re going for career suicide.
Importance of Features
That’s all. On the other hand, there’s a burning question: Are features really that important? Well, as Busta said a long time ago, when some artists couldn’t carry a record on their own, something like a feature would have been a game-changer. But record companies died over 10 years ago, and a lot of dudes had to figure it out on their own. Sometimes sticking with the novelty of a name popping in the market seemed to be the easiest way to make it, and that’s when features became more important along the way, even for big names in the industry.
Wrap Up
Well, there you have it, everyone. Those were the real reasons why rappers are scared of Eminem.
