Some Eminem haters often contribute his success to the colour of his skin. Fat Joe states that his race was the main obstacle on his way up that he could only overcome by being an extraordinary rapper.
Fat Joe made this point in his conversation with Royce da 5’9” while Royce did not really want to dwell on racial differences but to focus on the positive impact that hip hop culture brings, on its power to promote understanding.
Fat Joe: How is that, being the best friends with the great white hope, the greatest white rapper of all time and still you’re grounded, you are very cold black. You’re best friends with the great white hope and you are pro-black. What’s that like?
Royce da 5’9”: I think, that speaks to something very important. I think it’s a testament to hip hop being the common denominator that brings everything together. If it wasn’t for hip hop me and Em wouldn’t be best friends. Our worlds wouldn’t have crossed with each other. And I think that doesn’t get enough credit. Hip hop doesn’t get enough credit for bridging the gap between races of people. Because there will be a straight up culture clash in any other instance, anything that we can be talking about, anything that we can disagree on. Me and Marshall, we’ve disagreed on things but there’s one common thing that we’re always going to agree on and that’s hip-hop. You put on “Tears” by 2Pac the whole world is gonna agree. We don’t know why, it just is what it is. It’s like magic. I think more emphasis should be put on that. I think Marshall’s presence in hip-hop, the reason why I defend him like I do is because his presence in hip-hop and his success in hip-hop has done more good than the latter.
Fat Joe: You know this game. Nobody would’ve gave it up to Eminem unless he was beyond exceptional. They would’ve never gave it up to Eminem, they would have never. I’m telling you, I’ve come from the blackest part of town, well, Detroit might be even blacker but what I’m saying to you is they would have never gave that boy his respect. He wouldn’t have been 10 platinum unless he wasn’t a freaking nature. Or an alien. So when you talk to me about that it makes me feel like, “What are we talking about?” Y’all know y’all can’t fuck with him. It’s the bottom line. I don’t know what to tell you! They’re lying! Liars!
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