The GOAT debate just got reignited, and this time it’s Roc-A-Fella Records founder Damon Dash sparking the flames.
In a recent interview with Valuetainment’s Patrick Bet-David, Dame Dash weighed in on who deserves the “greatest rapper of all time” crown.
That was not even a prompt. A host asked Jay Z’s former associate to rank five hip hop heavyweights like Nas, Andre 3000, Tupac, and Biggie. But Dame Dash chose to give his opinions on each of them (while brushing aside Nas’ contributions) and then went after Eminem. While acknowledging Marshall’s rapping skills, Dame Dash dismissed him based solely on race.
Biggie and Pac died early. Andre 3000 doesn’t do shows but he could rap. Who else? Nas? What about him? Eminem is white. And he could rap really well. He could really rap, but he’s still white.
— What does that mean, he’s still white?
If you were to ask about hip hop, out of ten white people that came in here, would any of them be specialists if they were from that era? Probably not, other than Eminem. If you would to ask ten black people from that era like myself about hip hop, they would know because in that moment hip hop was a black sport created by black people. So it’s hard for a black man to say a white man is the best at anything that’s supposed to be a black sport. You’re not going to get that from me. I’m racist.
This isn’t exactly a new take. We heard similar comments from Dr. Umar a while back, and frankly, it’s a tired trope. Hip-hop is about talent, bars, and flow, not skin colour.
Thankfully, Dame Dash’s voice isn’t the only one out there. Countless talented and successful rappers have acknowledged Eminem’s immense skill and influence. Their respect for Marshall Mathers speaks volumes, and their voices will continue to drown out negativity.
