Rhymefest is alleging that Eminem used the n-word in a rap battle against him in 1998 – but he says the bar was so dope, he couldn’t even be upset about it.
Appearing on the It’s Just My Opinion podcast this month, Rhyme recalled the battle, which he says went down at a music festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I battled Eminem in ’98 at this competition called Scribble Jam in Cincinnati,” he said. “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 continued: “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.
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“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.
(🎥ITS JUST MY OPINION PODCAST/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/jyBadt8UwY
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 23, 2025
In other news, Nelly recently apologized to Eminem for beefing with him over what he calls a “miscommunication.”
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Speaking to Bootleg Kev last month, the St. Louis rapper revisited the comments he’d made about Em in the early ’00s when they were two of Hip Hop’s biggest-selling artists.
“I misinterpreted something when I was really, really new and I want to apologize to Em,” he said. “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 “Hot In Herre” hitmaker then explained how they managed to patch up their differences in Detroit, a wholesome meeting that left him feeling like a “dick.”
“We were at an afterparty and somebody came and was like, ‘Yo, Em wanna come through and holla.’ I’m like, ‘Okay,’” he recalled. “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.”
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Nelly went on to praise the self-proclaimed Rap God, saying: “Em is the G.O.A.T., man. 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.”
Read more backstory on the beef here.
