(Editor’s note: I know that Diddy blog took a lot out of people, but it had to be done! Oh, and in response to Zia, who posted a question in the comment section yesterday about Diddy’s many name changes, he actually changed his name a couple of times. But in 2005 Diddy announced he was changing his name from “P. Diddy” to “Diddy”. Before P. Diddy he was Puffy/Puff Daddy. When he changed his name to P. Diddy, he confused his fans because they didn’t know whether the P stood for Puff or Puffy. So now you just have Diddy.)
Eminem could never contend for a spot on my Top 3 (maybe Top 5) Greatest Rapper of All Time (GOAT) list. He does, however, rank in my Top 5 (possibly occupying spot #3) Greatest Lyricist of All Time list. Don’t get me wrong. Eminem can flow, point-blank. But the solo albums he’s put out are just a little too far off the radar for me. I know rappers can become repetitive and redundant, but how many times can we listen to Marshall scream about hating his mom and his girlfriend/wife/ex-girlfriend/wife? How many albums can he overdose on Tylenol and prescription drugs? Biggie wanted to die, hated his mom and his girlfriend all on one song, and that was it! Get it out of your system and move on! But I digress.
- Great rappers don’t do sh*t like this…
The reason Eminem constantly gets mentioned in “best rapper alive” conversations is because every time he gets a chance to feature on a track with a so-called “G.O.A.T.”, he spits fire on the song and then extinguishes it for you. I compare Eminem to an And1 Mixtape baller. He can’t perform on the big stage in the NBA (i.e. an entire album), but if you come down to his level (i.e. verse for verse) he’ll make you look like you’ve never dribbled a basketball before. Greatness requires superiority on all levels: albums, mix-tapes, features and remixes, videos, stage performance, and social impact. Eminem is close, but he doesn’t rank at the top of those categories on my list. However, rappers are still scared of him. So, I put the NSS guarantee on it that no rapper who owns the rights to any of the songs on this list would perform any of the songs on said list without Eminem present because the crowd would be waiting to sing a long to Eminem’s verse (Jadakiss’s D Block being the only exception). Below is the rap sheet of Eminem’s 1st degree murders on a track , so enjoy this countdown of instances when the real Slim Shady actually stood up.
5. Renegade, Jay-Z ft. Eminem
I expect most people to disagree with this song as number 5, but you’re wrong and I’ll tell you why. Here’s another basketball analogy for you: Eminem’s annihilation of Jay on this song reminds me of the time Allen Iverson crossed over Michael Jordan. Everyone wanted to see it, they knew it was coming, and sure enough it happened. Yea, Iverson got him, but who you are you going to take on your team? No one will EVER forget Jordan’s vulnerable look as A.I. broke his ankles so bad he almost peed his pants. But they also won’t forget that Jordan got six rings and A.I. got none.
“I just have ten number one albums, maybe now eleven?” - Thank You, Jay-Z
4. Dead Wrong Remix, Biggie “ft.” Eminem
Did you notice the double quotation marks on the word featuring in this one? Biggie had no idea this song would ever be made, so it should probably rank as an Honorable Mention. Don’t sleep though, Eminem killed it, and the reason it isn’t an honorable mention is because just for one second, you thought to yourself, “Em might’ve ripped Biggie on this if Biggie was alive.” Is it blasphemous to think such a horrible thought? Yes! But we all pee in the confessional from time to time. (I don’t, I’m Baptist. We don’t have confessionals. We just shout.)
3. Welcome To D Block, Jada Kiss ft. Sheek, Styles P, and Eminem
I feel like Jada knew what was going to happen when he asked Eminem to be on this track. That’s why they asked him to rap the hook also, because they knew he deserved it (Em also probably wrote it). Eminem dismantled this beat from the opening line with “Welcome to D Block, the mighty mighty D Block, the place in New York City where Diddy won’t even walk…” and showed that he had a certified ‘Hood Pass when he said “D Block, the place where OG’s get knocked, locked up, get out, come home for a week and get RE-KNOCKED.” He murdered it.
2. Forever, Drake ft. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem
Drake, Weezy, and Kanye to tha…? Each one of you, at one point or another, claimed to be the greatest rapper in the game, right? Well, Eminem just prison banged your rap status.
Exhibit A. - Eminem rapped last on a song with three other rappers. We all know that rapping last is the default “best rapper on the track” position (Scroll back up, he did on 5,4, and 3 too).
Exhibit B. - Em’s verse was f*cking better than everyone else’s.
Got me cussing now. I’m mad because up to the release of this song Eminem successfully murdered Jay-Z’s, Biggie’s, and Jada Kiss’ songs, all of whom are arguably 3 of the top 5 greatest rappers of all time. Why didn’t ANYONE come harder than they did on Forever KNOWING that Eminem was gonna be on it? Eminem slipped a bit of a reverse lazy metaphor by NSS even, “…nuts they go, Macadamia they go so ballistic, whoa…” Eminem got away clean with a triple homicide on this verse.
1. Drop the World, Lil Wayne ft. Eminem
I have to believe that Wayne knew and understood he was murdered on Drop the World, because he had to have known that Eminem killed him on their previous collaboration, Forever, which also featured other MCs. Yet and still, despite getting murdered on that track, he went on to record a song featuring just him and Eminem, and proceeded to get murdered, again. So, in the same calendar year, Eminem murdered Wayne twice. (If you ask me, Jay kind of bullied Wayne on Mr. Carter also). Eminem has more than 10 years in the game, and rappers STILL must be told “Do NOT put Eminem on your song!” It’s like rappers are Damon Wayans in the Great White Hype, “I’ll beat him with my Blackness.” It doesn’t work like that. ’Nuff said.
Twice, Mr. Carter, this guy murdered you. Twice.
““Em might’ve ripped Biggie on this if Biggie was alive.” Is it blasphemous to think such a horrible thought? ”
I looooove this song before Em hopped on it, but in all due respect…Em murdered Biggie on his own track…AFTER he died. That takes guts.
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