In February 2023, American publications Billboard and Vibe released a list of the greatest rappers in the history of rap through their music editorial ‘The 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time‘. The list was drafted and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop music, but the reactions it drew weren’t all good and jolly.
Many including fans as well as singers had a damning reaction to the artists featured in the list. The rap God Eminem, who was featured on the list below a few rappers, also has something to say about it — and he is letting the world know about it through a rap.
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How Did Eminem React to Billboards List of Greatest Rappers of All Time?
Eminem fans must have been devastated to find out that their icon was placed on the fifth position on ‘The 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time‘ released in 2023. While he did not immediately comment on it at the time of its release, the rapper used his new single ‘Tobey‘ to express his frustration.
Singing alongside Big Sean and Babytron, the rapper gave his views on the ‘Billboards List of Greatest Rappers of All Time’, wherein he was ranked at number 5 on the list, below Tupac at number 4, Lil Nas at number 3, Kendrick Lamar at number 2 and Jay-Z at number 1.
In the song, Eminem sings, “I got so many stories, but I hate ceilings / Ain’t feelin’ your top five favorite rappers / So I know they ’bout to be pissed at me,” he raps on the track released on July 2nd. “But this, to me, is a mystery / How rappers I’ve already ripped could be / Higher up on a list than me / Yet here I sit on your list though at five, wished it was fine / But just know inside, to me, that sh*t’s hilarious.”
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Eminem Disses Melvin Glover Too In HIs New Single
Melvin Glover, better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel, is one of the celebrities who trashed Eminem’s name on the list as white privilege. During an interview with The Art of Dialogue last year after Billboard‘s list published, Melvin had mentioned that he believes Eminem only made it as high as he did on the list because he is white.
Mel explained during the interview, “Obviously he’s a capable rapper. If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, OK he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white.”
“So now if Eminem was another n—a like all the rest of us, would he be top five on that list when a n—a that could rhyme just as good as him is 35? That had records and all that? He’s 35. He’s white,” he added.
Eminem seemingly heard Glover quite well, and drafted a response for him too in the new song. “So when I get dissed though and by a pioneer who was one of the reasons why I am here / They tell me I should just let that shit go and slide / ‘Melle Mel shouldn’t get no reply’ / ‘That man is a legend,’ bitch, so am I,” Eminem sings in the song.
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