Whelp, time put this nonsense to bed. A resurfaced recording has officially dispelled a long-standing rumor surrounding Eminem’s legendary 1998 Scribble Jam battle against Rhymefest, putting to rest claims that the Detroit rapper used a racial slur during the showdown.
Get this, the allegation gained renewed attention after Rhymefest appeared on the It’s Just My Opinion podcast, recalling the now-iconic freestyle faceoff held in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I battled Eminem in ’98 at this competition called Scribble Jam in Cincinnati,” Rhymefest 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.”
In the actual interview, Rhymefest recounted what he believed to be a boundary-crossing moment during the clash: “I battled Eminem and that was the first time a white guy ever called me a n-gga. I realized something about racism that day – it’s why Family Guy works.”
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Thursday, May 22 @ UC Theatre, Berkeley
Too $hort, Scarface & DJ Quik
Friday, June 20 @ Fox Theater, Oakland
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