Brooklyn battle rapper and podcaster Math Hoffa shared the story from the peak of Benzino’s beef with Eminem.
In a weirdly convoluted timeline where DMX came to the scene after Benzino’s feud, Math told his guests on the My Expert Opinion podcast that he agreed to jump on Benzino’s joint because he saw it as a shortcut to popularity. Yet he did not get through as he was put off by the way Benzino handled things:
Years ago, when I was just still a youngster, Benzino called me up to be a part of that mixtape dissing Eminem. I said yes. I thought this was the way to skip the shiny suits. This is pre-DMX. DMX came through and saved us from the shiny suits. But before that, it was Versace, with suits, it was shine, it was bedazzled. Everything was bedazzled! It was dope, but, you know… Once I got that opportunity, I was like, “Yo, I could skip that, and everybody will know who I am!”. I got to the studio. I thought he was going to fall back and let me handle it. He had a response “Die Another Day”. After that, he played “Rest In Piece”, Huddy had a response. Then after that, he played L.O’s response. Then after that, he was like, “Yo, I got these guys, they’re dissing Em in Spanish”, and he played that. I think their name was Uno Dos or something like that. At that point, I was like, “Yo, bro, what are you doing?” He was like, “Yo, I’m making a whole mixtape, and I’m going to drop it with The Source”. And then I was like, “Nah, this ain’t it”. ‘Cause in my mind, I was like, “Em is better than you, bro”. I kinda like the way you rap, it’s a challenge, but, you know… Benzino had his ways about it.
Math has already told this story more than once, for example, in the conversation with KXNG Crooked, who was also in a similar situation. Crook was not just approached, he was pressured to side with Ja Rule on his beef with Eminem, but the West Coast spitter refused to get involved:
I was like, “Nah, that’s not my beef. I just got over here, you know. I’m trying to make great music. I’m trying to bring that back to the W. That’s my focus, Yo, Dre is the greatest producer ever. Sounds like Em got bars and all that”.
This decision earned Crook future, respect, place in the industry and help him build friendships with Marshall and Dr. Dre later.
Watch the video below:
