The rift between Eminem, whose impact and influence go far and away, and Ray Benzino, who took up the role of the custodian of hip-hop culture, remains epically famous. And while Eminem has since focused on expanding his body of works, Benzino comes to talk about this topic again and again. During his visit to Noreago’s “Drink Champs”, the former Made Man went at it one more time.
Admitting that during this conflict he was “in a dark place” and that he used his position as the co-owner of The Source, legendary publication and arguably the most impactful piece of hip-hop media to date, to go after Eminem, he still seems to be holding the same beliefs:
At that time, I felt deep about what I was standing for. My thing is hip-hop is the only thing that made white people come to the culture, buy into the culture, spend money, and also interact with the culture through hip-hop… I felt like once they get a white rapper and make it so white people want to buy him, they fuck with that balance. ‘Cause now white people will just fuck with him ’cause of his skin colour. Before they had to fuck with us ’cause of the music.
With Eminem, I felt hip-hop is big now, it’s pop now. He came in, there was a whole demographic of white people who just ain’t fucking with niggas, period. I don’t give a fuck. Those are the guys who’d vote for Donald Trump.
He continues his shocking revelations about Eminem’s fan base and how he thinks the race defines it with the repetition of the old claim:
Eminem is not in the culture that I’m from. That’s not a bad thing. I’m not mad at that. He grew up one way, I grew up a whole different way… He grew up where there weren’t a lot of black people.
Considering that Eminem became the legend in the midst of Detroit hip-hop culture, rubbing shoulders and battling with the most prominent artists of the city and working with D12, Royce Da 5’9″ and The Outsidaz, that is a bold statement to make.
Check out Benzino’s tirade below:
