Rhymefest has recently brought up a memorable moment from 1998, claiming that Eminem used the n-word during a rap battle against him — but he admits the line was delivered with such skill that he couldn’t be mad about it.
While speaking on the It’s Just My Opinion podcast, Rhymefest revisited the legendary battle that took place at Scribble Jam, a major music festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I battled Eminem in ’98 at this competition called Scribble Jam in Cincinnati,” he recalled. “It was the biggest battle in the Midwest and one of the biggest rap battles in the country. And a lot of famous rappers, DJs and breakdancers came out of Scribble Jam.”
He went on to say: “I battled Eminem and that was the first time a white guy ever called me a n-gga. He said, ‘I’ll let my razor split you ’til they have to staple stitch you/This n-gga took my facial tissue, turned it to a racial issue.’ You couldn’t even be mad! I realized something about racism that day – it’s why Family Guy works.”
He explained that the offensiveness of a line like that can be overlooked if it’s clever and impactful: “It’s only good when it’s funny. It only is non-offensive when it’s dope. Had you said that shit and it not been dope, it would’ve been a problem. But you so cold and courageous that you did it and got away with it. But when I say I won that battle…he won the war!”
Rhymefest says Eminem was the first white guy to call him a n*gga — as he details their 1998 rap battle at a Hip-Hop music festival called "Scribble Jam" in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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In other Hip Hop news, Nelly recently offered a heartfelt apology to Eminem, attributing past tension to a “miscommunication.”
In a conversation with Bootleg Kev, Nelly reflected on some things he said about Eminem back in the early 2000s, when both were among the best-selling artists in the game.
“I misinterpreted something when I was really, really new and I want to apologize to Em,” he explained. “But I was at a time where I’m coming in, I’m the new guy, anybody talking… you know, we from the Lou. Somehow I misinterpreted that he had something to say about what we were doing.”
The rapper behind “Hot In Herre” went on to describe how they were able to clear things up during a chance meeting in Detroit. That moment made a strong impression on him and left him feeling like a “+++.”
“We were at an afterparty and somebody came and was like, ‘Yo, Em wanna come through and holla.’ I’m like, ‘Okay,’” he remembered. “When he came, he had Hailey with him, she was young. He was like, ‘Yo man, my daughter’s [a fan].’ I felt like a dick, man. Because we were Eminem fans! It was just a miscommunication, man.”
Nelly closed out his thoughts with praise for Eminem, calling him “the G.O.A.T.” and expressing gratitude that they were able to move past the misunderstanding: “He’s a dope cat, man. I’m glad we got that out the way. It’s fucked up when people that you fuck with and that you admire. It’s like, dude spits! […] I’m glad we squashed that.”
Want the full backstory on how the Nelly–Eminem beef unfolded? Read more here.
