Several weeks ago some of Eminem fans got agitated about Royce da 5’9” praising Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” over Eminem’s albums.
Unabashedly Reggie channel shared another segment of the conversation with Royce where he set the record straight:
In the comment that I left under the Snoop comment, I thought that I was putting in perspective someone having criteria for their Top 5. I didn’t agree with anything Snoop said. I didn’t agree with what he was saying. I understood what he was saying and I feel like he is equipped to be able to give his opinion in that way because he’s a legend. That’s me respecting a legend just like I respect my brother Marshall who’s a legend. I don’t have to agree with him to understand what he’s saying – I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Yes, my criteria for albums is a little bit different than my criteria for MCs. “Doggystyle” is way up there for me. It’s just a great, great album. It doesn’t mean that I’m saying that I can live my whole life with no Eminem music. It’s not that. I would never say anything like that because that wouldn’t be true.
It is a sad state of affairs that Royce had to spell it for people in the back. The backlash he met from a fraction of Eminem fandom was so loud that Royce could not hear his normal fans for a minute. And Royce thinks that this is not a coincidence but the result of how some of Marshall’s white followers expect a certain power dynamic between them and how these expectations are shaped by racial prejudice. This is not something that Royce is going to tolerate:
Marshall’s fans have a way that they see a black man standing next to him because he’s a huge superstar. They have a way that they think a black man standing next to Marshall is supposed to behave and is supposed to be. Let me free your mind. I’m motherfucking Royce da 5’9”. And I can rap. I’m not a role player. Marshall is my big brother, I’m his little brother. I’m Pippen, he’s Jordan. When he gives me the ball, I’m putting the ball in the basket. I don’t play a role. I don’t sweep the floors at his Shady Records, I have my own company. I have my own money and I can fucking rap. As long as you can understand that then we’ll never have a problem. I love you if you love Marshall. If you choose not to follow me or love me through him – that’s fine too. I’m always gonna make great music and I’m always gonna continue to grow but standing up for my people will never stop being a passion or me. And if it makes you uncomfortable then I don’t know what else to tell you.
Watch the video below:
Full Interview:
Unabashedly Reggie YouTube channel specialises in breaking down songs of Eminem and other hip hop artists, make sure to check it out.
