Eminem got real with his alter ego, Slim Shady, in an interview for Complex. Forget your typical back-and-forth; this was a full-on verbal brawl between two sides of the same coin.
Never one to hold back, Slim wasted no time throwing shade at his creator. Declaring that Dr.Dre and Paul sent for him to save Em’s career, Slim Shady stated that all of Em’s commercial success is rooted in Slim Shady’s charisma:
We sold all that shit off my back. If not for me, you’d still be wearing that same damn Nike Air hat. You’re not fucking Taylor Swift. You had one era that mattered. Mine. Everything the people think of when they think of Eminem is yours truly. From the blonde hair to the middle finger to the fucking jokes — all of it is me. And if we’re being honest, the music that you’ve been dropping since I bounced, ain’t it. When I heard your last shit, I thought that was fucking AI.
Em, naturally, didn’t take this lying down. He countered with the lyrical acrobatics of “Rap God”, a track that once redefined the boundaries of hip hop. But Slim wasn’t impressed, arguing that technical prowess doesn’t equate to entertainment:
Look, man, no one gives a shit about your lyrical miracles. You’re scaring the hoes. People want to be entertained.
These two went blow by blow but eventually found the common ground.
